Strategic Planning and Trend Forecasting

In particular, your humble servant here shares with you a love of strategic planning, which, of course, relates to trend forecasting, and vice versa.  Yes, "where is the puck going" for the enterprise and individuals in it?  The advent of the Information Age makes it even more imperative that we focus on HR needs in the future, for the future, not just now!  In the Industrial Age, HR departments kept employment records.  Now, they are of necessity crucial players in planning HR strategies to get the skill sets that the enterprise needs!  In our lifetime, HR has seen its "stock" rise in value in the workplace because of the relentless technological changes and the related need to prep for them with skill sets.  Yesterday, I attended an open house for the new $3-million training center for the Madison, Wisconsin police department.  One of my first MBA students, onsite in Madison, is now director of this new center!   One of his challenges is anticipating (trend forecasting there) the HR needs for the force - which relates directly to changes in technologies and training for them.  Again, it is no secret this writer has a passion for strategic foresight as a guide to prepping for the future.  Your discussion of strategic planning overlaps neatly with futuring!