The 26th Business Journey event, themed 'Stop Waiting and Just Do It,' emphasized proactive planning for businesses to avoid leaving their future to chance. It introduced the concept of backcasting, encouraging teams to envision their ideal future and work backwards to create actionable strategies. Attendees were urged to define milestones essential for success and to collaborate on innovative solutions, ultimately fostering a mindset of bold visioning.

1. Welcome
To the 26th
Business Journey
event

2. Business Journey Partner
Jim Henderson
@JimatHJP

4. Insight Inspiration Growth
2020 Theme - Stop Waiting and Just Do It !
“Looking Forward to Plan Backwards”
The Business Journey
18th February 2020

5. Choose Your Future
“No business will become or remain successful by accident.
Always choose your future versus letting it happen. Why leave your
and your Company’s future to chance when steadfast resolve, creative
planning and disciplined focus could create it instead?
The question is never how good you are, but how good you want to be”.

6. Future Predictions
No one can predict the future - that
much is clear. But companies still
need to plan ahead and seek
potential opportunities.

7. FTSE 100 (2007 to present)
Depression
6800
October 2007
Today
Cameron wins re-election
on Brexit referendum
promise 7th May 2015
Brexit
Referendum
June 23rd 2016
3800 February 2009

8. Title

9. Backcasting (Kedge LLC)
Unlike forecasting, which tries to predict the future based on linear
projections by extrapolation, backcasting starts with Vision, then, as the
name suggests, you work backwards to the present day.
Because it starts with Vision, backcasting is typically a visual, reimagining
activity. Usually teams diagram the activity on a large whiteboard or wall.
It’s a collaborative, iterative, creative innovation process.

10. Backcasting – a Different Mindset
Backcasting can make us go beyond the incremental improvement mindset
that still defines a major part of the thinking around sustainable futures.
The idea is to ‘imagine our desired or ideal future,’ regardless of whether it
is achievable with the technology and financial resources of today.
This is where many people get stuck; they artificially restrict themselves to
what they imagine is feasible in the near-future, forgetting the future is yet
to be created!

11. The Future Starts Today

12. Questions to Clarify Your Timeline’s Milestones & End-game
 If your Company was ideal, define what would it look like, feel like?
 How would we know when we got here?
 What would we be doing differently?
 How would our customers feel?
 Who or what would be critical to making it happen?
 Who or what might be able to stop it?
 Who will have a stake in, or be affected by the changes it would create?

13. Questions to Clarify Your Timeline’s Milestones & End-game
 Who needs to be hired, consulted, involved, be responsible for the
implementation of this strategy and tactics
 What progressive achievements and measurable behaviours would
have to occur, between the right and left endpoints to make the end
Vision a reality?
The clearer and more specific each milestone and date is on the
timeline, the easier it will be to flesh out the strategies and objectives to
get you there.

14. Backcasting – a Collaborative Process
With enhanced insight on what stands between the
present and our desired future, we can, in smaller
group settings, tap into people’s specific knowledge
and skills, and embolden them to create inventive
solutions and map out pathways.

15. And Finally….
- Be bold to envision a better future first
- Then trace backwards a detailed & progressive timeline of strategies and
tactics that answers the question “what did we do to get here?”
This then allows you to more clearly see:
 What you need to do
 Confront what you have failed to do
 Predict what competition & market forces may force you to do

16. And Finally….

17. Insight Inspiration Growth
Jim Henderson – Founder & Director
E: jimhenderson@harrisonjamespartnership.com
M: 07817 745958
W: https://www.harrisonjamespartnership.com

18. Questions for Jim

19. Round Table Discussion

20. Future Topics
If there are topics you would
like addressed at future
Business Journey events please
talk to The Business Journey
partners.

21. Dates for the diary
The next Business Journey event
June 2