Thinking Beyond Strategy
In our strategic leadership work we practice futures studies with executives in the corporate and public world centered on the notion that the present moment is the only place we are in right now and that the future is something we need to create – if you like to also have, within ourselves, in the present moment – as something that is preferred, obtainable and meaningful – a hope, a vision, an inspiration.
In this sense applied future thinking is a process of thinking and planning, not only for strategy, but also as a ‘beyond strategy’ concept. That is it is about having multi layered conversations about purpose and meaning, leading to individual action in a collaborative way, which culminates in outcomes that, for a while at least, contribute positively to those within the organisation and with those the organisation interacts with.
Generally strategic planning is carried out as a process of logical abstraction reached through linear processing based on the “problem” (problem in the sense that the outcome or future being planned is uncertain) leading to ‘solutions’ planned through actions of cause and effect within the existing ‘systems’ paradigm, what Harvard’s Chris Argyris calls ‘single loop’ outcomes. In single loop, traditional planning is usually carried out as part of a fantasy we call control, a myth we call being strategic. Strategic plans often fail and it is estimated that only 5 – 10% of strategic plans are ever implemented which is why we and others refer to them as often being just a fantasy, or what Ralph Stacey calls planning that is done primarily as a social defence against anxiety.
What is often missing is, as humans, our intentions are always emerging with our negotiations and interactions with each other from moment to moment, as the foundation of knowledge is not just information, particularly technical information, but rather knowledge is that which is achieved through social learning, learning for purpose and meaning. Social learning is based on empathy. Often this is implicit empathy and through critical futures studies, we can be more in touch with the “feeling of being” and with the notion of opening up possibilities of choice and more effective communication. My colleague Richard Searle refers to this as 'Attfluence' - intention, attention and influencing.
‘Attfluence’ acknowledges that our reality is conditioned by each new event and it changes continuously as the effects of the present shift our view of the past and future. We are always rewriting the past in the present and rewriting the future in the present in which chance and probability play key roles. It can be really important to help people, who are distressed by no fault of their own, to rewrite the past and I became consciously aware of this when I was consulting in futures work in 2008 as part of a Think Tank on Futures in Military and Veterans’ Health Service Delivery, for the on-going health of returned soldiers. Based on consideration of alternative 2020 futures, recommendations for research and professional development within Defence, Department of Veteran Affairs and the broader health sector where made. Just recently I was consulting to ISCRR (Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research, which is a collaboration between the TAC, WorkSafe and Monash University) exploring alternative societal and organisational futures for setting priorities for the ISCRR 2010 to 2015 research plan with the help of futures theory and methodology.
It is our hope that through our approach we can help organisations move towards a better future which is inclusive for all and all the many different ways of knowing.
I would also like to refer you to my new article just published called ‘Sustainability and Executive Education: A Call for a New Model’ published by the Journal of Futures Studies.
This paper specifically addresses the role of business schools and attempt to provide some thoughts and ideas as to how business schools can adapt and lead by taking an educational leadership role in climate change and sustainability in general. The emerging business case for sustainability now finds that it is required to include both profit improvement opportunities and risk mitigation requirements. New market forces are creating new profit opportunities and threatening companies' social license to operate. A smart sustainability strategy address both and is why for climate change adaption the vision that sustainability makes good business sense.