Scenario planning: strategic interviews and conversations

The future cannot be measured. foresight is largely a matter of conjecture, and at the heart of conjecture lies conversation. Organizations are essentially networks of personal interconnections based on conversation. Thus, in enabling complex adaptive organizations to look ahead, conversation, in one form or another, becomes a key component of strategic planning. This article describes the range of interview methods from structured to more active and creative methods and the emergence of “the strategic conversation”. The use of this technique is illustrated by examples.