Seminars & Breakouts

See Around Corners - Bob's most-requested seminar offering

Our most requested long-format seminar, this learning experience has been refined over three decades of delivery to management, governance, and high potential young leaders in manufacturing, agriculture, food processing, retailing, telecommunications, government, and elected officials. Bob has presented this experience in the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. This seminar is customized to the particular situation for the client but typically includes:

• 5 key strategic thinking skills
• Extensive introductory practice in those skills using imaginative exercises
• Case studies with the opportunity to compare skills to some of the most successful organizations in the world
• Follow-up materials, resources, and ongoing reference as well as a robust handout and set of forms and instructions
• Application to the foresight and strategy challenges for the organization, industry, or key factors

Vigilant Leadership: 6 Critical Skills You Need For Volatility and Uncertainty

The president of the Institute for Management Studies suggested that Bob develop this half to full-day seminar that helps organizational leaders unlock the potential of anticipation. The foundation of foresight, anticipatory habits, and implication analysis enables key players in organizations to take robust action for the future. This material has been shaped and tailored through delivery to over three thousand Fortune 500 managers. Among the segments:

• Four best practices for looking into the future
• Why prediction fails and what to do instead
• The best four tools for busy executives to keep informed of what's coming
• Futurist Bob Treadway’s “Executive Scanning System”
• Practice and coaching in “implication thinking” - an essential decision-making skill.
• The best approach to fast, successful decision-making? Slow down. We’ll prove it.

Building a Futures Wheel

More attendees comment on the long-term value of this technique than any other as a result of attending Bob's learning experiences. Attendees take away a system for evaluating decisions, identifying unintended consequences, and avoiding nasty surprises. Using a cause-effect technique and small group work a visual system for seeing ahead, persuading, or teasing out alternate contingency plans takes shape. Using pencil and paper or software tools attendees gain confidence with the technique after seeing examples, guidance as a full group, and then team experiences.

Back-casting to Achieve Challenging Goals

NASA used this technique to put a "man on the moon and return him safely to the Earth." A planning tool with a unique spproach. Bob has perfected the quick grasp of the essentials of this technique through long experience and attendee feedback. Useful for implementation, goal achievement, or tactical planning. Can be applied to situations from 2 years to 20. Works with governance, management conferences, team-building, or stakeholder meetings.