Scenario Planning (Online): Learn How to Model, Predict, and Prepare for the Future
- Requirements
- For upper-to senior-level executives
Scenario Planning (Online): Learn How to Model, Predict, and Prepare for the Future
Overview
Think outside the box about what the future might hold. In six weeks online, Columbia faculty shows participants how to build future business scenarios so their organization can respond with speed, agility, and confidence to any disruption. Through strategic scenario planning lectures and case studies, learn to identify driving forces—such as demographic shifts, regulatory challenges, technological advances, and environmental disruptions—and play them against their organization's core competencies and marketplace advantages. Create plausible developments in your potential business future and discover how artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can be of value in creating a best possible outcome in our scenario planning training program.
Impact
With this scenario planning online program, learn to:
- Develop the mindset and steps for scenario planning to augment, not replace, strategic planning
- Master the building blocks of scenario planning to identify future risks and opportunities for your business
- Evaluate how behavioral bias affects scenario planning and develop a plan to mitigate its impact
- Explore potential applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for more effective strategic scenario planning and modeling
Program Structure
This scenario planning program focuses on the application of scenario planning for businesses in the real world by diving deep into the case studies of top global brands and the development of a specific strategy to prepare their organization for unknown disruptions.
Participant Profile
C-Suite Executives and Business Leaders or Founders
Business leaders and founders will learn to develop farsighted business strategies to deal with multiple potential scenarios and use scenario planning strategies to augment their organization’s strategy and guide teams to develop scenarios.
Mid-Career and Senior Managers in Finance
Leaders in the finance realm will gain an understanding of how to deploy effective scenarios as a basis for business decisions and evaluate financial risks more successfully.
Financial Advisors and Consultants
Experienced advisors will master the fundamentals of strategic scenario planning to offer better solutions for their clients and assess the likelihood of various outcomes and develop strategies for alternate scenarios.
Faculty
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FAQ
General
What is the educational approach of your online programs?
You can expect a robust, multi-layered learning experience that emphasizes the development of the higher order thinking skills which were proposed by educational psychologist Dr. Benjamin Bloom in “Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning.” According to Bloom, the development of higher order thinking skills requires guiding the learner from just knowledge recall to comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Bloom’s Taxonomy was later revised and expressed in more action-orientated terms as 1) remembering, 2) understanding, 3) applying, 4) analyzing, 5) evaluating and 6) creating. In online learning at Columbia Business School Executive Education, you will have an opportunity to progress through these key phases of learning so that by the end each program, your return on learning will be clearly measurable.
Format
How long do your online programs run for?
Our online programs range between 3 to 18 weeks in length.
Are your online programs synchronous or asynchronous?
Our online programs are mostly asynchronous, meaning that there is generally no live contact with faculty. Unless otherwise specified in the program description, all lectures are delivered through recorded media. Interactions between learners, facilitators, and faculty are conducted via discussion boards, email, and announcements, and all program material is posted on a course site.
Each online program is divided into time-sequenced modules with new modules released each week. This is to allow you to move through the course with a cohort of fellow learners to ask questions and share your learnings and experiences. We encourage you to take advantage of the opportunities you will have to connect with fellow learners in each particular online program.
Are assignments graded and if so, how?
An assignment is marked as either complete or incomplete based on whether or not it meets the assignment requirements. If an assignment is submitted without meeting the essential requirements, it will be marked as incomplete, however, you will be able to resubmit the assignment for further review.
Will there be any pre-program work?
No. There is no pre-program work in our online programs.
Learning Experience
Who will be my main point of contact?
Each online program is managed by a dedicated Online Facilitator who will be available to answer any questions, provide feedback, and send reminders as needed. Your Online Facilitator will contact you shortly before the program begins.
How will I access the program materials?
Each program has a dedicated course site to which you will have a login and password. The course site will contain all program materials — syllabus, video content, readings, and assignments.
Will I be able to interact with the faculty?
This varies from program to program. Questions raised in discussion boards and assignments will be curated by your Online Facilitator/Learning Coach. At a minimum, the faculty will post weekly or bi-weekly announcements addressing those themes. Some programs may feature periodic live online sessions to provide an opportunity to engage with the faculty live.
What is the role of the Online Facilitator/Learning Coach?
In online learning at Columbia Business School Executive Education, we emphasize facilitated cohort learning and development. Our online programs are guided by a dedicated Online Facilitator/Learning Coach who provides feedback on your learning to help you re-examine your assumptions in order to expand your understanding of the program’s concepts and achieve your learning objectives.
How will I interact with my cohort of online learners?
Connecting with other learners in an asynchronous online learning environment takes place through weekly discussion boards as well as peer or small group sessions.
What is the online student code of conduct?
Whether attending an online or in-person program, every participant at Columbia Business School Executive Education is expected to adhere to the student code of conduct which requires the following:
- Respect the privacy of other students. Do not share or disclose personal or proprietary company information on public forums.
- Respect the diversity of opinions and cultures that will be present in your program. The use of language that is harassing or denigrating will not be tolerated.
- Your program login credentials are for your personal use only. Do not allow anyone else to access the course site using your login.
- Do not reproduce content from any online program unless allowed by the copyright terms laid out by the course administrator.
- Do not submit the work of others as your own work.
- Violation of this code of conduct may result in disciplinary action including cancellation of program enrollment with no reimbursement of fees.
Learning Environment
How will I access the program materials?
Each program has a dedicated course site to which you will have a login and password. The course site will contain all program materials — syllabus, video content, readings, and assignments.
When will I receive access to the course site?
You will receive access to the course site generally within one to five business days of the course start date.
Can I access the course site on a mobile device?
Yes, the course sites are accessible on mobile devices via the course website log-in page at CourseWorks or via the Canvas app:
» Download Canvas app for Android
» Download Canvas app for iOS
To find Columbia Business School Executive Education on the Canvas app, you may need to type our URL in the "Find your school or district" box. The URL is courseworks2.columbia.edu.
Please note that there will be differences in how the course site is displayed in the app versus on desktop. We recommend that you experiment with accessing the course site on a mobile device and laptop or computer to see which works best for you.
How long will I have access to the course site after the program concludes?
You will have access to the course site for an additional three months after the program concludes.
Certification for Online Programs
Do your online programs provide any university credits?
No. All of our Executive Education programs, both online and in person, are non-degree courses and as such, do not provide accreditation or lead to an accredited diploma or a degree. Upon successful completion of the program, participants receive a certificate of participation.
Do online programs count towards earning the Certificate in Business Excellence (CIBE)?
Online programs provide credits towards the Certificate in Business Excellence (CIBE)*. Please visit the program page for the exact number of credits each online program earns toward this certificate.
*Except Professional Certificate in Corporate Finance (with edX), Alumni Edge programs, and TIME for Learning classes, which do not earn credits toward the Certificate in Business Excellence.
Cohort
Who typically attends your online programs?
The executive cohort for each online program consists of a global audience at various stages of their careers, from mid- to senior-level leaders and managers with an average of 10-15 years of management experience. Participants come from a range of functional areas including general management, IT, finance/accounting, sales, operations, marketing, human resources, customer service, engineering, and strategy. The top 10 industries represented include financial services, energy/natural resources, retail, technology, education, consulting, manufacturing, consumer products, and non-profit industries.
How large are the online program cohorts?
We limit the enrollment levels of our online programs to ensure every participant receives consistent feedback from the Online Facilitators. This makes it possible for us to provide you with a level of attention and feedback not typical in other online programs.
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