Backcasting as a Driving Force for Innovation and Sustainable Development
When we apply backcasting to the strategic planning process we start with imagining our business in a future where we have already overcome the sustainability challenges we are facing today. In other words we picture a state where our business is no longer violating any of the sustainability principles. After we have sketched this vision of future success we ask ourselves what we can and should do today to reach this vision.
Benefits of Backcasting
There are several benefits of utilizing backcasting when planning for sustainable development.
First of all, through the backcasting approach we take into account what is realistic, but at the same time we allow ourselves to look beyond what is realistic today. This allows for a focus on the general direction of where we want to go instead of focusing on what might be currently hindering us from going in that direction. In this way what is currently realistic has no bearing on the destination we are aiming for, only the pace of the journey that will take us there.
Moreover, since we are backcasting from sustainability principles supported by science, something we can all agree on, it’s easy to arrive at a vision that can be shared by large groups of people. There might be some disagreement about what the next steps are or how actions should be prioritized but the overall vision of success can be easily shared by everyone.
Finally, the only boundaries we create for our journey are those set by the principles. In other words, we don’t limit ourselves in terms of how we are going to reach our vision of success. By knowing our constraints, the principles, we free ourselves to innovate freely and explore all the different paths that can take us closer to our ultimate goal.
In this way backcasting helps companies to envision a future state of sustainable success without taking present constraints into account. At the same it acts as a powerful driver for innovation that help close the gap between the current reality and desired future state.
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