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Strategic & Emerging Risks in local government

Identify where plans might go wrong before they do

Lift your leaders' gaze from the operational to the strategic

The Strategic & Emerging Risks Workshop supports decision makers and leaders in local government to lift their gaze and identifying where their strategic and operational plans might go wrong before they do.

Bringing together the diverse perspectives of the Executive Leadership Team and Councillor Group through a constructive and collaborative process, the workshop provides insights into the operational and strategic risks that require ongoing monitoring and exploration.

Why This Workshop?

Experienced leaders understand that uncertainty makes effective long-term planning more difficult. All plans are based on a set of historical assumptions, but in a rapidly changing world, these assumptions are often out of date before the plan is even published.

This Strategic & Emerging Risks Workshop brings leaders together to identify and map the “drivers of change” that may challenge the integrity of the plan, either now or in the future. By identifying, prioritising, and monitoring key strategic risks, leaders can preempt these challenges before they occur and allow time to develop appropriate contingencies.

Not just yet but I’d like to download the brochure.

who is this for?

Ideal Timing:
Why Start Now?

This workshop is designed to be used as part of a regular planning review cycle. It is best done once the strategic plan is complete and then revisited on an annual basis.

Workshop Outcomes

Create shared understanding

Focus on what matters by clarifying which drivers of change are most important.

Identify risks and opportunities

Spot emerging strategic & operational risks, and opportunities facing your team.

Reduce
overwhelm

Focus on what matters by clarifying which drivers of change are most important.

Align work on
what matters

Use shared insights to prioritise team efforts on the work that creates value.

Some of the brands Simon has inspired

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Workshop Structure

Strategic awareness skills (group learning)

Delivered either in-person or online, this session gives participants the tools and techniques they need to build their strategic focus.

Scan the environment (individual reflection)

Participants spend 30 minutes of their own time capturing the signals of change they’re observing around them.

Information synthesis

Our team synthesises the environmental scan information into strategic themes to be used in the final session.

Prioritisation workshop (group activity)

Participants reconvene for a face-to-face workshop to prioritise the strategic themes for planning, monitoring, and further exploration.

This workshop can be delivered in either a short form (half-day) or long form (full-day) format. The long form version requires five hours of contact time, split over two sessions, with participants required to commit 30 minutes to an environmental scanning exercise in between sessions.

Not just yet but I’d like to download the brochure.

OTHER WORKSHOPS

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All your possible futures

Navigating Uncertainty is a unique participant experience. Seamlessly blending powerful storytelling with actionable insights, this session will help foster a culture that embraces the unpredictable and helps your people find joy and fulfillment on their voyage together.

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How Better Decisions Get Made shows how leaders can make better decisions in complex, uncertain environments. It explores how sound judgement, clear process, and productive disagreement each contribute to effective decision-making. Participants gain practical approaches for counteracting bias, navigating disagreement, and making confident decisions when the way forward isn’t clear.

Navigating Uncertainty

Navigating Uncertainty is a unique participant experience. Seamlessly blending powerful storytelling with actionable insights, this session will help foster a culture that embraces the unpredictable and helps your people find joy and fulfillment on their voyage together.

Strategic & Emerging Risks

Strategic awareness allows individuals and teams to lift their gaze, make sense of the bigger picture, and refocus their actions. It’s a skill that’s essential for leadership teams and boards, but it’s also valuable for anyone with decision-making responsibilities.

Looking for a keynote instead?

Simon delivers engaging, thought-provoking keynotes on future thinking, decision-making, AI, and the human-tech relationship. His ‘practical futurism’ approach helps organisations sharpen strategic thinking and navigate uncertainty with confidence.

Enquiry form

If you’d like to find out more about The Power of Being Strategic Workshop for in house delivery, or want to know about upcoming public workshop dates, fill out the form below or call 1300 66 55 85  (within Australia).

Work With Simon

If you’re considering engaging Simon please reach out to book a to chat. You can do this by filling out the form below, contacting Sarah at 1300 66 55 85 (within Australia), or emailing her at sa***@*************om.au. If it’s for a speaking engagement please provide the event date and any information that might be helpful.

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THE SCENARIO PLANNING GUIDE

How scenario planning can be used to align thinking, stimulate ideas and overcome the inertia of uncertainty.

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