The future cannot be foreseen exactly. On the other hand, practically all of your decisions depend on the quality of your future knowledge. Future management offers a realistic and professional way to deal with this problem that, at first sight, appears paradox.

Future management is the bridge between strategic management on the one side and futures research on the other side. It describes the totality of all systems, processes, methods and tools for the early recognition and analysis of future developments and their inclusion in strategies.

Future management closes the comprehension gap between frequently abstract, nebulous and non-committal futures research and trend research on the one side and the practical requirements of managers in companies on the other side. Future management helps to systematically analyze the future of society, the economy, technology, politics and the biosphere, to identify future markets within it, develop future strategies and build up future competence.

Future management makes it easier, and in many cases possible at all, to use the results of futures research as a resource for orientation and inspiration. We are not talking about managing something literally in the future, but people’s current thoughts, assumptions, ideas, convictions, beliefs, hopes and fears. That is what makes the FMG approach to future management so practicable.

Whereas the concept of foresight focuses on the process of looking ahead, i.e. the observation and analysis of what is to come, future management also includes the early recognition of future markets and the development and monitoring of future strategies.