by As a futurist, it’s always helpful to know what’s expected of you…and what you want to do. BTW, I think they deserve equal consideration — few things are more challenging than being in a role where these two are out of synch. At the highest altitude, it may come down to three roles:
Letting go: My APF colleague and UNESCO futurist Riel Miller suggests one role is to simply free clients of pre-conceived notions of the future; to challenge assumptions see the future with fresh eyes and full of possibilities. It reminds me of Otto Scharmer’s notion of Theory U, which involves letting go of current view and creating space for new ones to emerge.
Translating: helping clients “see” future possibilities, often by presenting in terms or frames of reference more familiar to them, speaking their language. This is probably where we spend most of our time.
Transforming: helping clients on the journey to transformative change, perhaps crafting the vision and plan, identifying options and sometimes participating in the actions. This opportunity doesn’t come along all that frequently, and it’s a really special time when have one.
In all cases, we are ultimately seeking to influence their mental models. One thing I’d like to ponder a bit more, and I’d love to hear your thoughts, is the relative balance of these in your practice. — Andy Hines
Completely agree! And, we try very hard to make all three happen – in the order you presented – in every client engagement.