Pointing out the inflexibilities in traditional methodologies for strategic scenario development, the author of the Mapping Strategy blog suggests as I have, that jazz offers an improved approach:

When people think of scenarios, they often think of stories. Such stories have a specific sequence: this happens, which causes that, which triggers this other thing, which results in the world looking as follows. Most scenarios also tend to be monolithic. That is, singular. Typical scenario ‘architecture’ is all of a piece - difficult to deconstruct, much less reassemble in new ways.

… In the content industries such boundaries are clearly starting to break down, as things like digital editing tools and blogs enable creative improvisation, re-use, and jazz-like riffs on others’ thoughts and works. That topic and its intersection with copyright evolution is a big one unto itself. I use it here merely to point out how strategic thinking processes are long overdue for a similar process of modularization and opening-up.

… What is the antidote to all this? Modularity. Lego blocks. Tinker Toys. Mad Libs. The computer industry after the mid 1990’s. The automotive industry of today. Jazz.

Effective Scenarios Part IV: Modularity

This is a very insightful resource I’ll be spending more time with.

“What’s interesting to us is how this works in cycles,” said Leigh. “Advanced graphics/simulation research resulted in today’s gaming technology. A lot of the virtual reality techniques we now take for granted in game systems like Nintendo Wii or immersive environments like Second Life came out of labs like EVL. Now next generation gaming technology is stimulating new applications for advanced graphics/simulation research that can benefit gaming as well as other fields.”

UIC News Release

Applying the principles of Rhythmeering requires a computer and network infrastructure beyond what the web currently provides. We’re getting there though with the emergence of what I call the meshverse. Second Life provides a glimpse

Like the Web, things change over time, but unlike the Web, a large part of the Second Life experience revolves around scheduled events. In Second Life, the time dimension is incredibly important, because the real-time social dimension is incredibly important. Whereas most of the Web is designed for asynchronous interaction (post a message, wait for a reply, come back later to check), Second Life pretty much depends upon synchronous interaction. This makes the time dimension that much more visible, which is why I think we’re really talking about a 4D version of the World Wide Web.

…

Even parts of the web that include real-time chat are only adding one dimension to a typically flat (2D) environment. Not quite 4D.

Therefore, I’m predicting that the real future of Second Life will be seen to be the first four-dimensional version of the World Wide Web. The 4D Web adds a very visible sense of “place” and sense of “time” to our online experience, while accommodating the diversity of communication needs. It’s not a 3D game. It’s not a flat web page. It’s something that combines the best attributes of both, in a way we can naturally relate to.

Kitto Mandala’s blog