The Future of Organizing - Scenarios Workshop

[Tim Pidsley]

At the end of this month I'll be attending a Scenarios workshop in Chicago exploring "the future of organizing". The goal of the workshop is to develop four plausible scenarios about organizing in the year 2025 and an exploration of the implications for organization development and design research and practice (methodology, skills, processes, etc.).

As part of our preparation for the workshop we have been asked to gather views about trends and patterns, and I thought this forum would be an excellent way for me to collect a breadth of perspective which I can contribute to the workshop. I will then feedback to you through the forum the workshop outcomes.

Here are some questions from the workshop organisers to stimulate your thinking (but don't feel you need to stick to this format).

Looking Back:
- Over the past decade, what have been the most notable developments in your
industry? What trends surprised you most?

Oracle:
- If I could answer any question for you about the future, what would you want to
know…about your industry? Your environment? The world?

Freight Trains:
- Could you name and describe the biggest unstoppable trends that you see coming
towards you and your organization?
- What makes these factors so powerful? How might these factors play out?

Good and Bad Scenarios:
- Can you give me a detailed sense for how a bad (or good) scenario might actually
evolve for your organization in the coming decade?
- What kinds of things might trigger it? How would the effects cascade through
your organization?

Thank you for any contribution you make - I'll make sure it's fed into the workshop and then share the workshop outcomes.