Do we need to know what the future looks like?
From Two Inconvenient Women by ThoughtBox Education
March 20, 2026 · 57 min · Season 5 · Episode 11
About this episode
This episode explores the concept of Futures Thinking and its relevance in a rapidly changing world, discussing the challenges of predicting the future and the importance of being present.
Many organisations and governments work within a strategy of Futures Thinking - a strategic concept to make predictions and pathways for probable and plausible futures. Yet how useful is this when the variables around us are changing so rapidly? And how plausible can any strategic planning be within structures only designed with short-term foundations? In this week's episode we explore the future (sort of) and whether we have any capacity to predict anything. We talk about the role of presence in enabling us to be rooted in the here and now, rather than living in the past or future; explore the concept of seven-generational thinking; think about the limits our future is being given as we flounder with some of the systemic challenges on a national and global scale and reflect on why it can feel both terrifying and liberating to 'let go' of knowing and start to sense our way forward instead. In this week's episode we reference the following: Berkana Two Loops model of systems change (framework & website) Berkana Institute (Website) Meg Wheatley (website) Imagination Activism - Phoebe Tickell (Website) Futures Thinking - UK Government (Website) Imagination Taking Power - Rob…
Topics covered
- Futures Thinking
- strategic planning
- seven-generational thinking
- systemic challenges
- presence
- letting go of knowing
Keywords
- Futures Thinking
- strategic planning
- systemic challenges
- seven-generational thinking
- presence
- letting go
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Berkana Institute, UK Government
Books & works: Berkana Two Loops model of systems change
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