Sidecasting method: Future Backwards

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The Future, Backwards method was developed as an alternative to scenario planning and is designed to increase the number of perspectives that a group can take both on an understanding of their past, and of the range of possible futures.

Future, Backwards can be used as a devise to generate or prompt for anecdotes, to lead into mapping and many other purposes. It is one of the primary workshop tools within Cognitive Edge and one of the most popular. If the instructions are followed it is easy for participants to understand and generates considerable energy within the group. It can be delivered at varying depths of detail and duration, taking from an hour to half a day to complete (obviously with different levels of processing and detail).