Theme: “Horizon Scanning and Scenario Creation – Building Confidence in the Future” 

Speaker: Alun Rhydderch

Thursday, 23rd February
at Cass Business School

6.00pm (and informal networking until 8.30pm).

The start of a new year brings renewed emphasis on the future, its uncertainty and how to handle it. This year, the outlook is perhaps more unsettled than it’s been for more than at least a decade. This makes it a good time to be given a chance to look afresh, through the eyes of an expert, at ways of encouraging clients to face up to and even feel slightly more comfortable about dealing with the future.

 While clients put lots of effort into routine activities such as positioning themselves in a market, benchmarking against competitors, or carrying out audits of internal functions, what is as important is the capability to take a step back and place the organization in a wider context, recognizing the external factors and events that also play a major part in determining success or failure.

Horizon scanning is a powerful way to identify and then pick up signals indicating changes in the environment in which an organisation operates. Monitoring for the emergence of these changes, and then responding to them in good time, can reduce the likelihood of nasty surprises and even open up opportunities not visible to less well prepared competitors. Building on this better awareness, scenarios are a natural complement and follow-on to horizon scanning. Combining both approaches helps a firm not only to improve the way it manages risk but also can lead to a better understanding of vision and purpose.

 Alun, a Director of Horizon Scanning Ltd, has 20 years’ experience working internationally in the private and public sectors. His most recent assignment was the setting up of the UK’s Horizon Scanning Centre, which operates as an internal consultancy for all the major Whitehall departments. He will be sharing with us some of his experience of how horizon scanning and scenarios have been used together to good effect in a range of fascinating situations.

 Booking and further information:

Please also note that this event is being organized by the Professional Development Committee, not the Clerk (who will not respond to queries)

To book, please email ben.taylor@redquadrant.com, no later than the cut-off date of 17^th Feb (we then have to forward your names to Cass in time to meet their security requirements); let us know if you would like to bring a guest and give their name – however, please also be aware that places do go fast at these seminars, so book early if you want to be sure of a place.

Cash payment of £20, which goes towards the cost of the wine and a small buffet, will be collected in the usual way on arrival (in exchange for your badge!)

Details of how to get to Cass are here: http://www.cass.city.ac.uk/about/location/findus.html