Stretch Think

Dubai Futures Forum If you want to immerse yourself in all things foresight and futures thinking, consider attending the Dubai Future Forum on the 19 & 20 November 2024. The Dubai Future Forum promotes the highest quality thought leadership on foresight and futures thinking from around the globe. As well as the 2-day forum there is also a ‘Networking Day’ on 18 November and a ‘Learning Day’ on 21 November 2024 that involves a series of collaborative workshops. For those of you with an interest in the academic side of foresight, one of the workshops on the ‘Learning Day’ brings together editors who navigate the path of leading Futures Journals including Patrick Duin, van der and Dr. Jeanne Hoffman. Details of the forum can be found below. https://lnkd.in/erifjxiV #futures #foresight #dubai

Uplifting foresight capability We recently had a great time running our Stretch Thinking Loops workshop with a telecommunications organisation. Having participants involved from across the organisation, including folks from crisis management, cyber, risk, communications, strategy, emergency management, and corporate affairs, enabled the teams to understand how the outputs and techniques could be integrated across the business. We are looking forward to hearing how the teams get on using their futures skills. #strategicforesight #criticalinfrastructureresilience 

Futures Toolkit   Released earlier this year, the Futures Toolkit from the UK Government Office for Science is a great resource for anyone interested in foresight.   It is perfectly suited to those with no foresight experience, but also has elements that would appeal to more seasoned foresight practitioners.   The focus of the guide is on how the tools can apply to policy and is therefore suited to those in government.   But realistically, the tools can be applied or adapted to any type of organisation that wishes to engage in futures thinking.   One of the things we really like are the succinct case studies that have a hyperlink to a Case Study Bank where you can find a more in-depth explanation of the case study.   You can download the guide below   https://lnkd.in/dCzvEfFe   #futuresthinking #foresight #futures

Futures Toolkit   Released earlier this year, the Futures Toolkit from the UK Government Office for Science is a great resource for anyone interested in foresight.   It is perfectly suited to those with no foresight experience, but also has elements that would appeal to more seasoned foresight practitioners.   The focus of the guide is on how the tools can apply to policy and is therefore suited to those in government.   But realistically, the tools can be applied or adapted to any type of organisation that wishes to engage in futures thinking.   One of the things we really like are the succinct case studies that have a hyperlink to a Case Study Bank where you can find a more in-depth explanation of the case study.   You can download the guide below   https://lnkd.in/dCzvEfFe   #futuresthinking #foresight #futures

Generating ideas quickly!   Brainstorming is a great way to generate ideas quickly and was initially used by advertising agencies in the 1940s.   In the intelligence community, cluster brainstorming, which is a variation of traditional brainstorming, is commonly used to expose a team to a greater range of ideas and perspectives than an individual could generate alone.   This broadening of views typically results in a better analytical product.   At Stretch Think we use a modified version of cluster brainstorming as described in the book: Structured analytical techniques for intelligence analysis.   Our modified version is called ‘Rapid Cluster Brainstorming’.   It is a fast and frugal structured technique that is used to quickly generate a number of diverse ideas using the 4 steps below.   #brainstorming #criticalthinking #strategicforesight

Generating ideas quickly!   Brainstorming is a great way to generate ideas quickly and was initially used by advertising agencies in the 1940s.   In the intelligence community, cluster brainstorming, which is a variation of traditional brainstorming, is commonly used to expose a team to a greater range of ideas and perspectives than an individual could generate alone.   This broadening of views typically results in a better analytical product.   At Stretch Think we use a modified version of cluster brainstorming as described in the book: Structured analytical techniques for intelligence analysis.   Our modified version is called ‘Rapid Cluster Brainstorming’.   It is a fast and frugal structured technique that is used to quickly generate a number of diverse ideas using the 4 steps below.   #brainstorming #criticalthinking #strategicforesight

For those after a solid introduction to strategic foresight, look no further than the book, Strategic Foresight: An Introductory Guide to Practice, by Jan Oliver Schwarz. This book is grounded in the theoretical foundations of strategic foresight, reflects the latest academic research, and importantly, explores practical applications in different contexts. Part III specifically explores 'Strategic Foresight in Practice'. This section explores the value contribution of strategic foresight from 2 angles: 1. How and in what ways strategic foresight can create value in an organisation. 2. How strategic foresight affects the value of the firm. This section is excellent and offers some great advice for both emerging and experienced foresight practitioners. The link below provides information about the book. https://lnkd.in/eWBxJMTF #strategicforesight #futuresliteracy 

Scenario images As well as having a compelling title and an engaging narrative, we believe that a scenario should also have a pretty cool image. We are very visual creatures as a large percentage of our brain dedicates itself to visual processing. However, unless you have a budding Picasso or Monet in your team, you may struggle knocking up an image for your scenario in rapid quick time. At Stretch Think we often use Stable Diffusion Wiki to develop images for our scenarios. Stable Diffusion Wiki is capable of generating photo-realistic images given any text input and creates stunning art within seconds! How do you find the perfect image for your scenarios? #texttoimage #scenarioplanning #foresight 

Environmental futures A recent report by the UN Environment Programme and International Science Council explored what the future (near and far) could hold for planetary health and human wellbeing. The report is a result of an 18-month foresight process that encompassed a two-part Delphi survey, the development of scenarios, sensemaking at global and regional levels and engaging with youth voices. If you are looking for a comprehensive deep dive into the future of our environment, then I would encourage you to have a look at this document. We also think that some elements of the report can certainly feed into future Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) planning. Below is a link to the report. https://lnkd.in/d8hv3GMj #strategicforesight #environment #esg

Uncertain futures... Is your team ready to proactively manage future uncertainty while enhancing organisational resilience? Are they keen to learn a set of evidence based strategic foresight techniques that can collectively produce rigorous and plausible scenarios in only a few hours? Do you want your team to develop a set of bespoke scenarios tailored specifically for your business needs? Would you like to simultaneously improve the critical thinking, creativity and futures literacy of your team? If you answered yes, then you need our Stretch Thinking Loops workshop! Conducted at your premises over 2-days, our small workshop size (7-14 people) ensures participants have maximum interaction with the facilitators. If you would like some more information, drop us a line using the link below https://lnkd.in/gakiH4BB #strategicforesight #futuresthinking