scanning the horizon

We’ve all used environmental scanning models—PESTLE, STEEPLE, STEPPLA (take your pick), SOAR, ETOP, STEER, VRIO. The acronyms vary, but the categories largely overlap. They help us make sense of external pressures, opportunities, and trends.

But here’s the catch: a model is useful... until it’s not.

Too often, scanning is treated as a one-time task. It’s a box ticked in the early stages of strategic planning. The team gathers data, writes a summary, inserts it into a report—and moves on. Job done.

Except it’s not. Not if you’re leading in complexity.

In today’s world, change doesn’t wait for your annual planning cycle. Geopolitics shift overnight. Market sentiment turns on a post. Disruption doesn’t RSVP.

That’s why the belief we hold around how often we scan matters deeply. In the Agile Strategy Labs, we coach leaders to shift from static scanning to dynamic sensing. We ask: what if environmental scanning wasn’t a phase—but a rhythm?

Weekly scans. Monthly synthesis. Real-time sensing where possible. That’s where tech steps in.

We’ve been working with a national not-for-profit to embed lightweight, AI-supported scanning loops into their leadership cadence.

They now run focused scans linked to their three strategic priorities. Every two weeks, a summary of emerging insights lands in the inboxes of the exec team—ready to provoke action, not just admiration.

This isn’t about collecting more data—it’s about creating more meaning. The models still matter. But what matters more is frequency, focus, and follow-through.

Technology can help with the scan.

But it’s human leadership that interprets, adapts, and responds. That’s the heart of strategy in complexity.

A more useful belief?

Environmental scanning isn’t a task.

It’s a habit.

One that future-fit organisations can’t afford to skip.