What are the top 10 trends for the next ten years? Download the report here.

Past Events

Futures Friday zoombackground2 06 Futures Fridays: Signals and Sensemaking
Friday, September 10, 2021
12:00 to 1:00 PM Central (Chicago)

Signals of the future are all around us. Join Rebecca Ryan + Friends to kick off our fall Futures Friday series with one of our most popular live events, Signals and Sensemaking.

RR eventimages FF Module 1 1 Futures Friday: You, Futurist + Foresight Module 1.1
Friday, September 17, 2021
12:00 to 1:00 PM Central (Chicago)

[ 1.1 ]
Discuss ways to think long-term and how you might manifest them your life, e.g., your family, your work, your community.

[ Module 1 ]
Think Like a Futurist: Good futurists recognize their cognitive biases and work to overcome them. In this module, we discuss different types of thinking, examples of biases, and hacks and strategies to strengthen your futurist mindset.

Pre-reading will be sent via confirmation email following registration. Only registered participants will be able to access the event recording post-event!

RR eventimages FF Module 1 2 Futures Friday: You, Futurist + Foresight Module 1.2
Friday, September 24, 2021
12:00 to 1:00 PM Central (Chicago)

[ 1.2 ] Discuss the differences between "fast" and "slow" thinking and how each one relates to strategic foresight. Explain how personal biases cloud foresight, individually and in groups.

[ Module 1 ] Think Like a Futurist: Good futurists recognize their cognitive biases and work to overcome them. In this module, we discuss different types of thinking, examples of biases, and hacks and strategies to strengthen your futurist mindset.

Successful participants will complete the pre-reading and come prepared to take notes, interact with their peers, and ask questions.

Pre-reading will be sent via confirmation email following registration. Only registered participants will be able to access the event recording post-event!

RR eventimages FF Module 2 1 Futures Friday: You, Futurist + Foresight Module 2.1
Friday, October 1, 2021
12:00 to 1:00 PM Central (Chicago)

[ 2.1 ] How foresight is used effectively to help people and organizations become future ready. Discuss the four-phase strategic foresight process and different ways to apply it.

[ Module 2 ] Sensing: How to spot what’s coming and get ahead of the herd. What's on your radar? What signals are you picking up about what is changing and what that might mean for your life, e.g., your family, your work, your community? In this module, we help you get set up to answer this question. We begin by introducing you to strategic foresight, followed by helping you define a domain for your research and practicing signal hunting and sensemaking.

Here is Rebecca giving the DL on our 4 phase strategic foresight process: https://lnkd.in/eni2Ejti

Pre-reading will be sent via confirmation email following registration. Only registered participants will be able to access the event recording post-event!

Futures Friday Event Images3 FF Module 2 2 Futures Friday: You, Futurist + Foresight Module 2.2
Friday, October 8, 2021
12:00 to 1:00 PM Central (Chicago)

[ 2.2 ] There are four-phases to the strategic foresight process and different ways to apply them. In this segment, we will learn how to define the domain for a strategic foresight project.

[ Module 2 ] Sensing: How to spot what’s coming and get ahead of the herd. What's on your radar? What signals are you picking up about what is changing and what that might mean for your life, e.g., your family, your work, your community? In this module, we help you get set up to answer this question. We begin by introducing you to strategic foresight, followed by helping you define a domain for your research and practicing signal hunting and sensemaking.

Pre-reading will be sent via confirmation email following registration. Only registered participants will be able to access the event recording post-event!

Futures Friday Event Images3 FF Module 2 3 Futures Friday: You, Futurist + Foresight Module 2.3
Friday, October 22, 2021
12:00 to 1:00 PM Central (Chicago)

[ 2.3 ] In this session we will practice the art of signal hunting and sensemaking. This session will wrap up Module 2.

[ Module 2 ] Sensing: How to spot what’s coming and get ahead of the herd. What's on your radar? What signals are you picking up about what is changing and what that might mean for your life, e.g., your family, your work, your community? In this module, we help you get set up to answer this question. We begin by introducing you to strategic foresight, followed by helping you define a domain for your research and practicing signal hunting and sensemaking.

Pre-reading will be sent via confirmation email following registration. Only registered participants will be able to access the event recording post-event!

Futures Friday Event Images3 FF Module 3 1 Futures Friday: You, Futurist + Foresight Module 3.1
Friday, October 29, 2021
12:00 to 1:00 PM Central (Chicago)

[ 3.1 ] In this session we will discuss the three “Future Zones” as well teach you the characteristics of good scenarios.

[ Module 3 ] Imagining: How to use stories to challenge people’s thinking about the future.If we want better futures, we need better stories. In this module, we discuss and practice scenario development. What are they? How are scenarios used? What are the characteristics of good ones? What tools and techniques can I use to brainstorm and develop scenarios?

Pre-reading will be sent via confirmation email following registration. Only registered participants will be able to access the event recording post-event!

Futures Friday Event Images3 FF Module 3 2 Futures Friday: You, Futurist + Foresight Module 3.2
Friday, November 5, 2021
12:00 to 1:00 PM Central (Chicago)

[ 3.2 ] Discuss approaches to scenario brainstorming and learn how to construct a futures wheel for your domain!

[ Module 3 ]
Imagining: How to use stories to challenge people’s thinking about the future. If we want better futures, we need better stories. In this module, we discuss and practice scenario development. What are they? How are scenarios used? What are the characteristics of good ones? What tools and techniques can I use to brainstorm and develop scenarios?

Pre-reading will be sent via confirmation email following registration. Only registered participants will be able to access the event recording post-event!

Futures Friday Event Images3 FF Module 3 3 Futures Friday: You, Futurist + Foresight Module 3.3
Friday, November 12, 2021
12:00 to 1:00 PM Central (Chicago)

[ 3.3 ] In this session we will discuss alternative approaches to scenario brainstorming and construct a scenario matrix for your domain,

[ Module 3 ] Imagining: How to use stories to challenge people’s thinking about the future.If we want better futures, we need better stories. In this module, we discuss and practice scenario development. What are they? How are scenarios used? What are the characteristics of good ones? What tools and techniques can I use to brainstorm and develop scenarios?

Pre-reading will be sent via confirmation email following registration. Only registered participants will be able to access the event recording post-event!

Futures Friday Event Images3 FF Module 3 4 Futures Friday: You, Futurist + Foresight Module 3.4
Friday, November 19, 2021
12:00 to 1:00 PM Central (Chicago)

[ 3.4 ] Discuss research and design options for scenarios with our scenario writer extraordinaire, Dr. Kay Daniels, APF.


[ Module 3 ] Imagining: How to use stories to challenge people’s thinking about the future.If we want better futures, we need better stories. In this module, we discuss and practice scenario development. What are they? How are scenarios used? What are the characteristics of good ones? What tools and techniques can I use to brainstorm and develop scenarios?

Pre-reading will be sent via confirmation email following registration. Only registered participants will be able to access the event recording post-event!

Futures Friday Event Images3 FF Module 3 5 Futures Friday: You, Futurist + Foresight Module 3.5
Friday, December 3, 2021
12:00 to 1:00 PM Central (Chicago)

[ 3.5 ] In this session we will outline or draft two alternative scenarios. This session will wrap up Module 3.

[ Module 3 ] Imagining: How to use stories to challenge people’s thinking about the future.If we want better futures, we need better stories. In this module, we discuss and practice scenario development. What are they? How are scenarios used? What are the characteristics of good ones? What tools and techniques can I use to brainstorm and develop scenarios?

Pre-work will be sent via confirmation email following registration. Only registered participants will be able to access the event recording post-event!

Futures Friday Event Images3 FF Module 4 1 Futures Friday: You, Futurist + Foresight Module 4.1
Friday, December 10, 2021
12:00 to 1:00 PM Central (Chicago)

[ 4.1 ] In this session we will explain what crossover levers are and how they are used and practice identifying shared levers between scenarios.

[ Module 4 ] Defining: How to decide on the preferred future you want. In this module, we shift from creating scenarios to actually using them. After asking “What could happen?” it’s now “What are you going to do about it?” The answers are a special set of strategies called "crossover levers." We discuss what exactly such levers are and practice identifying them.

Pre-reading will be sent via confirmation email following registration. Only registered participants will be able to access the event recording post-event!

Futures Friday Event Images3 FF Module 5 1 Futures Friday: You, Futurist + Foresight Module 5.1
Friday, December 17, 2021
12:00 to 1:00 PM Central (Chicago)

[ 5.1 ] Practice constructing framing questions with Strategic Doing to start taking action on major strategies.

[ Module 5 ] Doing: How to get to work on the future, starting today. When the plan is done, the real work starts. In this final module, we cover how you can use the Strategic Doing approach to start taking action on major strategies. We will practice constructing "framing questions" that will help you translate strategic directions into high-impact pilot projects. Such projects can help you immediately build momentum for the future and vision you have created.

Pre-reading will be sent via confirmation email following registration. Only registered participants will be able to access the event recording post-event!

Registration link coming soon!