Civic Action

Scenario Planning and Exploring the Unknown

May 7, 2020  • Socrates Program

While we can’t predict, we can learn how to “rehearse” it to be more prepared. Scenario planning is a technique that helps teams have well-designed conversations about the future, especially when they face major uncertainty and change. It has been used as a strategy tool in organizations for over 50 years, yet is more relevant and necessary than ever. Scenarios are multiple, alternative stories about how the future could play out, which encourages teams to challenge their own assumptions and think creatively about change. In this session, we’ll explore a range of possible futures for how the pandemic and recovery might play out to help inform our own solutions, and choices we may make as leaders in our communities.

 

Lisa Kay Solomon, Designer in Residence at Stanford’s d.School, in conversation with Aspen Institute President and CEO Dan Porterfield.