Others can be trapped by inertia and unchallenged assumptions. Scenario thinking provides one well-tried approach to easing people into more creative and reflective ways of learning. It can help to create the conversations that stimulate the sharing and development of values and ideas. Making the most of your organisational development There is much more to organisational development than scenario planning but this technique provides a context for strategic conversations. A context within which decisions can be made participatively about the skills and capacities an organisation needs.
Scenarios are outlines of possible futures.
They are based on an understanding of how current trends could take us in very different directions. They explore themes outside our control that are relevant to our organisations and allow us to explore 'what ifs' in a systematic way. They are not predictions about the future. Many successful companies and organisations have for years used scenarios to help their strategic thinking. In the public sector these techniques have been used more frequently during the past five years.