Strategic Thinking

Sharpen your ability to think strategically and help others do the same. Using real-world business examples and targeted thinking activities, you will strengthen your strategic perspective, learn to recognize emerging patterns affecting organizational direction, and expand your capacity to develop innovative solutions and ideas before competitors do.

Who Should Attend:

Individual contributors, managers, team leads, directors, and senior leaders who want to strengthen their strategic thinking abilities to generate valuable business insights and identify emerging trends supporting competitive advantage and improved strategy.

How You Will Benefit:

• Find ways to question conventional assumptions and examine your business from fresh perspectives
• Master different thinking frameworks to prevent organizational groupthink
• Respond proactively rather than reactively when facing uncertain market conditions
• Develop new ideas and evaluate potential futures faster than your competitors
• Determine when to take calculated risks even when information and resources are constrained
• Establish short-term objectives that support and advance long-term strategic goals

What You Will Cover:

• Strategic thinking fundamentals: how to think differently and view organizations holistically
• Recognizing and analyzing emerging trends in broader business environments
• Evaluating industry conditions and assessing your organization's competitive position
• Engaging in strategic thinking exercises and challenges
• Creating innovative ideas and developing comprehensive plans using a big-picture lens
• Establishing a development plan to enhance your strategic thinking and that of your colleagues

Course Outline:

Learning Objectives

• Apply New Strategic Thinking Skills in Your Daily Professional Work
• Use a Structured Process to Envision Your Organization's Future Aspirations
• Identify Internal and External Factors That May Support or Hinder Your Strategic Goals
• Recognize Changes Required to Accomplish Your Future Strategic Objectives
• Incorporate Diverse Perspectives That Influence Your Strategic Direction
• Develop a Strategy for Strengthening Skills and Experimenting With New Approaches

Strategic Thinking Fundamentals

• Define Strategic Thinking and Understand Its Application in Day-to-Day Professional Activities
• Differentiate Strategic Thinking From Analytical Thinking, Critical Thinking, and Other Reasoning Methods
• Recognize the Characteristic Traits of Effective Strategic Thinkers

Strategic Thinking Methodology and Capabilities

• Understand a Strategic Thinking Model for Professional Activities
• Identify Capabilities and Tools That Support Strategic Thinking Development

Evaluate Current Organizational State

• Recognize Influences and Connections at Various Organizational Levels That Affect Strategy
• Identify Patterns of Change and Development Affecting Strategic Effectiveness
• Incorporate Varied Viewpoints on Potential Strategies and Assess Success Factors

Imagine Desired Future Organizational State

• Establish a Vision of Your Desired Future Organizational Condition
• Leverage Thinking Capabilities That Support Envisioning New Customer and Market Relationships

Develop Your Strategic Roadmap

• Identify and Sequence Steps Moving From Current State to Desired Future State
• Anticipate How Others Throughout the Organization May React to Proposed Changes
• Design and Execute Experiments and Tests That Guide Your Path Forward

Apply Strategic Thinking to Drive Results

• Evaluate Your Gains From Applying Strategic Thinking Tools to Your Work
• Recognize Obstacles You May Encounter as You Apply Strategic Thinking
• Build a Development Plan for Expanding Strategic Thinking Capabilities