One of the most useful ideas I keep returning to is Adam Grant’s from his book Think Again: in a fast-changing world, the real advantage isn’t being right. It’s being able to think again.
Futures processes are basically structured rethinking. We surface assumptions, stretch perspectives, test beliefs against plausible futures, and practise updating our minds without shame. The futures facilitator’s job isn’t to push people toward a new conclusion. It’s to make it safe to say, “That used to make sense. It doesn’t anymore.”
When facilitating futures, this means that I try to introduce the question, “What belief are we protecting that is costing us adaptability?”