Overview

The Resilient Futures Framework is a strategic approach to making change work for organizations and communities. It is about seeing change as a positive set of new conditions for opportunity rather than as a problem. It is about creating resilient futures for organizations and communities.

Learning to Love Change

Building and running successful businesses or communities is not getting any easier. We know that we are in the midst of complex change. Our plans and strategies often feel outdated, too narrow, short-sighted and too focused on what we already have and how we can milk it for all it is worth, rather than building for the future.

We have to constantly muster our energy and resources to react and adjust to yet another wave of changing conditions, leaving little in reserve to fuel new growth, inspiration or innovation.

We sometimes wonder what will happen next and when. The answer of course is we will never really know and we tend to see this as a problem because we have been conditioned to think of change and uncertainty as a problem.

But there is no need to think like this anymore. The game has changed.

Leveraging Complexity

The world is in the midst of extremely comples change and the more complex, the more opportunities there are to be had, or created.

In fact, we believe that leveraging complexity is at the heart of all human progress. In today’s environment the business of creating opportunity from change will make the industrial revolution look like child’s play.

We must accept the fact that our world is a system and that it is changing in complex ways as it balances the rising tensions within it, and as it evolves. New ‘states’ and conditions are emerging and if you understand these in your business or community (and their wider systems) you can take advantage of them.

You can re-invent your organisation or community by transforming it in flow with  changing conditions. You will no longer be a victim to change, but creating your future within changing conditions and developing the capabilities required to exploit opportunities.

It does not take much, just a new way of thinking and a revealing, inspiring, and action-based strategic approach.

This is what the Resilient Futures Framework and Network are all about—a timely, clever and uncomplicated way of surviving and thriving by creating opportunities in tune with the conditions of complex change.

Reading the Signs

We all know too well in our community and business lives that it is hard to find: clear differentiation; real innovation; strong comparative advantage; true sustainability; secure social capital; robust risk management; reliable investments; agreed strategies that deal with change; sound asset valuation; opportunities in climate and energy change and compelling ways of inspiring and directing our organizations and people.

These situations aren’t isolated; they are symptoms of an old system in decline, and the emergence of a new state of play, with new challenges and possibilities. In this reality there are only two options available–create opportunities that are in tune with and capitalize on changing conditions or face increased vulnerability with threats, shocks and steady disruption and decline.

Those who are proactive early will reap the most benefits and set the stage.