Notebook
This is a curated space where I gather reflections, articles, event reports, provocations, and fragments from across my work. Expect me to dip into futures, storytelling, sustainability, experiential formats and more.
Hope doesn’t assume a positive outcome (and that matters in futures work)
I often say that my work is oriented toward hopeful, sustainable futures. People sometimes hear that as optimism, ...
What I’m paying attention to when facilitating futures
When I’m facilitating futures work, I’m obviously paying attention to the process: time, flow, activities. But a ...
Sustainability as a futures facilitation lens, not a topic
I often describe my work as oriented toward hopeful, sustainable futures. When describing my work this way, people ...
The futures we inherit
When people struggle to imagine different futures, it’s tempting to say they lack imagination.I don’t think that’s ...
Futures work builds capacity. It doesn’t offer answers
As I am sure I’ve said before, one of the most persistent misconceptions about futures and foresight is that it’s ...
Why I work with walks and place
People are often fascinated when I tell them that I often incorporate walks and place in my futures work. I do ...
Playing with AI: ChatGPT and other AI language models
My notes on using ChatGPR and a few other AI language models. May be helpful to fellow facilitators, trainers and ...
How to try out new tools and register for content without getting spammed
A short tip on how to set up accounts and try out new tools without being spammed. TLDR: for a temporary email ...
Playing with AI: A note on the ethical issues related to AI and to generative AI in particular
A note in my thinking about AI and how it might inform, improve or impact my facilitation work. When I say "a ...
Playing with AI: What are the different types of AI out there?
In my quest to understand the world into which ChatGPT has exploded, I thought that understanding more the ...
Playing with AI: A note on using prompts
To use many of the generative AI tools, including ChatGPT, Dall-e, Mid Journey and others - you need to give the ...
Used futures and the illusion of inevitability
Used futures are seductive because they feel inevitable. The term “used futures” refers to the backward-looking ...
An Austria with less snow: what are the impacts?
Warmer, drier summers. More precipitation and less snowfall in winter. That's what the experts say. So what?
Storytelling as a facilitation practice
A little while ago, I wrote about the problems that arise when futures work becomes theatre. When I tell people ...
CliMate, your climate conversation coach
Created by The Suzuki Foundation, this fun and simple chatbot on Facebook Messenger will teach you how stop ...
Sustainability meets heritage: powering heritage buildings with solar electricity is a no-brainer
The “protected status” of heritage buildings means that solar photovoltaic panels are seldom seen on roofs, but ...
Sustainability meets heritage: powering heritage buildings with solar electricity is a no-brainer
If a heritage building has protected status, where does that leave the use of solar panels, insulation and so on, ...
Participants as creators in facilitated futures sessions
One of the most persistent mistakes in futures and foresight work is treating participants as audiences, who are ...
When futures work becomes theatre
I’ve been in futures workshops that looked impressive from the outside. There were beautifully designed slides. ...
Why walks bring hope to the surface (without tipping into optimism)
I use walks as a futures method because they tend to surface hope, but not the kind that relies on reassurance or ...
Lessons learned from the first Deep Time Walk in Innsbruck
Some notes about how I planned my first Deep Time Walk in Innsbruck, what worked, what didn't, and what lessons I ...
What if we all took small but consistent action to tackle today’s sustainability challenges?
The “protected status” of heritage buildings means that solar photovoltaic panels are seldom seen on roofs, but ...
What “spiky” means in futures facilitation
Wes Kao wrote a piece about“spiky points of view”, and it got me wondering what a spiky point of view might be in ...
Sitting with uncertainty longer than feels comfortable
One of the hardest parts of facilitating futures work is knowing when not to move the group on.
No results found.