When there are no historical analogies to look back to, scenario planning can help us better understand and plan for a multitude of possible futures. In addition to enhancing efficiency, an established scenario planning process will empower organisations to proactively shape the future through strategic decision-making.

As uncertainty about the future increases, wild cards and science fiction are gaining popularity among various organisations to foster future preparedness and visionary thinking. Exploring possible futures supported by free imagination is a cornerstone of versatile foresight practice.

Horizon scanning is the phase of gathering future-related knowledge, which is the first stage of the larger foresight process. It is about being vigilant concerning the changes in one’s environment. The main focus in this category of Futures intelligence is on discontinuities, emerging issues, and weak signals of change.

Scenarios help to expand the time horizon, aid in looking beyond the usual extrapolations and improve thinking about the potential unexpected developments. Being descriptions of possible, probable or preferable futures, they help organisations prepare for various contingencies and plan accordingly.

Futures intelligence is a key component of all successful decision making, strategy work or innovation. It provides its users with analytical knowledge about future changes, trends and their potential impacts. This is the first part of our Futures Intelligence blog series.

The uncertainties surrounding the US elections have led to increased volatility, urging organisations in various industries to reassess their operations in the face of potential policy and regulatory shifts. Foresight methodologies offer various collaborative and interactive tools that can help organisations make sense of the key changes, manage risks and discover new opportunities.

What is the right time to go to an emerging market? If you are too early, the markets are not ready, and you end up losing time and money. If you are late, someone else will grasp the lion´s share of the growing market, and you end up to be just a follower. Hence, how to know when the trend is real and the market is ready?

Even though much of the world has stood still in lockdowns, the geopolitical events have kept developing. The world is realigning itself, and the new order could be quite different from the one preceding it.

Detect trends and emerging issues, co-create a 360-view of the future together with your team, and track the signs of change are 3 actions you can take right now to build a continuous foresight program.

Organizations should involve their people in creating a vision that is shared by everybody. Great foresight tools invite employees to participate in, and get inspired by, foresight work. Technology alone doesn't ensure participation. But easy-to-use tools certainly help in fostering engagement, especially if people are scattered around.

Successful foresight activities must answer: What are the alternative futures the organization faces? How likely are the different futures to unfold? And, given the options, what actions can the organization take to achieve its goals? Foresight analysis, when correctly done, has many proven benefits for businesses and organisations across all industries.