Traditional strategic planning falls short in today's rapidly changing world where five-year plans become obsolete before implementation and fixed strategies break when confronted with unexpected disruptions. We explore how to create "future-proof strategies" that remain robust across multiple scenarios while actively advancing toward preferred futures.

• Future-proof strategies are robust across multiple futures, not just optimized for a single expected outcome
• They intentionally move toward preferred futures by actively shaping conditions
• They're designed to evolve with mechanisms for sensing change and testing assumptions
• The process integrates scenario planning, backcasting and strategic portfolio management
• Strategic portfolios include core strategies, contingent strategies and no-regrets moves
• Core strategies work well across most scenarios while advancing toward preferred futures
• Contingent strategies are valuable in some futures but not others
• No-regrets moves build essential capabilities regardless of which future materializes
• Balance commitment to purpose and vision with flexibility in timing and tactics
• Communication is crucial for connecting immediate priorities with longer-term vision

Take your existing strategy and subject it to a future-proofing stress test with scenarios different from your current expectations. Identify what elements remain valuable across all scenarios and what vulnerabilities emerge, then develop a more adaptable strategic portfolio.

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🎧 Listen Now On:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO

Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/

Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

FIF Series EP 71 - Developing Future-Proof Strategies