问答题 Many changes in the world of business may seem surprising if we are completely blind to the future. But experts say we can see, at least part of it from where we stand. Using chaos theory to understand the interconnectedness of the world—think of the "butterfly effect" —will help us recognize the causes of certain "chance happenings" and be better prepared to cope with them. Take Asia's financial crisis. In the past, companies would have said it was just another random event. "The truth is, many of these seemingly random events can affect their business," says Sanders. Given the interconnectedness of the global economy, Sanders says, it's more important than ever that companies be aware of emerging issues and quickly determine how to respond. But to do so, they need an organic and evolving approach to planning. The old planning model focused on "forecasting" one or a few possible paths of events, while a revolutionary paradigm called "foresighting" allows one to master the situation no matter how the future turns out. According to Sanders, understanding the present is the primary step in gaining insight into the future.