essays – Nonprofits

Football and Scenario Planning

All the talk lately about football got me thinking about scenario planning.

(Because that’s how my nonprofit nerd brain works. And maybe because I’ve posted about scenario planning before.)

Whatever the reason, it’s the perfect example of scenario planning.

🏈🏈 Each team studies the possibilities for each game. They may have an idea of what plays the other team could use, the strengths and weaknesses of the other players (and their own), where they will be playing, and much more. During the game, those scenarios may fall into place just how they planned, but more than likely, each play forces them to tap into multiple possibilities and hope that they turn out in their favor.

📣📣 Spectators also participate in scenario planning. They may have a general idea of where they will park, sit, and even what snacks they will purchase. If the game is being played outdoors, they may have an idea of what the weather will be, and can bring stadium seats and blankets, if needed.

📷📷 Even the photographers for the games have to be prepared for various scenarios. My son has been a sideline photographer for a championship high school football team since he was a teenager. I’ve watched him prepare for each game with the precision of a quarterback, determining what the field conditions would be, what color the teams would be wearing, what the lighting would look like, and what lenses and cameras would help him get the best photos. Over time, he has been able to “read” the plays even better so he could know the best locations to be for interesting shots (and to avoid getting run over).

There’s no guarantee for any of those things, though.

All the “strategic planning” the players, coaches, spectators, and photographers have prepared can only take them so far. They all still need to be able to adapt and make the best of each moment as it evolves.

🤝🤝 Nonprofits – and the people who work for them – need to lean into scenario planning even more than ever before. Instead of panicking, they need to stay in the game and use the strengths that got them there in the first place.

I can see a lot of sports that rely on scenario planning, from golf and tennis, to soccer and basketball. ⛳ 🎾 ⚽ 🏀

Have you used scenario planning to help you – whether in sports, personal or professional situations? I’d love to know when that worked. Or didn’t. Sometimes we learn even more from what went wrong. ❓ ❓