As a leader, you’re responsible not only for managing now but also planning for the future. But it’s not always easy to find the time to look ahead. Scenario planning helps you navigate the uncertainties of the future with clarity and confidence. Youj can’t have certainty, but knowing what’s over the horizon helps you make better-informed decisions now.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of running my Future Scenarios program for two groups of leaders in large organisations. In the program, we spent time exploring the future so they can gain a better understanding of what’s around the corner and over the horizon. This allows them to take that insight back to their teams, integrating it into their planning and helping them navigate through that fast-changing and uncertain future.
Now, obviously, they won’t have certainty about the future – nobody does! But they can act with more clarity and confidence, which helps them make better decisions now.
I love facilitating these programs, because the leaders who attend don’t often have the time to do this kind of thinking. They should, but it’s not easy.
If you’re a leader, part of your role is to be able to see into the future. In fact, the more senior you are, the more you’re expected to understand and plan for the future. But there are so many other demands on your time, with operational responsibilities, putting out fires, managing people, and everything else that fills up your day!
It’s not easy to carve out time for future planning. But it’s essential!
Here are some of the questions you should consider:
🔮 Do you know what your future customer will look like?
🧭 Do you understand the customer journey they will take?
🌍 Do you understand the external pressures and trends that will affect your organisation?
🏭 Do you understand the external pressures and trends that will affect your entire industry or sector?
📊 Do you have a way to monitor those trends and pressures?
🧠 Are you tapping into the skills and diverse thinking of everybody in your team?
🤝 Do you involve them all in this kind of scenario planning?
⏳ Is this a regular practice, or something that gets pushed aside and forgotten because of other priorities?
These are the sort of questions leaders need to ask if they want to be able to see into the future.
To assess your current capability, complete this free online assessment. It only takes five minutes, and it’s worth doing – both for yourself and your team. It will give you a clearer idea of how well you’re planning for the future.
