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This article—based on a Deloitte Global Boardroom survey of 739 board and executive leaders—highlights how leaders are increasing their focus on scenario planning to navigate ongoing uncertainty. Nearly three-quarters of respondents report that their organizations are spending more time exploring “what-if” futures to act faster when conditions change. As Robert Herz, Independent Director at Morgan Stanley and Workiva, noted, effective scenario planning helps organizations “prepare a playbook if particular scenarios were to materialize.” Roy Dunbar, who serves on several boards, including McKesson and Duke Energy, added that the best scenario-planning discussions should yield “real clarity on threats, opportunities, and where growth will come from.” While nearly 73% of survey respondents said they’ve increased their time spent on scenario planning, only 26% have significantly increased it—indicating that many organizations still underinvest in this practice. As I’ve mentioned in several posts, one way HR practitioners can enhance scenario readiness is through strategic workforce planning (SWP). SWP helps leaders anticipate how roles, skills, and workforce needs might adjust under different business conditions. To support these discussions, I’m resharing my one-page cheat sheet to help teams gain directional insights on how workforce and talent needs might shift under different business scenarios their organizations may face.
