by Suzanne Whitby | Jun 7, 2023 | Faciliating Futures, Notebook
In futures work, hope is often misunderstood. It’s sometimes treated as optimism, a belief that things will turn out well. But in complex systems, that kind of hope rarely survives contact with reality. The kind of hope I’m interested in is different. It’s the...
by Suzanne Whitby | May 27, 2023 | Faciliating Futures, Notebook
Have you ever noticed how the most compelling facilitators, teachers, and change-makers all seem to be good storytellers? Not in a polished, performative way, but rather in a way that feels grounded and human. These people know how to tell their story. And they know...
by Suzanne Whitby | Apr 17, 2023 | Faciliating Futures, Notebook
I often say that my work is oriented toward hopeful, sustainable futures. People sometimes hear that as optimism, a belief that things will turn out fine. That’s not what I mean. Optimism assumes a positive outcome. Hope, at least as I understand it, does not. Hope...
by Suzanne Whitby | Apr 7, 2023 | Faciliating Futures, Notebook
When I’m facilitating futures work, I’m obviously paying attention to the process: time, flow, activities. But a lot of my attention is elsewhere. I’m watching how uncertainty is moving through the room. Who looks energised by it, and who looks uneasy. I’m noticing...
by Suzanne Whitby | Apr 7, 2023 | Faciliating Futures, Notebook
I often describe my work as oriented toward hopeful, sustainable futures. This is what I stand for, both personally and professionally, although I try not to talk about this too much because for some, it demands too much explanation. I digress. When describing my work...
by Suzanne Whitby | Mar 7, 2023 | Faciliating Futures, Notebook
When people struggle to imagine different futures, it’s tempting to say they lack imagination. I don’t think that’s usually the problem. More often, people are drawing on futures they’ve inherited: images, narratives, and assumptions absorbed from films, policy...
