Chapter NineEnvironmental Scanning and Futures Analysis

Bruce Butterfield, APR, FASAE

When we were learning to drive, we were taught to watch the traffic ahead of the car in front of us and to shift our gaze from side to side so we could anticipate and avoid a crash. Will the vehicle three car lengths in front of me slam on the brakes? Will the truck at the intersection pull out in front of me? Will the child run between those parked cars?

Being a defensive driver is all about preparing for a potential future outcome. Association leaders should use that same principle when wrestling with how to respond to the accelerating pace of change.

Anticipation is not forecasting. Forecasts tend to assume that the future will be like today only more ...

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