William Higham is one of the UK’s most sought-after inspirational leadership speakers, celebrated for his deep expertise in behavioural forecasting, consumer trends, and the future of work.
As the founder of Next Big Thing, he has guided global giants such as Amazon, Spotify, and HSBC, helping them navigate shifting customer expectations and stay ahead of disruptive change.
In this exclusive interview, William shares powerful insights on the dangers of workforce disengagement, the emotional drivers shaping consumer behaviour, and how companies can foster a culture of innovation to thrive in an uncertain world.
Q: From your perspective as a trends strategist, what are the most significant risks businesses face when dealing with a disengaged workforce?
William Higham: “When I started out in this business, I was very much focused on the consumer — what will consumers’ future needs be, what will the future expectations be? So, when I was looking forward and predicting, it was all about them.
“Over the last few years, although I’m still doing a lot in that space, I’ve also been working increasingly with HR departments, looking at how to restructure the organisation itself. I can see not only how business is likely to change in future, but also how employee needs — not just consumer needs — are likely to shift.
“If you look at the workforce, it’s so important to have an engaged team, one that shares a vision and works together no matter where they are. It’s absolutely possible to have a workforce spread across the country or across the globe — some working from an office, some working from home.
“You can have a mix of freelancers and full-time staff. But if there’s a shared vision, that’s what brings them all on board. If you have a disengaged workforce, you’re simply not going to create the productivity you need to generate growth.
“Let’s turn it on its head: with an engaged workforce, you can achieve so much. There’s so much knowledge within your team. You can create a knowledge hub to advise customers, you can build an efficient workforce that makes life smoother for your consumers, and so on.
“The key is to engage your workforce. If you look at the statistics, it’s clear that the most profitable companies are those with the most engaged teams.
“I think part of the reason for today’s disengagement — not just here in the UK, but across Europe and elsewhere — is that many workplaces are still operating with fairly outdated practices. People spend their weekends on their phones, doing everything on the go: they’re contacting friends, saying, “Shall we go to the cinema?”, ordering things online — all via their mobiles.
“Then they come into the office — where more and more people are now required to return — and suddenly they’re back to a fixed desk and a fixed phone. It’s like stepping back into an older era. It’s essential that we update not just the structure of the workforce, but also how businesses and office spaces are set up.
“We’ve recently marked the 300th anniversary of the opening of the first ever office — it was in London, at Admiralty House on the Strand. I’ve seen the plans and diaries from that time, and honestly, it’s not that different to today’s offices.
“If you took the office manager from 300 years ago and brought them forward in a time machine, they’d recognise the layout. They might not understand computers, but they’d know the meeting rooms, the sales department, the accounts department.
“That’s not a good thing. If you look at transport, fashion, or medical practices from 300 years ago, all of those have rightly evolved massively. It’s time the office space caught up.
“We need to create an office environment fit for tomorrow’s business. Yes, we need small booths for people to concentrate, but really, it’s about creating spaces for cooperation and collaboration — because that’s what you want people in the office to be doing.”
Q: In your view, what are the most effective ways businesses can truly understand the emotional drivers behind changing consumer behaviours?
William Higham: “It’s incredibly useful to understand some basic human psychology. Whatever department you’re in — if you’re consumer-facing — it’s important to try to grasp this.
“I’ve learned so much over the years, and it’s really helped me. The key is that typically, any human is motivated by emotions — whether that’s fear, happiness, loneliness, embarrassment, or something else.
“If you can pick up on some of those emotions and understand what’s motivating customers right now, you can start predicting what their new needs and expectations might be.
“Try to identify what’s likely to affect those emotions — for example, the economic situation may provoke more fear; the geopolitical environment might bring more confidence; or new personal technologies might shift attitudes.
“If you can anticipate the future drivers of emotion, you can understand what the new emotions might be — and therefore the new attitudes, and ultimately the new behaviours.
“It’s absolutely key. I often feel like I’m part journalist, part psychiatrist — understanding what’s happening in the world, following the news, and thinking through how that’s going to shape customer attitudes and behaviours.”
Q: What do you believe are the essential ingredients for building a workplace culture that embraces innovation, especially in times of volatility and disruption?
William Higham: “I think it’s really about helping people see change and volatility as a positive. You know, people often say, “Oh, no one likes change,” but we like good change.
“If you were working for me and I offered you a promotion or a raise, you’re not going to say, “Oh, that’s too much change, I don’t want that.” On a personal level, you don’t want to stay single if there’s an opportunity to have a loving partner. So, change can be a real positive — it’s just that we’ve become conditioned to see it as negative. We get stuck in our comfort zones, but actually, change can be very positive.
“As I’ve said before, if you look back at classic economists, most of them prove that the best time to get ahead is during a volatile period. Those shifts can propel you forward. If everybody has identified what’s going to happen ahead of time, then everyone moves at the same pace. But if you can spot what’s changing before others, that’s how you gain a competitive advantage.
“It’s about showing people throughout the company — from the boss to every employee — that change is positive. That’s really important. And it’s about rewarding those who handle change well, who come up with good ideas, who identify new needs. I call it positive resilience — it’s not just about bouncing back; it’s about bouncing forward.
“When businesses are preparing for an uncertain future, yes, you need to anticipate threats — that’s important. But the smartest companies know that the real key is to seek out new growth opportunities, rather than just worrying about the risks.”
This exclusive interview with William Higham was conducted by John Hayes.
