myAIPMAn Interview with Sohail Inayatullah
Our main challenge for futures studies now is those ‘doing foresight’ as just another tool among many in their consultant toolkit. I believe futures work should be a transformative process for self and others that requires inner focus and commitment to learn and apply the theory and methods for application not just to the client’s situation, but also to our own personal lives. I believe the approach to futures has to be authentic – it can’t be faked, it either works or it doesn’t. In our family, we use CLA, futures wheels, futures triangle, and scenarios to think about the future for ourselves and our kids. These futures techniques work for me, but I find they work best when I am fully present in the process. In those circumstances when my workshops don’t go as well as I would like, I find that it has been my inability as a facilitator or speaker to connect with the group and find out what people need in their particular situation, to be mindful and meet people where they’re at. So, my worldview didn’t change so much as the world’s view has evolved. Futures studies used to be considered silly by some in the past but now the field has gained more credibility. We apply futures methods to ourselves and our family, try to connect with and meet people where they’re at, and be sensitive to changing conditions.
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