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FutureFWD your organization

Take Control of the Future and Become a Practical Futurist.

Ron Shaich

Our approach has always been to discover today what will matter tomorrow, and then to transform our company into a future that is unfolding before us.

— Ron Shaich, Founder & Former President and CEO of Panera Bread

FutureFWD.

The future finds us in two ways: first gradually and then suddenly. By the time the implications of accelerating change become clear, it’s often too late to navigate them effectively. In this context, learning to see, think, and act like a futurist offers a significant and growing strategic advantage.

But “embracing the future” in business has frequently meant succumbing to endless hype cycles, techno babble & wishful thinking. We offer a practical alternative for your organization: a grounding in futures-thinking and creative innovation that cuts through the hype and gives you the tools to identify emerging opportunities and threats. You’ll learn to make sense of the latest tech trends and understand the future as a dynamic space for experimentation and learning. The program delves into the disruptive implications of emerging technologies and convergent economic and social trends to empower participants to discover today what will matter tomorrow and envision a transformative future for your organization.

FutureFWD (“Future Forward”) is typically a full-day highly interactive workshop (delivered in-person or live online in a series of 90-min modules) that combines principles and practices from the disciplines of strategic foresight, innovation theory, entrepreneurship, and design. The program offers a unique introduction and a proven toolset for envisioning the future and learning how to seize it.

Who It’s For.

FutureFWD is not exclusively for innovation and learning teams, although CIOs and CLOs will find much to bring back to their people. The workshop was designed for executives and leaders across all functions of entrepreneurially-minded organizations. The ideal cohort size is 15 – 55 participants but can be modified to support groups outside that range.

Learn how Kitopi, the world’s leading managed cloud kitchen, partnered with be radical to bring FutureFWD to their extended leadership team. Download the Case Study.

What It Does.

The FutureFWD learning journey equips participants to become what we call “Practical Futurists”. Participants will leave the workshop with a more in-depth understanding of the range of possible futures for your organization and its key value propositions, as well as a set of tools and practices for further exploring, testing, and communicating those possibilities to stakeholders.

Additionally, participants will be able to:

  • Identify and evaluate weak signals relevant to the future of your organization and industry
  • Gauge strength and timing of signals likely to become defining trends
  • Differentiate between foresight and planning and understand the limitations of a planning mindset in an environment of accelerating change
  • Recognize the essential factors driving disruption in the business landscape and why successful incumbents fail to reinvent themselves
  • Embrace uncertainty as a key to engaging curiosity & unlocking creative problem-solving
  • Shift mindsets to more effectively navigate complexity and seemingly “unsolvable” challenges
  • Utilize a rapid prototyping methodology to drive faster innovation
  • Define and communicate a preferred organizational future through mission, purpose & narrative
At be radical, we’re excited to build community while building knowledge, and continuing the learning long after a program has wrapped up. All our clients enjoy a free, unlimited membership to our exclusive Learning Partner Program. Learn more about the program here.
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The Research.

FutureFWD’s insights combine our proprietary research with interpretation and curation of the last several decades of strategic foresight research, and the best available tools and frameworks developed to help organizations navigate the future. Thousands of hours of client work, combined with careful literature review, form the basis of FutureFWD.

Every tool and framework we use has been rigorously tested with clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 organizations. Continuous evolution of our content ensures you and your leaders always have access to the latest insights and thinking.

Comments from previous FutureFWD participants.

Stacey Brewer

Stacey Brewer, CEO, eAdvance
“An enlightening masterclass on how new technologies and digital is impacting the future of business. As a natural skeptic, I was concerned the program would leave me with more questions than answers. In fact, FutureFWD was practical, informative and very empowering. I left with the abilities to 'drive' into the future, rather than to be a passenger along for the ride. Thank you!”

Remo Siciliano

Remo Siciliano, Managing Director, Immersant
“Jeffrey and Pascal facilitated a two-day program which I could only describe as phenomenal. FutureFWD left me with a clear understanding of what I need to do, how to put it into practice, and a solid foundation to start from. It was the most valuable two days I’ve had, changing the way I think about the future and how I engage with it.”

Abdulla Al Ashram

Abdulla Al Ashram, Acting Group CEO, Emirates Post Group
“The course was an absolute eye-opener. It gave me numerous ideas on challenging the status quo (linear thinking models) and using exponential frameworks to look at businesses and leadership. The content and discussion were a revelation to me. I took home case studies, and practical and actionable insights on designing the structure and culture of my organization.”

Sithembiso Khumalo

Sithembiso Khumalo, Co-Founder, Lepsta
“This program has been profoundly impactful to me and my business. Until now, I thought I had the whole ‘Innovation & Disruption’ thing pretty covered, but I've since identified so many gaps in my thinking. Even though this was about preparing for the future, Jeffrey and Pascal did a fantastic job of distilling everything down into actionable insights. Network expansion is the cherry on top. I highly recommend it.”

Get in Touch.

The FutureFWD Program will cover unique insights, frameworks, and a practical toolbox for future thinking.

Ready?

Please email us at [email protected] or complete our inquiry form, and we will be in touch shortly.