The concept “unanticipated consequences,” coined by Robert K. Merton (1936), has largely been replaced in current social science by its putative synonym, “unintended consequences.” This conflation suggests that “unintended” consequences are also “unanticipated,” effectively obscuring an interesting and real category …
The Strategic Exploration Tools certainly involve conversations about the future. The interesting connection here is the move “starting action.”
Includes an interesting discussion about “mapping” information. Article Link
Good managers—even great ones—can make spectacularly bad choices. Some of them result from bad luck or poor timing, but a large body of research suggests that many are caused by cognitive and behavioral biases. Article Link
By not acting now, we’re allowing the future costs of the greenhouse-gas crisis to compound. Eventually, the consequences will be irreversible. Article Link That job is made even harder because the business community is not the only sphere in which …
Short-termism and the threat from climate change Read more »
“Where’s Waldo?” Oops! Should be “Where’s the Center?” Seems like a lot of very good centers worthy of exploration here. Article Link
This is a good tie to the role of “intuition.” Joel recognizes this as a very important early part of the process of ideas flowing through paradigms to reality — “The Possibilities Cone” Article Link
There’s a lot of attention being paid to the lack of long-term thinking. All of Joel’s Strategic Exploration Tools address these concerns — the recent articles I’ve posted here are great materials for discussing all the tools with clients and …
Very interesting post! Using the Internet is an easy way to feel omniscient. Enter a search term and the answers appear before your eyes. But at any moment you’re also just a few taps away from becoming an insufferable know-it-all. …
Internet Searches May Make You Think You’re Smarter Than You Are Read more »
What happens if multiple teams explore the same particular “arc” (or first-order implication)? Consistent with our “scouting metaphor,” if we send good scouts out over the same territory, they’re likely to discover the different important elements, particularly if the topic …