The strategic bird guide: all lessons in one place.

Dodos, canaries in the coal mine, black swans and many more: birds are a popular metaphor in the world of strategy and foresight. You hear them in boardrooms all the time. They describe roles, perspectives or behaviour. Last summer Jeroen Toet wrote five articles about them. The key lessons are now bundled in one document.

• The ostrich buries its head in the sand when uncertain and postpones choices. Avoid it.
• The black swan is rare, high-impact and painfully logical in hindsight. Be prepared.
• The canary is the early warning signal you only hear if you listen. Listen to it.
• The swallow is the single signal that does not yet mean structural change. Don't overreact.
• The owl stands for wisdom and reflection, as long as looking does not become endless staring. Become one.

The summary is currently available in Dutch. Download it below.

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Jeroen Toet is a senior strategist at Jester Strategy and co-author of the book Scenario Planning in Practice. For over 10 years he has helped organisations in the private and public sector make future-proof choices using foresight methods, including scenario planning.

Questions? Get in touch with Jeroen: j.toet@jester.nl or +31 6 11 45 13 11.