So what approaches do you use?

Astrology, soothsayers, mediums, phone psychics, fortune tellers, tarot cards, tea leaves?

Strategic, tactical or operational planning, competitor analysis, technology predictions, market research, employee surveys, public opinion polls, in-house experts, external consultants, itinerant gurus, textbook principles, rules of thumb, past experiences, values statements, prayer, top management gut feel?

Students of organizational history, or of any other category of history or life, know well how little we can ever really know with much precision about tomorrow, the week or year after tomorrow, much less five or ten years out. After all, by definition, the exact future is essentially unknowable.

The people who study the past and the current broadly and deeply, who never stop learning, and remain open to changing their opinions and assumptions when confronted by strong evidence are likely to be well prepared for whatever lies ahead.

Even that is insufficient.

But add to that understanding the great ability to be agile and adaptable, to give up old glories for new opportunities, and a willingness to take risks with insufficient information, and you find the people who boldly, optimistically and realistically face the future.