Futures & Foresight

Backcasting John B. Robinson, University of Waterloo, 1982 Start with a clearly defined desired future and work backwards to identify the steps that need to happen now — the inverse of forecasting, and a far more powerful approach to annual planning. Futures Wheel Jerome Glenn, 1971 A visual tool for mapping first, second, and third-order consequences of any trend or decision — revealing the ripple effects most people miss when they stop at the obvious outcome. Dator's Four Futures Jim Dator, University of Hawaii, 1979 Any future falls into one of four archetypes — Continuation, Collapse, Disciplined Society, or Transformation — used to stress-test whether your business strategy is robust or only works in the scenario you're already assuming.