This is a book is for leaders, to aid their practice in strategy,
decision making and change - it's a very practical (field) guide to
foresight and foresight tools. It's aimed at leaders in manufacturing,
service, non-profit, government and fourth sector organisations.
Strategic Foresight is a set of skills and tools used to explore
potential futures exercising your 'futures muscles' so that you are able
to plan for and take advantage of these possible futures. The book first
explores how we think about the future, looking at ambiguity and
uncertainty and how these play a role in our ability to think into the
future. It introduces a simple model of preferred thinking styles and
talks about the 'baggage' and values that form our perceptions. The next
section covers models, tools and maps that people will find useful for
developing their own Foresight and using this knowledge to make
decisions, whilst uncovering innovation and creativity to turn this
Foresight knowledge to competitive advantage. This is not a
comprehensive list - just a selection of the most effective tools with
their use and case studies that are easy and effective to use. The next
two sections cover: How to identify emerging trends; what impact they
may have on your business; the strategic importance of early
recognition; and how to apply the knowledge in your business. Harnessing
Foresight as a spring board for innovation and creativity to develop new
paradigms and take advantage of what may come. Finally, the author pulls
it all together by showing how to develop a practical method of
exploring potential futures in the context of your existing business in
order to take robust decisions and develop strategies that help you work
towards your preferred future. Case studies are interspersed throughout
the book to illustrate the points made along with exercises, where
appropriate, to encourage people to 'think along' with the ideas and new
ways of approaching Strategic Foresight.
