At our October Learning Event, certified foresight strategist Katie Rucker gave us an example of how one might prepare for the future with a "Three Futures Exercise."

"Five years from now, the landscape of work and learning could look like ______________________________."
To fill in that blank, she prompted, describe the following:

1. An expected future if current patterns continue.
2. A surprising but plausible future if an important assumption changes.
3. A preferred future you would like to help create.

Take a moment to answer those questions.

How many of those L&D futures involve AI?

Rucker invited participants to "think beyond the AI tunnel." AI is the big technological disruptor of the day, and it may be taking up so much attention that we miss other conditions with real impact on the workplace. "All eyes are on AI. But what else are we not seeing?"

Her solution points to social, technical, economic, ecological, and political signals. Within these signals we may find "whispers" of either new technologies or shifts within the community that impact how a technology may be used.

Consider the QR code. Denso Wave introduced it in 1994 to track automobile parts on the factory floor, where workers needed a code that held more data and scanned faster than a barcode.

Nearly two decades later, ATD published the Infoline (now TD at Work Guide) QR Codes for Trainers in January 2013. But the ability to scan QR codes from built-in camera scanning didn't come about until 2017. Had you considered trying using such a code then? Later, as mobile learning began trending, trainers who had identified patterns in the 'whispers' may have found unique opportunities to apply QR codes with their content, such as linking a video to a printed job aid.

"Before you connect the dots, you've got to collect the dots," quipped Rucker, explaining that a wider focus prepares us for what happens next and enables us to "participate in shaping it."

To help us develop that wider focus, Rucker introduced the five practices of strategic foresight:

One participant summed up their takeaways from the session as: "Think differently, pay attention to the horizon, and create space for understanding."

That space starts with a different first question. When learning retention declines, for example, traditional thinking asks, "What should we do?" and produces a new activity or knowledge check. Futures thinking asks, "Why is this happening?" and helps us understand how people and environments are changing.

Participants walked away from the event motivated. One gathered ideas on "[h]ow I can use strategic thinking for myself and my adult learners." Another added: "I was able to make connections. I had not heard about the very intriguing Foresight way of thinking before."

This February, ATD-Orange County will host a panel discussion built on ATD National's State of the Industry report. Essentially, addressing "L&D Trends and Strategies." Rucker might suggest adding two more questions to the agenda: "What are the whispers? What's shifting in the community?"

For now, go back to the third prompt at the top of this article. Describe the future you would like to help create. Then join us in February to hear how others are creating theirs.