[ 4] Schwartz, Peter. The Art of the Long View: Planning for the Future in an Uncertain World. New York: Currency Doubleday, 1991. Many of tools and methodologies for developing scenarios that are mentioned in this article have been adapted from the thinking of Peter Schwartz.

Developing Growth
Platforms in Five Key Stages

A strong process can ensure favorable results for any strategic effort. At Jump we use an explore process for developing new growth platforms that takes us through five key stages. First, we observe—collecting data about the world. Next, we develop frameworks, finding patterns and meaning in the data we collect. Third, we craft imperatives, translating our knowledge into principles for action. We then ideate solutions, taking action to implement the imperatives we’ve uncovered into new ideas for products, services, and businesses. Finally, we iterate—moving back and forth, left and right, and back to observations through the cycle, time and time again.

The act of innovation can be seen as a process of toggling between items in the concrete world and abstract concepts, between analysis of the situation and synthesis of a desired result. Jump Associates uses an iterative explore process for identifying and developing new platforms for growth.

Reframing Research Methods Many organizations use some variant of this process to help them gain insights about the world and develop solutions that connect with people’s needs. This process is not scenario planning. It’s an exploration into identifying and developing new platforms for growth. And yet, many scenario planning techniques can help add a strategic lens to the ideas, imperatives, and even the conversations we have with our colleagues, throughout the journey. When viewed through the lens of a scenario planner, each step reveals a reframe that can help uncover new sources of growth and create lasting competitive advantage.

 

These reframes include:

1. Observations: Look broadly to expand and inform our thinking.

2. Frameworks: Imagine where trends are going, not just where they are today.

3. Imperatives: Use ideation as a tool to explore what’s most important.

4. Solutions: Develop rich experiences to create context for proposed solutions.

5. Iteration: Monitor leading indicators to engage in an ongoing strategic conversation.

Observations. When researchers begin a new project, they strive to see the world with fresh eyes, listen, learn, and identify new points of view. The reality is that they are often rushed to recruit participants, shorten the timeframe, or cut back on activities. They resort to what they already know and collect the necessary data to better under-

stand only the problem at hand. While this approach gets the project done faster, it may not lead to any new insights about the world.

To counter the tendency to focus on what is already known, Peter Schwartz, a futurist, author, and cofounder of the Global Business Network, challenges research to reach as broadly as possible—to expand and inform organizational thinking. In his book, The Art of the Long View, Schwartz suggests using the STEEP framework (social, technology, economy, environment, and politics) to collect data [ 4]. He asks, what are the most relevant social, demographic, or lifestyle trends? Which technologies or R&D trends could make a dent in the future of the business? What are the forces and industries shaping the economy and business climate? Which environmental issues could have a real and dramatic impact? And what are the policies and regulatory issues that might make a difference? Exploring these five categories is a great way to ensure coverage across a vast territory in a shortened timeline.

Frameworks. Frameworking is the process of organizing information to bring structure and clarity to what might otherwise seem complex. Most often, researchers look for this meaning in the observable and real. While this is helpful for developing incremental solutions, it may be even better to uncover where the world is headed, not just where it is right now.

To do this, scenario planning suggests focusing on “critical uncertainties.” Filtering out the issues will be the most criti-