Research
Define the focus and explore potential futures
How do you stay relevant as the world continues to change? Articulating the core business issue can be a challenge. That’s why, before exploring potential futures, we introduced future scenario planning, our primary starting point is to identify and obtain agreement from all your stakeholders on the singular, most important issue that needs to be addressed. This ensures focused strategic discussions and ideation.
We then draw up an initial list of hypothetical driving forces that will shape the future. Forces such as global warming, new technology, changing tastes, urbanization, and workstyle are all examples. We also conduct research to validate, challenge and expand the list.
Our research contextualizes the key strategic question by providing an understanding of the environment in which your organization operates. This includes stakeholder assumptions and beliefs, as well as disruptive market trends.
Define driving forces analysis
Identify driving forces and create potential futures
A variety of primary and secondary research techniques help us to evaluate and identify key driving forces that define the ways in which the world may change. These techniques range from interviews and site visits, to and design and market research, SWOT analysis and STEEP frameworks.
Drawing on our informed insights and creative thinking, we then conceptualize and develop potential futures through driving forces analysis that are both compelling and divergent. We also ideate events that help us identify key moments signaling technological, cultural, regulatory or industry changes along the path to a potential future.
Through a synthesis of the findings from our stakeholder interviews and research, we craft workshop content tailored for each client’s individual needs. We utilize scenario planning, a core tenet of strategic management, to identify potential futures. These potential futures become the cornerstone of our workshops and a powerful launchpad for ideation.
Ideate
Explore optimal future strategies and innovation
Our hands on workshops explore hypothetical futures through the eyes of multiple stakeholders. Immersive experiences are crucial to engage and excite participants.
Through our structured FutureCasting scenario planning framework, we delve into scenario planning and driving forces while working in teams to analyze possibilities, opportunities, stumbling blocks, and likelihoods. Together, we explore and ask questions: What’s attractive or scary about this future to our business? What does this future mean to current capabilities and competencies? How would it impact customer/partner relationships?
We envision, conceptualize, and define value for a new strategic vision or innovative products and services. Favorite ideas are captured, and thoughts shared on how to take the thinking forward. Then we bring ideas to life through a strategic roadmap and plan with a playbook for execution.