Steal These Prompts: Future-Back and Headwind-Tailwind
Practice Smart Strategy with These 4 Forward-Thinking Prompts
Most people use AI like a better search engine or a quick way to write stuff. But you’re leaving a lot on the table if that’s all you do. The real power comes when you bring AI into your strategy sessions—not just to “write a marketing plan,” but to challenge your thinking, spot patterns, and stress-test your big ideas.
Here’s a simple 4-step prompt system to help you do that.
Step 1: Picture the Future
Prompt:
“Act as a panel of futurists who specialize in [Your Industry]. Based on trends in tech, consumer behavior, and the economy, describe three different ways our industry might look in 5 years. For each one, explain what makes it unique and what’s driving the change.”
Why this works:
You’re not guessing. You’re using AI to pull together signals you might miss and imagine more than one possible future.
Step 2: Find Smart Ideas That Fit
Prompt:
“Look at the three futures. Our company is good at [insert 2–3 strengths] and wants to [insert big-picture goal, like ‘lead in sustainability’]. What are 3–5 bold ideas we could try that would work in at least two of those futures? Give a quick summary of each.”
Why this works:
Now you’re connecting dots—what you’re good at, what you want, and what the future might bring. That’s how you find the most useful paths forward.
Step 3: Stress-Test One Big Idea
Let’s say your team picks an idea like “AI-powered personalized customer experiences.” Now it’s time to dig deeper.
Prompt A:
“What are the 3 biggest challenges we’d face if we tried to build this? For each, how could we get ahead of it?”
Prompt B:
“What are the 3 biggest opportunities or tailwinds that could help this idea succeed? How can we take full advantage?”
Why this works:
It forces your team to think through both the risks and the potential wins. You’ll be better prepared no matter what happens.
Step 4: Take Action (Not Just Talk)
Prompt:
“Based on the idea and what we learned from the headwinds and tailwinds, what’s a 90-day plan with major milestones to start testing and building? Focus on learning fast and adjusting as needed.”
Why this works:
This keeps you from staying stuck in planning mode. You’ll leave the meeting with the next steps you can take.
This kind of strategic prompting turns AI from a helper into a true thinking partner. It pushes your team to explore more, argue better, and plan smarter. Companies are already doing this to improve everything from customer service to financial planning. The difference? They’re not just using AI—they’re talking to it the right way.
You can too.
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