The problem with traditional strategy development

In today's volatile world, with many organisations facing multiple disruptions and significant challenges, traditional planning approaches are not enough. We need to be much more flexible, adaptive, experimental and embrace the coming disruption in order to thrive in this complex environment.

However, with so many daily challenges it is hard to know where to start. This is why we developed a unique method that brings the world's best approaches to organisations of any size.

How futures thinking delivers more robust strategic planning

The ability to anticipate and prepare for potential future scenarios is becoming a critical component of effective strategy development. Futures thinking enables organisations to look beyond traditional forecasting methods and short-term planning to navigate the uncertainties and disruptions which undoubtedly lie ahead. Research shows that organisations that use futures thinking outperform those that do not.

But many organisations do not have the resources to apply these techniques. This approach to futures thinking is flexible and can scale to organisations of any size.

Bringing strategy out of the boardroom

Often when we face challenges, it is natural to pull into a small team. It seems more effective to work within a small group of experts so that it is easier to process the changes in the environment. However, this approach has been proven to be less effective than approaches that seek input from a wide range of stakeholders.

In today's complex environment, it is more important than ever for organisations to leverage all their resources to meet their challenges. We have developed radically inclusive and fun techniques that engage everyone in the strategy development process without losing focus on what is important.

Scenario Planning

From 3 days to several months in duration, the flagship approach follows a 4-step process allows us to completely tailor our approach to suit your particular need, taking you from uncertainty to clarity:

Discover

The first step in our methodology entails understanding the problem, context, and objectives by defining a "focus question". We analyse historical trends shaping your current situation, evaluate current and emerging trends, and collaborate with stakeholders to foresee future impacts. This helps identify key uncertainties and ensures alignment with our focus question.

Create

The Create phase involves exploring alternative futures by developing multiple scenarios. Through workshops, critical uncertainties are assessed, and scenarios are detailed with consequence maps. Outcomes from these maps form narrative stories, further examined in Scenario Validation Workshops. Finally, scenarios are visualised using videos or "artifacts from the future".

Integrate

This phase aims to create effective strategies for challenges identified through scenario analysis. It involves assessing future stakeholders to understand their impact, analysing scenarios for threats and opportunities, and evaluating the robustness of each strategy. This ensures a comprehensive portfolio of resilient strategic options.

Activate

The final phase puts emphasis on realising the new strategy. It involves clearly defining the desired future vision, integrating this with the strategy portfolio, and noting future trends. Road-mapping pinpoints events and milestones, creating a plan towards this vision. An impact-indicators workshop identifies metrics to assess emerging trends and adjust strategy accordingly.