One way to see the future is to create “memories” of it – envisioning your industry years down the road, taking into account the trends and uncertainties driving the business. By imagining your typical challenges, under multiple scenarios, you can invest in the capabilities and strategic moves needed to succeed.
The scenario planning approach is a quantum change from traditional strategic planning. It focuses on the concepts, frameworks and techniques to link your core competencies with the business landscapes likely to lie ahead.
Here are two products of scenario planning sessions done by DSI consultants for industry associations.
1. Scenarios for Associations in the 21st Century – Managing Uncertainty and Compexity
2. Scenarios for Credit Unions
In the following video, Dr. Paul Schoemaker explains how scenarios can improve the strategic planning process by overcoming common business planning weaknesses.
Scenario Planning helps you avoid common thinking traps, address uncertainty, identify future key success factors and align core competencies at the corporate, division or business unit levels.
Below, Dr. Schoemaker explains the scenario planning process.
The real challenge after a strategic planning session is translating the plan into action. Scenario planning offers a strong operational path for navigating through an uncertain future. Dr. Schoemaker explains some ways companies have made use of scenarios:
For further reading on scenario planning:
Scenario Planning: A tool for strategic thinking by Paul Schoemaker
