Scenario Planning

Scenario thinking is a useful business tool to revitalize your strategy and make your colleagues excited about planning. When people see the implications of change for their markets, employees, shareholders, and customers there is more consensus about how to change and less tendency to fall into “group-think.”

For over 20 years, clients in every sector have relied on Vector Research and Marc Zwelling to help them anticipate change and craft practical, uncomplicated strategies to thrive in changing times.

What are the benefits of scenario planning?

• Scenarios are excellent ways to increase awareness of external issues (especially in complex planning environments)
• Scenarios improve your sensitivity to how the planning environment is changing. By showing you events and changes people would rather not face – since they are undesirable – scenarios highlight risks and uncertainties
• Writing the scenarios enables clients to communicate the possibility of change and the consequences to employees, stakeholders and suppliers
• Scenarios can help build consensus in an organization about the need to change and what should change
• Scenario thinking turns a liability – unpredictability – into an asset, by organizing or structuring uncertainty
• Scenarios (the most likely future, the least desirable future, etc.) allow you to see how the future happens and anticipate what your current members, employees or customers will want next
• If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Most of us would rather spot opportunities and risks sooner – in time to discover more alternatives and take decisive action
• Scenarios are your windows on the future

Vector Research has over 20 years expertise in scenario planning:

Marc has consulted on long-term economic, social, and technological change for the presidents of Ontario's community colleges (training and employment), the Science Council of Canada (new technologies), the Privy Council Office (communications), and other organizations.

In 1982-98 Marc was director of forecasting for the Intercorporate Futures Group^®, a network of executives in long-range planning in 50 business, government and nonprofit organizations including Bell Canada, Enbridge, NOVA, CMHC, TransCanada PipeLines, Manitoba Hydro, CN Rail, Sears, and other organizations in the public and private sectors.

In 1982-1996, in collaboration with the Canadian futurist and author John Kettle, Marc published The FutureLetter, a newsletter on marketing, economic, demographic, technological, and social trends with some 1,200 readers.

To find out more about our scenario planning services, call Marc Zwelling at 416.733.2320.