Advance your business by “Discovering Common Ground” among all stakeholders
FUTURE SEARCH CONFERENCE
A method of long range strategic planning, in real time, that brings together all the
various parties involved in the mission and future of a community or organization.
“FUTURE SEARCH CONFERENCE” is based on methods and principles developed and set forth by
Marvin Weisbord, Sandra Janoff and numerous other professionals who, over many years of research and
practice have contributed to the understanding of large group dynamics and systems theory.
Shem Cohen
Albany, New York (518) 489.5497
It is . . .
An Alternative to “Doing the Same Old Things” and “Getting the Same Old Results”
A method of strategic planning, in real time, with both external and internal stakeholders present.
The unique, highly effective Future Search Conference approach goes beyond traditional strategic planning and involves the entire “community”
surrounding the organizational entity searching for its desirable future.
Key outcomes are:
 People move from boundary feuds and protecting special interests to mutual cooperation and support.
 The entire community looks beyond their assumptions and fears to common ground “outside the box”.
 Mutual understanding and focus develops to increase commitment and support to implement and sustain action plans and change strategies.
It Is Not . . .
 A forum to “work issues”
 Conflict resolution
 Problem solving methods
 A place to lobby, “sell” or manipulate decision-making
Shem Cohen
Albany, New York (518) 489.5497
Framework
“How this approach differs from typical participative meetings”
 The WHOLE SYSTEM participates ~ a cross-section of as many interested parties as practical. That means more diversity and less
hierarchy than usual in a working meeting, and a chance for each person to be heard and learn other ways of looking at the task at
hand.
 Future scenarios ~ for an organization, community or issue ~ are put into HISTORICAL and GLOBAL perspectives. That means
thinking globally together before acting locally. This feature enhances shared understanding and greater commitment to act. It also
increases the range of potential actions.
 People SELF-MANAGE their work, and use DIALOGUE ~ not “problem solving” as the main tool. That means helping each other
do the tasks and taking responsibility for our perceptions and actions.
 COMMON GROUND rather than “conflict management”, is the frame of reference. That means honoring our differences rather
than having to reconcile them.
Shem Cohen
Albany, New York (518) 489.5497
WHEN To Do It

Need to infuse energy and motivation to renew and revitalize organizations and/or networks

Shift organizations in transition from the past to the future

Identify and confront new or changed external conditions affecting the organization

Generate support, congruence and commitment from all segments of the system

Clarify the future purpose, roles and boundaries of the organization and its interfaces

New leadership is taking over

Opposing parties need to meet in a productive environment through an apolitical forum

Other efforts to unify and create a shared vision of the future have stalled

A key transition is eminent stemming from strong influences
Shem Cohen
Albany, New York (518) 489.5497
BENEFITS
 Influences and establish a common purpose and direction of the whole organizational system
 Identifies commonality and diversity
 Shares responsibility and control by all constituents instead of mandates from the “top”
 Fosters commitment to the organizational mission from all influences
 Broadens horizons and perspectives that guide short-term priorities
 Involves representation from internal and external influences at levels beyond leaders and experts
 Opens opportunities to meet a variety of different people with diverse points of view
 Creates ways to leverage information use and delivery as a competitive advantage
 Learn more about the challenges and help define ways to meet them
Shem Cohen
Albany, New York (518) 489.5497
Comparison
CONVENTIONAL
STRATEGIC PLANNING
FUTURE SEARCH
FEATURE
Mindset
Exclusive, proprietary
Inclusive, open
Internal Leadership with
Staff support
Participation
Stakeholders from
all segments
1-5 years
Time Frame
5-10+ years
Structure
Flat, circular
Hierarchical, pyramidal
Control
Top down
Planning Method
Projection, trend extrapolation
Economic growth
Reduction of anxiety
Shem Cohen
Acting “as if” based on desired future
Values
Orientation
Economic growth, common
purpose, contribution
Psychological
Resonance
Commitment to community
Output
Document,
??? energy / commitment
Shared
Albany, New York (518) 489.5497
On-going task forces
HOW to do it
Someone thinks
It’s a good idea
Others join and form a 4-5
member Steering Committee
Steering Committee establishes a 612 member
Planning Committee
Conference occurs
Planning Committee develops
plans for
the Conference




16 hours over 3 days
35-100 participants
25% external stakeholders
All participants stay for the entire conference
Follow up and
Support activities
Action groups
Implement initiatives
Shem Cohen
Albany, New York (518) 489.5497
Getting Started
(Steering Committee)

Future Search history, theory and practice

Why bother doing a Search conference?

Why bother doing it now? When should we do it?

Who should be on the planning committee?

How will we gain interest, enthusiasm and commitment from planning
committee members?
Shem Cohen
Albany, New York (518) 489.5497
Getting Started
(Planning Committee Tasks)

Why bother doing a Search conference? When should we do it?

What is the conference task?

What is the focus ~ the organization, community, industry, profession, customers?

Stakes of people present?

Who are the possible stakeholders? Who benefits? Who needs to influence and be influenced?

Who has the information required?

How should the conference be configured?

What are the time frames to explore? How far back and how far forward?

Who should be invited and how will you get them in the “room:”?

How will we document and communicate the outcomes?

How will we implement action plans and initiatives?

How will be follow up on commitments?

What arrangements will be made,(logistics, location, materials) and how will get them done?
Shem Cohen
Albany, New York (518) 489.5497
Conference AGENDA
Day 1
Day 2
AM
Session 4 Full Group
• Present trends, cont’d.
Session 10 Full Group
• Reality Dialogue
Session 5 Mixed Groups
• Present trends implications
Session 11 Stakeholder &/or
Theme Groups
• Action Planning
• Report out
Session 6
• Owning the present
• “Prouds & Sorries”
Session 1 Mixed Groups
• Welcome & Opening Remarks
• Overview, agenda, ground rules
• Introductions
PM
Day 3
Session 7 Mixed Groups
• Create Ideal Futures
Session 2
• Review of the Past on personal,
organizational and “world” level
Session 8 Mixed Groups
• Present future scenarios “acting as if”
Session 3 Stakeholder/Large group(s)
• Review of Present Trends (Mind Map)
• Identify common, external influences
Session 9 Full Group
• Identify common ground of the future
Shem Cohen
Albany, New York (518) 489.5497
Session 12
• Final Summaries and next steps
• Closing
Guidelines
Working
Agreement
Conference Staff
 Set time and Tasks
Participants
 Provide information / Create meaning
 Large Group Discussions
 Manage own small groups
 Keep purpose front & center
 Future scenarios / Action Groups
 All ideas are valid
 Everything is written on flip charts
Ground
Rules
 Listen to each other
 Observe time frames
 Seek common ground and action
 Differences and problems are acknowledged ~ not “worked”
Stages of Change
Contentment
Renewal
Denial
Confusion
Confrontation
Surface &
Acknowledge
Open Forum
& Dialogue
A FS facilitator believes that:
• Every person and every group is doing the best they can with what
they have every minute of every day.
• People do only what they are ready, willing and able to do.
• People need not change their own minds or anyone else's for a
group to discover its common ground and potential for action.
A Theory of Facilitating
• The facilitator's task is to keep the group whole and working
together, not to fix problems, resolve differences, or motivate action.
• Groups stay whole and develop greater capacity when they (a)
discover their real differences in belief, skill, and function, and (b)
integrate their capabilities for a common purpose.
• Groups tend to fragment around differences, whether real or
imagined. The facilitator's job is make sure no person becomes a
scapegoat due to a personal trait, feeling, or point of view.
• Facilitators are responsible for boundaries of time and task, not for
content, analysis, direction, interpretation, meaning, or synthesis.
Shem Cohen
Albany, New York (518) 489.5497