The Scenario Group

Scenarios are explorations of "alternative futures."  While these exercises often involve a predictive element, they are not predictive by nature.  Rather, they enable the collective leadership of an organization, a collaborative business community of any type, or regional or international political leaders to collectively consider different outcomes and to systematically consider how they might be affected by those outcomes, how they might react, what their vulnerabilities and risks are, what their comparative strengths are, how competitors might react and what approaches make the most sense.  Because these exercises are moderated that are driven toward the kinds of concrete results and "action item" deliverables that are impossible in other traditional formats.  C-LS builds scenarios from the ground up for individual clients.  The first step is research and analysis directed to the issue in question.  Then, key drivers most likely to influence future outcomes are identified.  Understanding these drivers typically becomes the starting point for the scenario discussion. Then, best-case, worst-case, most-likely case or other scenarios are then envisioned and explored with experts and participants alike being drawn in for their views and, if called for (but not by any means required) some degree of role-playing.  In each of these sessions, participants seek to identify the key indicators that will let them know which direction events are taking.  They can also identify trigger actions that, should specific scenarios unfold, would be the points at which they should initiate pre-planned approaches.

All scenario participants received detailed briefing materials on the sessions before hand, prepared by C-LS' professional research staff.  These materials are typically posted on event or client websites and are designed to be useful research tools for future use well beyond the event.  At the events, participants benefit from the detailed questions and professionally designed polling created and conducted by the C-LS Scenario Group team and from the multimedia and Power Point presentations that are used to guide people through the events.  After the events, C-LS can create follow-on programs or Internet or print products that can continue the dialogue begun in these sessions or that can capture the best ideas presented within them.