About

Strategic Foresight is the ability to create and maintain a high-quality, coherent and functional forward view, and to use the insights arising in useful organisational ways. For example to detect adverse conditions, guide policy, shape strategy, and to explore new markets, products and services. It represents a fusion of futures methods with those of strategic management (Richard Slaughter (1999))

Strategic Foresight, Trends Analysis and Evaluation is a two day seminar that will explore the tools and techniques you need to effectively plan and model future outcomes including Horizon and Environmental Scanning, Scenario Planning, Trendspotting, Future Awareness and more.

Key learning objectives:
• Be able to link strategic thinking, decision making and planning
• Gain an understanding of foresight and how it can be used within your organisation
• Learn to use foresight, scenario and futures tools to assist in strategy development and implementation
• Understand the forces that are shaping the future for your organisation or industry
• Apply foresight to successful policy and planning
• Have a range of tools to overcome obstacles

Who Should Attend?
This course has been designed for senior managers and executives in all areas of the public and private sector who are responsible for strategic planning, policy development or programme management including:
• Chief Executive Officers
• Directors
• Strategy Managers
• Planning Managers
• Policy Managers

Training methodology
This intensive 2-day master class will combine tutorial sessions and case studies with interactive learning exercises. All attendees will be provided with a workbook and a certificate of completion. A variety of strategic foresight tools will be introduced and used in the course.

Agenda

Course times 9am-5pm – Refreshment breaks and lunch are included

Introduction to Strategic Foresight
• Overview and objectives of course
• What is strategic foresight
• Elements of strategic foresight
• Case studies: The use of foresight around the world (Nokia, Shell)

Introducing foresight tools for strategic management

Strategy & Intellectual Architectures
• Key Strategic Concepts
– Horizons
– Mental Models
– Strategic Architecture
• Case Study – Pitney Bowes

Horizon/Environmental Scanning Scanning and Trendspotting
• PESTE/STEEP Analysis
• Understanding environmental scanning
• Lead indicators
• Tipping points
• Case Study:  Using Foresight to Engage Gen Y in a Caribbean Island Nation State

Future Awareness
• Foresight research
• Understanding weak signals of change
• Evaluating information effectively
• Technology roadmapping
• Wildcard Events
• Applying foresight to risk management and contingency planning
• Case Study - The Law of Unintended Consequences

Scenarios and scenario planning
• Understanding trends and megatrends
• What are scenarios?
– Policy Scenarios
– Macro Scenarios
– Advocacy Scenarios
– Supply/Demand Scenarios
– Company Competitive Position Scenarios
• Case Study: Energy Sector in New Zealand

Strategic Planning
• Components of a strategic plan
– Foresight plans
– Strategic planning alignment
– Operational integration plan

Putting Strategy into Practice
• What differentiates strategy from forecasting and planning?
• What differentiates good strategy from great strategy?

Making it Real - Putting Strategy into Practice
• How to get engagement
• The “burning platform”
• Tools to overcome blocks
• Using simulations to break down silo thinking
• Developing the roadmap
• Implementation and review

Pulling it all together
• FutureSim Exercise - simulation of a real world issue.

Gold Nuggets
• Round up of key learning using the Gold Nuggets tool.

Foresight and change

Facilitator

In-house Training