Leading into the Unknown through Future Casting
This is an unprecedented time—one of extreme uncertainty. Because of the varied, and changing landscape, casting a future based on past patterns and successes is dangerous. Old patterns no longer provide a good bell weather for how to survive and thrive in the future. Rather, one must face the new unknown, in all its complexity, with a sense of possibility, and be imaginative enough to cast forward multiple sets of possible futures by defining what human and planetary thriving might look like in a new world order.
Future cast to:
Understand. Understand and define a new definition of prosperity so your business or organization can create human and planetary flourishing WHILE creating competitive advantage. It is completely possible to do both.
Identify. Identify viable possible futures that will achieve this new definition of flourishing (pathways thinking).
Envision. Determine and envision which of these futures is best to pursue given your assets, strengths, and weaknesses, and which best fit the uncertain terrain while acknowledging the emerging known.
Business Modeling and Design: Mapping Horizons, Strategies, and Actions
Moving toward a new future requires clarity about three different horizons*: Far Horizon (future, transformative state); Intermediate Horizon (disruptive innovation to get there); and Current Horizon. Mapping these horizons, and transition between each, allows for strategy clarity, and a means to measure progress toward the desired horizons. The key questions for these horizons are: What changes must occur in business models, leadership, organization design, culture, and in product and experience design in order to redefine a thriving business that accounts for human and planetary thriving?
Horizon development includes:
Mapping the Far Horizon Vision: The better, more resilient, vibrant and sustainable future where human and planetary flourishing go hand-in-hand with business thriving, and the new systems that must exist for this vision to work). What are the business models? How do they create sustainable, regenerative growth? How do they deliver on purpose and human flourishing?
Mapping the Intermediate Horizon Innovation Required to build to the Far Horizon: The disruptive actions and innovations that are the powerful stepping stones that allow an organization to let go of current patterns, and adopt new ones to move toward the Far Horizon Vision. What business model prototypes will be launched? How will they be supported to thrive? How will the organization accept them?
Building Awareness of Current Horizon and Barriers to movement toward Far Horizon: The awareness of the current systems, their gravity, and short-comings in relation to being human and planet-centric in order to make more explicit where opportunities are for transformation. How will one keep the gravity of the existing organization from killing any new innovation?
*Credit to Bill Sharpe
Innovation: Designing and Innovating for Human and Planetary Flourishing
Any future vision that accounts for human and planetary flourishing requires a new design and innovation capacity. This approach requires a re-examination of design and innovation practices, from conception to execution.
This work includes:
New business models: Use of emerging business model archetypes and real case studies to spark innovation that is consistent with regenerative growth.
New design processes: Linking sustainable business development goals to competitive advantage, and using planet-centric design processes to realize this competitive advantage.
New design tools and design strategies: Embedding more robust tools and planet-centric design strategies for business and product innovation.
Leadership and Culture Development: Growing the Moral and Creative Capacity of Leaders and Teams
Working in new ways requires humans (team members and leaders) to explore a journey in which awareness is raised about how the world is seen, and how one participates in it. By bringing awareness to assumed roles and contributions (based on past patterns), team members and leaders can approach new ways of working with clarity about the new behaviors and cultural norms that must be birthed and nurtured in order to achieve a far-horizon vision, and the creative capacity to bring them to life.
Alignment. Aligning on why planet and human flourishing is important and necessary, and not mutually exclusive with business thriving
Desire. Building awareness of how each person fits into a possibility for change, and excitement about the influence and impact each person can make in regard to the future horizon
Connection. Building awareness of the interconnected nature of our actions, and the intended and unintended consequences.
Culture. Creating and specifying new norms, culture, and behaviors, and incentives for each, that is grounded in moral character and imagination.
Capacity. Developing creative and innovation capacity within culture and teams.
Storytelling.
One of our most powerful tools in moving teams, and customers to a new, far horizon, is storytelling. Done right, storytelling creates, interest, motivation, and urgency for action.