Exploring the future at the University of Washington

Last week, I had the pleasure of co-leading a strategic foresight and futures thinking workshop with Andrea Zeller for alumni, students, and faculty in the Communication Leadership program at the University of Washington, where I serve as affiliate faculty and teach a course called Research and Development.

As the pace of change accelerates, creating what author Alvin Toffler described as “future shock,” and as the world grows more ambiguous and uncertain, futures thinking offers a way to make sense of what’s emerging and prepare for multiple possibilities.

In this full-day workshop, we explored how to anticipate change and navigate uncertainty, examining tools and methodologies such as signal scanning, the cone of possibilities, and Dator’s Four Futures. Participants imagined a range of possible futures, creating scenarios that were both inspiring and deeply insightful, and bringing potential worlds to life with creativity and clarity.

Just as design thinking transformed how organizations approached creativity and problem-solving a decade ago, futures thinking is now becoming the next essential skill, helping leaders anticipate, adapt, and intentionally shape what comes next. Workshops like this demonstrate the power of foresight as a practical and actionable framework for teams and organizations navigating rapid change.

If your company, university, or leadership team is ready to explore how to prepare for a quickly changing world, please feel free to reach out to me at laura@tmrwandtmrw.com. I’d be delighted to partner with you to bring this kind of transformative experience to your organization.