Scenario Planning in Organizations: How to Create, Use, and Assess Scenarios

With scenario planning, leaders, executives, and decision makers can develop strategies for multiple futures, making their organizations resilient, agile, and capable of adapting to new circumstances at the speed of change.

Here, Thomas Chermack addresses the method’s complexities and, unlike other books, deals not just with developing different scenarios but also with applying those scenarios and assessing their impact.

This is the most comprehensive guide available to the scenario planning process, offering a thorough discussion of the method’s theoretical foundations and detailing a five-phase scenario planning system.

Chermack uses a real-world case study to illuminate the entire process—from project preparation to scenario exploration, development, implementation, and project assessment. He provides specific techniques and tools for gathering and analyzing relevant data, structuring and managing projects, and avoiding common pitfalls.

Thomas J. Chermack is assistant professor in the Organizational Performance and Change program and director of the Scenario Planning Institute at Colorado State University. He is also founder and managing partner of Chermack Scenarios. He has facilitated scenario projects at Cargill, Saudi Aramco, General Mills, Motorola, and many other companies.