Is your organization planning for 2026? Do you have a learning, agile culture? Can you deal with sudden changes – or is it time to develop your culture, your strategy, and your change-readiness for the future that lies ahead?
Many organizations can spend 20 weeks in 2026 managing crises they could have anticipated in 20 minutes today. Exaggerated? Maybe, but you get the idea. I see this pattern a lot in my consulting work: Strong organizations with capable teams getting blindsided by changes they never saw coming.
The cost isn’t just the crisis itself – it’s the months of reactive scrambling that follows.
The Problem with “Sudden” Change
Here’s what typically happens: A market shift hits. A new technology disrupts the industry. Economic pressures force rapid pivots. Regulatory changes reshape operations.Leadership goes into crisis mode. All strategic planning stops. Everyone becomes reactive. Months are spent firefighting instead of moving forward.
But here’s the thing – most “sudden” changes aren’t actually sudden. The signals were there. The forces were building. The tensions were visible. It went gradually – then suddenly!
We just weren’t looking in the right places.
The 20-Minute Exercise
After so many years of helping people and organizations navigate change, I’ve discovered a simple tool that reveals these building forces before they become crises.It’s called the Futures Triangle .
The concept is elegant: Every organization sits at the intersection of three powerful forces:
1.The Pull of the Future – What’s drawing you forward; compelling possibilities
2.The Push of the Present – What are the current drivers of change, pushing you forward?
3.The Weight of the Past – What’s holding you back, or getting in the way?
Most leaders only focus on one or two of these forces. They plan for where they want to go, but ignore what’s pushing or what’s holding the organization back. The magic happens when you map all three simultaneously.
What the Triangle Reveals
When you plot these forces on a simple triangle, something remarkable happens: The tensions become obvious. You see where your desired future conflicts with current realities. You spot the hidden forces that could derail your plans. You identify the legacy issues that can slow you down. Most importantly, you might see the potential crises before they hit.
I recently used this tool with a client in the food industry. The Triangle revealed dilemmas about changing customer preferences – some see food as a way to stay healthy (organic versus lab-enhanced food) and others use it as a lifestyle signal (meat eaters versus vegans). Some customers prefer local, sustainable food – others prefer a wide range of global supplies. Instead of discovering how quickly their customers are changing opinions – with a crisis of dramatically declining sales, they’re now proactively co-creating their future products with a network of dedicated customers.
The Smart Preparation
Organizations that regularly use tools like the Futures Triangle don’t just avoid crises – they turn potential disruptions into competitive advantages.
They’re not smarter or luckier. They’re just more systematic about looking ahead.
While their competitors are busy with day-to-day operations, they’re scanning for the forces that will shape tomorrow. When change hits, they’re prepared instead of panicked.
Research backs this up: Organizations that practice strategic foresight are 33% more profitable than those that don’t. They spend less time in crisis mode and more time moving forward.
Your 20-Minute Investment
The Futures Triangle is just one tool in a systematic approach to anticipating change instead of just reacting to it. Taking this time now could save you a lot of time and money in 2026.
Want to try the Futures Triangle yourself? I walk you through the complete process – including how to identify the three forces and map the tensions between them – in my strategic foresight video series.
Get 3 videos on anticipating future changes here (the triangle is included!)
Because the best time to prepare for uncertainty is when things are relatively stable – not when the crisis hits.
© Marcella Bremer, 2025
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