Assess Your Scenario Planning Maturity

This simple assessment is designed to give you a personalized starting point. Use it to understand your strengths, identify your most significant gaps, and build a targeted plan for improvement.

Take the Maturity Assessment

For each of the questions below, choose the statement that best describes your organization’s current reality. Your result at the end of the assessment will help you define your next steps.

Progress: 1/7
INITIATION & CADENCE

How does scenario planning begin?

It’s not a formal process. If it happens, it’s a one-time reaction to an immediate crisis.

A specific team (e.g., Strategy) conducts a scenario project on an ad-hoc basis when requested.

It is a recognized and scheduled exercise within our formal strategic planning cycle.

It is a continuous, “always-on” capability used to constantly sense the environment and inform decisions at multiple levels.

Impact & Integration

What happens with the final scenarios?

They are documented in a report or presentation that gets filed away with little to no follow-up.

They lead to insightful discussions but do not fundamentally change the strategic plan or resource allocation.

They are used to “stress-test” the current strategy, leading to clear “no-regret” moves and contingency plans.

They directly shape a dynamic strategy that is designed to be robust across multiple futures, influencing budgets, M&A, and R&D.

People & Participation

Who is involved in the process?

One or two analysts working in relative isolation.

A small, designated project team, typically from a single function like Strategy or Finance.

A diverse, cross-functional team with members from Operations, Marketing, and other key business units.

Engagement is broad and deep, including active participation from C-suite leaders, board members, and external experts.

Culture & MindsetY

How is scenario planning perceived?

As a theoretical exercise disconnected from the day-to-day realities of the business.

As a niche tool for corporate strategists, but not relevant for most managers.

As a valuable method that leadership respects for making high-stakes decisions under uncertainty.

As an essential competency. “Thinking in scenarios” is part of our shared language and a core element of how we lead.

Action & Adaptation

How are insights monitored over time?

They aren’t. Once the project is over, the focus shifts elsewhere.

The scenarios might be informally referenced when major events occur.

A formal list of signposts (leading indicators) is created and reviewed on a periodic basis (e.g., quarterly).

Signposts are tracked systematically via dashboards, with clear thresholds that trigger strategic reviews and adaptive responses.

Competitive Intelligence

How do scenarios inform competitive strategy?

We don’t consider competitors in our scenarios.

Competitors are mentioned but not systematically analyzed.

We model competitor responses and market dynamics.

We use scenarios for competitive advantage and market timing.

You’re one step away from knowing your stage!