What is foresight?

Foresight is a systematic, multi-stepped process for identifying, critically analyzing, and acting on potential futures. Future-focused activities like environmental scanning play a key role in the foresight process. Foresight can be used by association leaders in strategic planning and strategy development, anticipatory learning, risk management, and innovation and business development. To learn more about foresight processes and how associations can use them, read Why Associations Need Foresight.

What is ASAE ForesightWorks?

ASAE ForesightWorks, a series of resources that emerged from a major research initiative of the ASAE Foundation, is designed to help association leaders practice foresight. The resources include action briefs that summarize drivers of change identified in the research and tools to help association professionals understand and apply the information.

What is an action brief?

An action brief is a four-page exploration of key information about a driver of change facing the association community and the world more broadly. Each action brief provides a summary description of that driver of change as well as insights on timing, strategic questions, action steps, and keywords for continued reading. The briefs provide broad information that will enable you to conduct more relevant planning and exploration specific to your association or industry. ASAE members can download a free introductory set of three action briefs.

How do I choose which products to purchase?

Generally, leaders should have at least a broad familiarity with all of the drivers of change. If you would like to engage with all of the action briefs or explore drivers of change across topical areas, we suggest that you purchase the ASAE ForesightWorks Complete Collection.

For an overview of all of the drivers of change, the free-to-members Drivers of Change: Summaries and Forecasts collects the first page—including summaries, forecasts, and key uncertainties—of all action briefs. This collection does not contain all the information in the Complete Collection, but it may be useful in becoming familiar with the drivers of change and identifying the resources you would like to purchase for further exploration with your organization’s leaders.

What’s the best way to use the action briefs?

The ASAE ForesightWorks User’s Guide is a valuable resource for those who would like more structure for using the action briefs. It can be particularly helpful if you are new to foresight practices or if you are working with a group, such as a board or staff team. The PDF version of the guide is included in the Complete Collection, but it must be purchased separately if you purchase an action set.

Are there restrictions on how I can use these resources?

The ASAE ForesightWorks Action Brief License allows for the use of the action briefs by staff and board members of a single organization. If you have plans to use ASAE ForesightWorks materials beyond that licensed use, please contact books@asaecenter.org.

 

For more information, contact:
ASAE Foundation Research
research@asaecenter.org
202.626.2753