How Do You Plan for Uncertainty?

In a changing global environment, leaders must be able to make decisions about future risks and opportunities despite uncertainty. Kristel Van der Elst ‘02 describes the process of strategic foresight and its value in preparing organizations to be robust whatever the future holds. 

In my view, the future is built out of three pieces. It’s what comes from the past—existing trends and established commitments. It’s what comes from the future—new business models, new technologies, or new value systems. And it’s the decisions we make today.

Whether it’s a country, a business, or an individual looking at family and career, foresight is a means to be adaptable and robust in the face of scenarios that might knock you off a path to success. And it’s a means to identify new models that might be opportunities to deliver new value.

KRISTEL VAN DER ELST  

 MARCH 18, 2016