Scenario Planning

This case study encourages participants to elicit problems and potential pitfalls in a situation when everything appears to be going well. Allow around 45 minutes for completion.

This quick checklist provides some helpful questions for use in the process of scenario planning.

This diagnostic is designed to elicit the limits to individual and organisational thinking. Allow 30 minutes for completion.

This diagnostic encourages an exploration of how well scenario planning fits with individual and organisational approaches. Allow 25 minutes for completion.

The questions in this diagnostic are designed to elicit the current mindset of the organisation. This will make it easier to identify those areas where scenario planning techniques will be of most use. Allow around 35 minutes for completion.

This is an exercise encouraging participants to consider the various stakeholders involved in a situation when embarking upon any scenario-planning project and using a well-known technique to help prioritise competing actions. Allow an hour for completion.

This energiser exercise is based on the popular game of Consequences, where a story or scenario is created from the participants’ imagination. It is perfect as an after-lunch energiser to rejuvenate a group. Allow about 10 minutes for completion.

This exercise is an excellent way to kick off an exploration of planning for the future and its benefits for the organisation. The exercise can also be easily adapted to tackle the future of departmental or organisational aspirations, or a particular product/service. Allow 30 minutes for completion.

This is a lively and informal group exercise designed to get participants thinking about the ‘warning signs’ of changes that may affect their future. It will take about 25 minutes to complete. (No separate task sheet is required.)

This icebreaker exercise encourages participants to open their minds to future events and possibilities. Allow about 15 minutes for completion. (No separate task sheet is required.)

This icebreaker is an excellent way to kick-off an exploration of scenario planning and its benefits for the organisation. It involves discussion around a few broad, forward-looking questions. It will take around 15 minutes to complete. (No separate task sheet is required.)

One of the key benefits of scenario planning is its encouragement of a rigorous and effective decision-making process. This stimulating and participative group exercise will allow participants to examine their decision-making skills and to better understand how scenario planning techniques can boost both personal and group decision-making processes. Allow around 90 minutes for completion.

This exercise covers the writing and presenting of scenarios. It is often the final step in an exploration of scenario planning as it helps to formalise the knowledge gained during the entire process. It is particularly effective as a long-term planning tool or a tool for risk analysis. You will need access to PowerPoint and facilities for presentation e.g. a data projector. Allow around 2½ hours for completion.