IAF offers a wide range of futures-based research, consulting and foresight related services. We believe that organizations can only obtain their highest potential by working to create the future they want, not simply reacting to events after the fact. Many of our clients take advantage of the full range of services we can provide; others select only a few from the menu. Either way, our futurists can help you anticipate, plan for and adapt to change, before others even see it coming. IAF is a non-profit organization, so much of our final work product is made public. Those looking for exclusive services should consult our proprietary consulting arm, Alternative Futures Associates (AFA).
IAF’s services include:
Futures Consulting:
We have methods, processes and tools to scout what could happen in the future and how it might affect your organization. This learning is not enough to transform any organization or situation. You also have to understand the aspirations people have for their future. When you can connect the opportunities of the future with the aspirations people share, you can lead real and lasting change. The Institute for Alternative Futures calls this practice aspirational futures. You can read about our full range of Futures Consulting Services on our marketing brochure.
IAF has identified four overlapping and reinforcing phases in our practice of aspirational futures. In most consulting engagements, we use a mix of methods to guide you through the full cycle of aspirational futures. We customize our approach and methods to best fit your current situation and deliver the outcomes you need today to create the future you want.
Learning about Your Future: We bring you compelling images of alternative futures that challenge your assumptions. We rely on leading-edge futures research and our integrated knowledge of diverse fields to show you patterns of possibilities where you may only see constraints. We detect threats that may lie just outside your awareness. We see surprises that create discontinuous change. We ask provocative questions to put a new frame around your expertise, world views, and current practices. And we help you stay alert to continuous changes in your environment. This is why we often hear from our clients, you changed the way we think.
Discovering Your Aspirations: Through our practices of dialogue, we engage your aspirations. We use the future to create a safe space to try on new ideas and attitudes. People are never as bound by their reality as they may believe. They may need to be reminded of their own history of personal bests and their core values. They may need to stop and listen better to one another. They often need to trust more in the good intentions expressed in a shared vision. This is why we often hear, you brought us together.
Choosing a Preferred Future: When others do strategic planning, they start inside your organization with what you want to do. We start with a keen awareness of changing conditions in your external environment and then consider what you need to do to align with emerging opportunities. We begin with your vision and then ask, what is the most audacious and yet achievable goal you could set. We guide you to wisely choose a preferred future. We value collaboration focused on results. We ask who will be needed to initiate these changes and then work to bring them into the decision making process. We ask which strategies you will need before proposing tactics you might use. Then we help you determine the first steps toward changes that signal the end of business as usual. This is why we often hear, you encouraged us to dream big.
Leading Change: Through our experience in change leadership, we know any future worth creating will be difficult. Some of what we understand about leading change comes from watching and reflecting on failures. Too often what leaders believe to be failure is just an opportunity to learn how to succeed in their new context. You may need a new business model, a revised organizational structure, different strategies or new ways of working together as partners in your shared vision. We care about your success and will be your coach for as long as you need us to gain the momentum for change. This is why we often hear, you helped us take the important first steps toward our preferred future.
Workshops:
Workshop and Meeting Facilitation: Our futurists have years of experience in meeting facilitation and reporting. We can help you plan the most efficient agenda, facilitate discussions, engage in team building exercises and compose effective, meaningful meeting reports.
Training Workshops: Training workshops are designed to help your staff build capacity in using futures techniques to better serve your organization.
Wiser Futures: Using Futures Tools to Better Understand and Create the Future is a one-day introduction to futures methods that includes a workbook with exercises and sample tools. The curriculum provides an overview of environmental scanning, forecasting, scenario planning, and direction setting.
Leadership Formula for Change is a half or one day workshop that teaches change management and leadership strategies to use in creating a preferred future. The core knowledge and exercises in this workshop will be customized with trends of interest to an organization.
Introduction to Scenario Development is a half to one day workshop to learn how to develop scenarios and create the basic elements for a set of four scenarios. IAF teaches its archetypal approach to scenarios that explore the expected, feared and preferred futures.
Speeches:
IAF Futurists are experienced and engaging public speakers, with long track records giving keynote and important speeches around the world. Brief summaries of their specialties and recent key speeches follow. For more information, visit our Futurist Bio Pages or contact the Futurist directly.
Clem Bezold, Ph.D. provides major presentations on the future – both key forces shaping change and the importance of creating your vision. He speaks to large audiences and to boards and leadership groups on the future of technology, health care, and government. He frequently develops specialized presentations focused on the organization. Recent Speeches Include:
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Forecasting the Role of Government: The Future ‘and, of and in’ Government presentation for the 2005 Excellence in Government Conference in Washington DC: a major presentation to 200 senior federal government managers and other leaders. This presentation discussed trends shaping government, the future in high performance government, and the use of foresight in an effective understanding of the likely future and creation of preferred futures. (July, 2005)
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Scenarios and Global Health for the World Health Organization’s Executive Board, meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland: a presentation of global health scenarios and advice for using them in WHO’s planning. This presentation was delivered to Health Ministers or their designees from 27 countries. (December, 2004)
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The Future of Patient Centered Care: Likely and Visionary Directions (Keynote) delivered to the largest meeting on the topic, the Picker Institute International Symposium with over 400 attendees in Boston. (July, 2004)
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A Futurist’s View of Health Care 2015 and Implications for Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey presented to the Healthcare Management Division’s kickoff planning session for 140 top leaders of the state’s largest insurer. (June, 2004)
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The Future of Higher Education: A Dialogue with a Futurist the kick-off to a significant strategic thinking session at the Marquette University Leadership Summit. (January, 2003)
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Jonathan Peck speaks on the scientific and cultural changes that will prove most important to the future. His areas of expertise include biomedical research, the evolution of ethics in a global society and the integration of personalities into teams. He believes that major change is coming to health care in the next decade, and his research can help audiences plan for, and anticipate these coming changes. Recent Speeches Include:
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The National Mental Health Association Annual Conference (keynote): described the crisis developing in healthcare and the potential of strong leadership toward a more ethical and effective approach to helping those with mental disease and prompting mental health. (June, 2005)
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The Rising Power of Healthcare Consumers (to UnitedHealthcare): how demographic changes would alter the demands of healthcare consumers over the next 3, 10 and 20 years. (March, 2005)
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The Predictive Intelligence for Bio/Pharmaceutical Companies Conference (keynote): how visionary pharma leaders can unite over bold goals to address the challenges facing the industry. (January, 2005)
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William Rowley, M.D. has given over 150 customized speeches to a variety of audiences. His areas of expertise include health, health care, biomedical research and the application of futures methods from many perspectives. He challenges audiences to test their assumptions, see the possibilities of emerging trends, imagine provocative forecasts, and consider their aspirations in creating a better future. Recent Speeches Include:
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A Vision of a Future Worth Creating (keynote): explored ways to use technology to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes. Presented to the Health Resources and Services Administration Primary Health Care All-Grantee Meeting in Washington, DC to 1,000 attendees. (June, 2005)
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Creating a Golden Age for Medicine: Opportunities and Challenges: looked at the opportunities the future holds for improving health and health care. It was presented to the Association of Military Surgeons of the US at the 110th Annual Meeting Navy Luncheon in Denver. (November 2004)
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Health Care Outlook presentation for The Conference Board Council of Strategic Planning Executives in Austin was delivered to business executives concerning impact of future health trends on business. (February, 2005)
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The Megaforces and the Power of Change: a provocative presentation and discussion of the impact of major drivers on American healthcare for 55 senior health executives. It was presented to the George Washington University Interagency Institute for Federal Health Care Executives, in Washington, DC. (April, 2005)
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Occupational Therapy in 2017 to the American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference & Expo in Long Beach, CA (keynote). This speech presented an aspirational future for occupational therapy to 2,500 attendees.
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Marsha Rhea champions anticipatory learning in associations, nonprofits and governments. As she explains in her 2005 book, Anticipate the World You Want: Learning for Alternative Futures, whether you are students or nonprofit leaders, you can shape the future you want if you can use foresight, understand your identity, work collaboratively to set direction, and learn how to be innovative. She is learning on the cutting edge of a diverse range of industries and professions and this perspective helps her find the patterns of change that will become relevant for many. Recent Speeches Include:
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The American Association of University Women (keynote) in Washington, DC,: explored how the association could use her framework for anticipatory learning to become more effective in championing education and economic security for women. To view her keynote speech from the AAUW conference highlights website, click here. (June, 2005)
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Leadership Formula for Change, presented to The International Foundation for Employee Benefit Plans workshop for experienced trustees: introduced strategies for understanding change, overcoming resistance, leveraging dissatisfaction, and leading with a shared vision to take first steps toward strategic opportunities. It was delivered to trustees in both New Orleans and Honolulu. (November 2004 and 2005 respectively).
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The American Society of Association Executives conference session in Baltimore, MD: helped associations consider the powerful trends that are affecting associations, what they will mean to policy and programs, and how member expectations are changing. (February, 2004)
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