The Sixth Sense: Accelerating Organizational Learning with Scenarios

This book is about organizational survival: the reasons why organizations do not always survive, and what can be done about it.
Survival means creating value for stakeholders, and the survival problem starts with uncertainty, change and the need for organizations to adapt to shifting needs and market conditions. The key question is ′Why are organizations slow to change and adapt?′ Unsuccessful organizations are distinguished by their failure to overcome thinking and behavioural flaws at personal, organizational and community levels. In this book, we explain what these flaws are and how the scenario approach helps senior managers and organizations to overcome them. Our approach is based on reasoning, research, real world observations – and a long track record developing scenario–based thinking, combining the most effective elements of the many scenario approaches that have been tried over time.
′Organizational learning and scenario planning are seen by many business people as two separate disciplines, with different programmes and communities of practice. This book builds a bridge between the two. I believe this is important. It will invite the organizational learners to develop a deeper perspective on the longer–term business environment, and it will invite the scenario planners to consider their work in the context of organizational survival and development. Both will be better off, to the benefit of their organizations.′
Arie de Geus, author of The Living Company
′Helping organizations learn their way into the future in a world of complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity is what The Sixth Sense is all about. The book is a deep, insightful and practical guide to the tools an organization needs to break through the limits of its own thinking. Scenario thinkers and planners working to make their organizations adaptive learners will find invaluable tools and examples to guide their own development.′
Pe ter Schwartz, co–founder and chair of Global Business Network and author of The Art of the Long View.

Spis treści:
Introduction.
Preparing for the Future.
How Managers Think About The Future.
How Organizations Think About The Future.
The Impact of Culture and Cultural Assumptions on Strategy.
Shaping the Future: the Emergence of Modern Scenario Techniques.
Developing the Skills for Long–term Survival and Success: Principles of the Scenario Process.
Scenario Planning in the Organizational Context.
Scenario Planning: Taking Charge of the Future.
Summary.
Glossary.
References.
Index.

Nota biograficzna:
Kees van der Heijden (Scotland) is Director of the Centre for Scenario Planning and Future Studies, the Graduate School of Business at the University of Strathclyde, U.K.
The Centre for Scenario Planning and Future Studies
Members of the Centre for Scenario Planning and Future Studies of the University of Strathclyde Graduate School of Business (USGSB) have been involved in scenario and futures work over a significant period of time, both in a consultant and an educational capacity. This combination has resulted in the development of expertise in scenario planning and future studies that is difficult to match. The Centre′s expertise is demonstrated in the range of scenario planning and future studies assignments that have been undertaken for major organizations, as well as in the production of leading edge research and publication about scenario planning and future studies, and decision–making. This combination differentiates the Centre from other organizations in the field.
The Centre has developed an international reputation for the design and delivery of purposeful scenario planning assignments. These have involved private sector organizations from a wide range of industry groupings on an international basis, and public sector organizations from local to nation al governments. The internal scenario teams drawn from all these organizations has included key decision and policy makers, resulting in top–level commitment to participation and active adaptive learning from the outcomes.

Okładka tylna:
This book is about organizational survival: the reasons why organizations do not always survive, and what can be done about it.
Survival means creating value for stakeholders, and the survival problem starts with uncertainty, change and the need for organizations to adapt to shifting needs and market conditions. The key question is ′Why are organizations slow to change and adapt?′ Unsuccessful organizations are distinguished by their failure to overcome thinking and behavioural flaws at personal, organizational and community levels. In this book, we explain what these flaws are and how the scenario approach helps senior managers and organizations to overcome them. Our approach is based on reasoning, research, real world observations – and a long track record developing scenario–based thinking, combining the most effective elements of the many scenario approaches that have been tried over time.
′Organizational learning and scenario planning are seen by many business people as two separate disciplines, with different programmes and communities of practice. This book builds a bridge between the two. I believe this is important. It will invite the organizational learners to develop a deeper perspective on the longer–term business environment, and it will invite the scenario planners to consider their work in the context of organizational survival and development. Both will be better off, to the benefit of their organizations.′
Arie de Geus, author of The Living Company
′Helping organizations learn their way into the future in a world of complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity is what The Sixth Sense is all about. The book is a deep, insightful and pra ctical guide to the tools an organization needs to break through the limits of its own thinking. Scenario thinkers and planners working to make their organizations adaptive learners will find invaluable tools and examples to guide their own development.′
Peter Schwartz, co–founder and chair of Global Business Network and author of The Art of the Long View.