Using the future to improve our understanding of today
Every day we make assumptions about the context or environment surrounding our organisation - which in turn will be influencing our strategic decisions. So under what conditions could these assumptions be wrong? And what new opportunities would yield from different assumptions?
The Oxford Scenarios Programme has been designed to help you address these questions and focuses on three core development themes below:
Decisions made today assume a given future context; the objective of scenarios is to invite you to consider several alternative future environments to help improve the effectiveness (and robustness) of your understanding and decision.
Scenario planning can help make sense of your business landscape as well as identify challenges and opportunities. It will enhance the quality, depth, and understanding of your environment, as well as the richness of your ‘strategic conversations’.
Effective scenario planning is underpinned by rigorous, and practical, scenario thinking. This programme will provide you with a rigorous approach to carry out more effective scenario planning.
Deepen your understanding of the environment
This intensive four and a half day programme underpins the principles of scenario thinking to enhance the quality of your scenario planning practices.
The principles of engaging with the future are articulated through both practical methods: techniques and tools,and theory to enhance understanding of the practical. The programme is delivered under the guidance of:
Rafael Ramirez (Programme Director, Fellow in Strategy at the Saïd Business School, co-editor of Business Planning in Turbulent Times and Chairman of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Strategic Foresight)
Angela Wilkinson (Director of Futures Research at Oxford’s Smith School for Entrepreneurship and the Environment)
Kees van der Heijden (Associate Fellow at the Saïd Business School, co-editor of Business Planning in Turbulent Times).
With their help you will gain a new appreciation of past and future factors shaping your present context, and on how to enhance decision processes when faced with uncertain futures.
Upon completing this programme, you will be fully equipped to begin working with scenarios and for experienced scenario practitioners, the programme will offer a much deeper understanding of the choices in scenario work and improved effectiveness.