What it is for:Three horizons is a futures method that looks at three patterns at once: the current way of doing things (horizon 1), a desired future pattern (horizon 3), and the transitional innovations between them (horizon 2). You leave with a shared picture of the current pattern, a desired future pattern with real examples, a sorted list of transitional changes, and two or three experiments with owners.
Who it helps:Leadership and innovation teams who know today's model is under strain and need to link a long-term vision to practical steps now.
When to use it
When a team knows its current model is under strain but cannot agree on what comes next.
When you have a long-term vision and need to connect it to practical steps now.
When several innovation pilots are running and you want to see which ones lead somewhere.
How to use it
Agree the system you are looking at, in a few words.
Describe horizon 1: what works today and where it is losing fit.
Describe horizon 3: the future pattern you want.
Map horizon 2 innovations and sort those that move toward horizon 3.
Add signals for each horizon and choose two or three small transition experiments.
Tip:Start with horizon 1 and treat it fairly. People who run it will engage more once its value is named.
Credits and sources:Original Tiremesù worksheet and wording. Method credit: Bill Sharpe and the International Futures Forum. Further reading: International Futures Forum https://www.internationalfuturesforum.com/world-model-three-horizons
Full guide and film:https://www.tiremesu.com/guides/three-horizons
