My Clients (and other business owners) embrace scenario planning when they’re worried about the future, not the burnout.
Scenario planning should never just be about managing risk and avoiding problems. And I know that it is not common to think about overworked, stressed employees getting refreshed from scenario planning – especially when the future is the cause of stress. But that’s just what infuture.fashion consultants are discovering lately.
Burnout Alert
The burnout problem become a popular term. And more than half of all employers, in fact, say that burnout is affecting turnover, retention and productivity. Pandemics have only made it worse. Even the World Health Organization now classifies burnout as a disease.
So, what’s the connection between scenario planning and burnout?
Experts say the feeling of loss of control plays a big part in experiences of burnout. It’s possible that the uncertainty that surrounds the future, often sub-conscious, is a major contributor to the loss of control feeling and the resulting anxiety. infuture.fashion team see evidence of that in our current work with fashion leaders. For those not working in life-and-death situations, burnout is very real, debilitating, and costly to employers.
How do future exploration help?
Our experience shows that merely thinking about and actively engaging the future can be a therapeutic stress reducer. And this includes futures that are not particularly great, ex. deal with economic problems, job losses and climate.
Our Clent’s teams come to us to deal with these various sources of anxiety in a neutral, future-focused vibe. Participants attend to see ways of managing risks, finding opportunities, and building flexible yet effective plans. Some of the most innovative concepts take root in the harshest scenario worlds.
Our collaboration with teams is highly collaborative, from project conception to scenario development by future exploration, plus strategy and execution planning. We bring together diverse teams to deal with novel challenges and opportunities and draft real solutions.
But please note, even the most successful future exploration will not stave off burnout if work conditions don’t change – and even worse if the great ideas generated by scenario discussions are not taken seriously by executive leadership. That can dangerously increase frustration.
For sure, getting your employees physically away from tense and stressful work settings can be therapeutic itself.
It’s hard during Covid, but not impossible. We’re finding that even team development trips abroad are possible. It is a refreshing and restorative break. That’s a useful option to keep in mind.
Do you want to see how future exploration can create growth in your business? Leave an email. We will reach out to you to arrange a private call.
