From Insight to Foresight: The Transformative Potential of the Futures Triangle

Abstract

The simplicity of the futures triangle as a foresight mapping methodology belies its brilliance to draw out complex phenomena and ingenious ways of seeing the future. In the hands of those who eagerly and sincerely wish to discover profound and authentic futures, the method provides an elegant way to surface the obscure and emergent conditions of change from the past, present, and the future. Apart from being a scanning technique for foresight practitioners to activate the future in the present, it bestows upon its users an introspective and experiential journey of flow against the riptides of inertia and the stagnancy of default. The futures triangle provides an anchor for understanding how the three facets of the future influence the way we imagine possibilities and infer meaning from the interplay of hindsight, insight, and foresight. As a tool for building foresight capacity, it increases the capability to map, make sense, and connect the drivers of change among three time horizons. Through analyzing and questioning the dynamics and tensions of change, issues are collectively framed and contextualized from the community’s perspective. The shared experience from participants of workshops and facilitated conversations accentuates the usefulness of foresight in their field of work through a better understanding of futures thinking, gaining through effort a panoramic future view of consequential issues, and realizing that enacting the future is a necessity. This reflective piece on the Futures Triangle shares the authors’ insights, cases, and views on the value and the futures of the method. It offers suggestions on how to thoughtfully facilitate a purposeful and enriching Futures Triangle workshop.