Funny business of forecasting! Chinese monkey, Indian fish proven right as Trump won election

Predictions or forecasting has always been a big business. The curiosity to know future in human beings has been exploited to a great extent by fortune tellers for centuries.

But forecasting is a dangerous business because there is limit to which you can correctly forecast the complex ever changing business environment. The great Peter Drucker has once said that one should never forecast and if forced to forecast than it should be always for a time period longer than one’s lifespan!

Many times in the business world, ideas are sold using complex techniques of forecasting and spending lot of resources, which some people even without any business education know are wrong!

The strategic humour story “The Funny Business of Forecasting - Trump Victory: Chinese Monkey & Indian Fish Proven Right!” shares that forecasting is a funny business and it should always be taken with a pinch of salt and supported by a backup plan or plan B.

Whereas the highly qualified and resourceful media failed, one monkey in China and one fish proved right with their forecast!

Here, have a look!


(The article has been authored by Prof. Rajesh K. Pillania is judged Best Faculty for Strategic Management in India by ASSOCHAM & Education Post and is ranked jointly #1 for research productivity among management professors in India. He is author of Strategic Humour book, a stand-up comedian on strategy and is faculty of Strategy with MDI, Gurgaon.)