Reflecting on the Future Joe Matthews November 2013

Shameless Commerce Section 2013

My Road Map Rules of the Game Scenario Planning Library Scenarios Re-imagining Planning Horizon

Our Age of Anxiety is, in great part, the result of trying to do today’s job with yesterday’s tools and yesterday’s concepts. Marshall McLuhan

It’s not linear Alternate futures Now

Strategic planning is not only looking down the road, it is …

… not just a map

… it is a plan to arrive at a specific destination!

Scenario Planning Process of imagining alternative futures – and identify their implications Recognizing that we do not have one future, but many Allows ‘options’ to remain in ‘play’ Seeks to consider new and different options Liberates us from past thinking Helps us move to a “preferred future”

Scenarios Helps us to bring new ideas into our thinking and planning Helps us to think more broadly about the forces that are impacting libraries Are a great tool for engaging others so that many views and insights are explored Nothing is right or wrong. Scenarios encourage us to think about things we normally don’t think about.

Disruption is a reality

Building Scenarios Experience LEARNING SPACE Explore INSPIRATION SPACE Excite Empowerment Innovation MEETING PLACE Participate PERFORMANCE SPACE Create Involvement

Possible Dimensions Technology (Hi & Lo); Touch (Hi & Lo) Eco-framework; Values retention Institution-driven vs. Customer-led; Structure (Inflexible vs. Flexible) State supported vs. market driven; closed (traditional) vs. open (MOOC) Funding climate; adaptability

Library Scenarios

Confronting the Future ALA 2011

Its all about building stories & ideas around a framework as a means to an ongoing conversation. It’s about what could happen, not what will happen. It’s about developing a preferred future!

Re-imagining Libraries

Re-imagining Services Search Discovery Content Shelving Librarians

Planning Horizon Focus on 3 to 5 years hence Use scenarios to explore the future with a variety of stakeholders Focus on a Preferred Future that will really respond to your customer’s needs Recognize that a plan does not survive the first encounter with “reality” - adjust

Possibilities abound … Just do not dismiss opportunities

An Important Question Preferred Future, how will the library Regardless of the scenarios used in the planning process and your choice of a Preferred Future, how will the library add value in the life of each customer?

Joe@JoeMatthews.Org

Joe Matthews Joe@JoeMatthews.Org