Abstract
As a futures practitioner, visionary, and friend, the role of the futurist is ever expanding. Not only are futurists called to rigorous futures understanding and implementation, but also to the role of guide and shepherd. Futures and foresight practitioners are provided unique opportunities to sit with the humans before them–the humans whose futures are being born and the futures that are dying. The ability to stand as a container for individuals and systems as they wrestle with the tension of change and transition is needed more than ever. Individual and collective trauma and loss on both the micro and macro levels prohibit and impede the work of transition, thus necessitating new technologies. In order to materialize those new futures, there are times that first require the hospicing, vigiling, and composting of visions and expectations. To do this, to bring others alongside and usher in and materialize the future together, futurists must consider stretching their skillbase, toolkits, and capacity. This article suggests a new framework as well as next steps in the development for a theory of change around transitional processing.
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