Academic Reflection paper

Introduction

What is Scenario Thinking Scenario thinking is a flexible and nuanced tool, and its applications are far-ranging. It is a tool for motivating people to challenge the status quo, or get better at doing so, by asking “What if?” Asking “What if?” in a disciplined way allows you to rehearse the possibilities of tomorrow, and then to take action today empowered by those provocations and insights. What if we are about to experience a revolutionary change that will bring new challenges for businesses or even human kind? Or enter a risk-averse world of few gains, yet few losses? What if we experience a renaissance of social innovation? And, importantly, what if the future brings new and unforeseen opportunities or challenges for your organization? Will you be ready to act? [1]

Advantages

As stated before scenario thinking is a flexible and nuanced tool, and its applications are far-ranging. It provides means to (among other things):
- make tough decisions
- foster a shift in strategy (informed by the changing circumstances)
- empower your organization to take courageous action, encouraged by a long-term perspective - wake up your organization to the challenges it is facing by exploring together the downsides to continuing the status quo
- align and inspire diverse stakeholders by finding and exploring common ground for the future.

Another strong advantage of scenario thinking is its applicability. - It is a powerful tool for organizations of any size and scope
- It can be used to address the complex challenges of large global organizations, as well as those of smaller community-based groups
- Scenario thinking is particularly well suited for nonprofits that do work that is highly dependent on multiple actors inside and outside the sector; address interdependent and complex issues; have a clear interest in external trends; and feel a responsibility to address diverse points of view
- Nonprofits that manage complex stakeholder relationships and that must develop strategies reflective of diverse needs are also good candidates for scenario thinking

References

[1]Global Business Network. http://www.gbn.com/ArticleDisplayServlet.srv?aid=32655