Why taking a long-term view makes business sense We cannot predict the future, but we can think more about the sort of future we want and how to achieve it. In fact, it is vital that we do just that. This is why futures thinking underpins Forum for the Future’s approach to promoting sustainable development.

Our futures work draws on the expertise of a dedicated team of futurists and a wide range of sustainability experts at Forum. We use a range of techniques to enable our partners to think in a useful and structured way about the future, to challenge their assumptions, help them navigate risk and seize new opportunities.
We apply futures thinking practically within organisations, ensuring that it is not just an academic exercise but has real impact on strategy and performance. We want to ensure our partners are equipped for success in a changing world where issues such as climate change, resource constraints and social justice are increasingly important.

Undertaking a futures process can fundamentally change people’s perspectives, helping them to engage with sustainability in a new way. It illuminates why sustainability is important and gives people compelling reasons to take action. That’s why futures work is so successful at inspiring change and creating momentum that continues long after a project finishes.

Ways we can help Scenarios: strengthening long-term strategic planning
We’re experts in scenario-building: creating engaging, challenging descriptions of different possible futures. Scenarios can be powerful tools to help organisations navigate the future. By exploring what might happen, and tackling uncertainty head-on, businesses can be better prepared to mitigate the risks and seize the opportunities presented by a changing world.

We can help you to evolve your business strategy and make it more robust using insights gleaned from a tailored scenario development process. Scenarios are also excellent tools for stimulating innovation, be that in products, services or processes, and stimulating step-changes in sustainability performance.

“As a result of our work with Forum for the Future, there was a fundamental shift in our approach going forward. We have built a general acknowledgement that developing sustainably had to be central to the brand – the single thing that would hold the business together, and have acted accordingly.” - Simon Large, Commerical Director, James Finlay Ltd

Preparing for tomorrow’s trends
We have extensive experience in horizon-scanning, identifying the ‘weak signals’ from today that teach us about what the future might hold, and we can help you build your own capacity to do this.

We can also help you use the material identified in a horizon scan to develop a future-proofed strategy, giving you a sustained competitive advantage by preparing you for the trends that are shaping our world.

Creating a vision of success
We work with our partners to build future visions — powerful illustrations of overarching company goals and sustainable solutions. Visions act as an inspiring and strategic anchor for organisations, providing a clear set of targets to work towards.

It may seem difficult to justify planning for, say, the next 20 years, when most people are focused on success in the next quarter. But setting out a future vision can be a hugely productive exercise, not least because when talking about the long-term future, people are often willing to discuss important or sensitive issues more positively, focusing more than usual on solutions. The common sense of purpose that comes from having an agreed future vision is also invaluable.

“The incredible amount that we have achieved in such a short time is truly amazing… we've created a snowball within the organisation and we've reached globally like no other project I've seen.” - Rob Schasel, Director of Energy, Fritolay, PepsiCo

More talk, more action
Futures work is exceptionally good at bringing people together, both from different parts of a business and, very often, from outside of it. When talking about the future, hopes, fears, ambitions and assumptions can be discussed openly, and without recrimination. The combination of people’s different perspectives is inspiring, and can generate genuinely new ideas.

If you want to really drive change in your business, then futures work is a powerful way to help people to talk to each other, find common, motivating ground, and ultimately to work in a fundamentally different and sustainable way.

PepsiCo Global scenarios and strategy
In 2009 we worked with PepsiCo to explore its operating environment over the next two decades. We interviewed more than 100 key stakeholders and held workshops in the US, India, China, Latin America and Europe to develop a set of global scenarios for 2030. The scenarios are helping PepsiCo identify strategic risks and opportunities, and plan for products and markets that will bring sustainable commercial success. The insights are now being embedded into PepsiCo’s business units. Find out more about our work on futures. 

For more details of Forum’s futures work and how it can benefit your organization contact:

James Goodman 
+44 (0)20 7324 3661