A futures thinking workshop can take various forms depending on the goals, duration, and participants involved. Here's an overview of what a futures thinking workshop might look like:
1. Workshop Structure and Duration:
Futures thinking workshops can range from a few hours to several days, depending on the depth of exploration desired. They can be conducted in-person or virtually.
2. Facilitator:
A skilled facilitator with expertise in futures thinking and facilitation techniques typically leads the workshop. The facilitator guides participants through the process, encourages participation, and ensures a productive and inclusive environment.
3. Introduction and Context Setting:
The workshop begins with an introduction to futures thinking, its purpose, and its relevance to the participants' context. The facilitator may share examples of futures thinking in action and explain the workshop objectives.
4. Framing the Future:
Participants engage in activities to collectively define the scope and focus of the workshop. They identify the key questions, challenges, or opportunities they want to explore and set the boundaries for their future thinking exercise.
5. Environmental Scanning:
Participants conduct an environmental scan to gather information about current trends, drivers of change, and emerging issues relevant to the workshop's focus. This may involve analyzing data, conducting research, or using tools like trend analysis or horizon scanning.
6. Scenario Development:
Participants work in groups or individually to develop future scenarios. Scenarios are plausible and alternative narratives that describe different potential futures. They help participants explore a range of possibilities and challenge assumptions about the future.
7. Scenario Exploration and Analysis:
The workshop participants delve into each scenario, discussing its implications, risks, and opportunities. They identify the key factors driving each scenario and explore the potential impacts on various aspects such as business, society, or technology.
8. Insights and Learnings:
Throughout the workshop, participants capture insights, patterns, and learnings from the scenario exploration. They identify common themes, emerging patterns, and potential strategies for adapting to or shaping the future.
9. Action Planning:
Towards the end of the workshop, participants engage in action planning. They identify concrete actions, strategies, or policies that can be implemented to respond to the potential futures identified. They prioritize actions based on feasibility, impact, and urgency.
10. Reflection and Wrap-up:
The workshop concludes with a reflection session where participants share their key takeaways, lessons learned, and next steps. The facilitator may provide resources, tools, or further guidance for participants to continue their futures thinking journey beyond the workshop.
It's important to note that the specific activities and structure of a futures thinking workshop can vary based on the goals, context, and preferences of the organizers and participants. The workshop design should be flexible and adaptable to meet the unique needs of the group.
In the workshop participants will learn about the future foresight methodology
developed by world’s leading futures thinking institution, Institute for the
Future in Palo Alto. It is a structured process for
understanding dynamics of change, getting ready for alternative future scenarios,
uncovering relevant insights, and taking immediate futures-oriented actions by their
businesses or organisations.
