explore · Strategy, Planning, Visioning, Systems Thinking · 960–1080 min · 40-80 people, classically 8 stakeholder groups of 8 · medium energy
Future Search
A three-day planning meeting that brings everyone with a stake in an issue into one room. Over five tasks the group looks at its shared past, the trends shaping the present, what each stakeholder group is doing now, and an ideal future, and then confirms the common ground and plans action on it. Differences are acknowledged rather than fought over; the work builds on what everyone can stand behind.
When to use Future Search
Use when an issue crosses many organisations or groups and no single one of them can move it alone.
What it solves
Strategy is written by one part of the system and the other parts, who have to carry it out, never sign up to it.
How to run Future Search, step by step
- A planning team identifies the stakeholder groups and invites people who can act on the outcome. This takes weeks (prep).
- Past: individuals and mixed groups build timelines of personal, world and issue-related events and discuss what they show (about 3 hours).
- Present, external: the whole room builds a mind map of trends affecting the issue, then stakeholder groups say which trends matter most to them and what they are doing about them (about 4 hours).
- Present, internal: stakeholder groups report on their own current actions, including what they are proud of and sorry about (about 2 hours).
- Ideal future: mixed groups describe or act out a preferred future as if it had already happened, then list the themes they share (about 4 hours).
- Common ground and action: the room confirms the common ground and self-organises into action groups with plans (3-4 hours).
Materials needed
- Long wall timelines
- A wall for the trends mind map
- Flip charts and markers
- Dot stickers
- Room for everyone at tables of eight
Facilitator tips
- Get the whole system in the room. If a key stakeholder group is missing, the common ground is missing too.
- Facilitators run the structure and leave the content to the groups.
- Spread it over three days with two nights in between, so ideas settle.
- Schedule the review meeting 6 to 12 months later before you leave the room.
Common pitfalls
- Trying to resolve every disagreement in the room instead of building on common ground.
- Compressing it to a single day, which leaves no time for the future and action tasks.
Running it online or hybrid
Designed for the whole system in one room over three days. Online versions exist but lose much of what makes it work.
What it produces
A confirmed common-ground statement and self-organised action groups with concrete plans.
Origin
Developed by Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff, who founded the Future Search Network to teach it. — source
Build a session around Future Search
METODIC places Future Search inside a complete, timed session plan — agenda, worksheets, facilitator guide and slides — matched to your group and goal.