Online Training - Strategic Thinking and Decision Making

OVERVIEW Today’s business is done in an increasingly competitive and fast-changing environment. Product life-cycles are shortening; technology is changing rapidly; markets are opening globally. Companies now need to think faster, develop quicker and often change radically if they are to achieve profitable growth and create tomorrow’s organization out of today’s organization. This highly interactive training course on Strategic Thinking & Decision Making in Competitive Environments has been developed for experienced management team members who now need to step up and take new opportunities and at the same time deal with new threats from existing and emerging competitors. OBJECTIVES

1. Understand and utilize the concepts of strategic thinking.
2. Sharpen analytical and cognitive thinking skills.
3. Develop a vision and apply systems thinking.
4. Apply creative and critical thinking.
5. Effectively solve problems and make decisions.
6. Better anticipate the impacts of decisions.

COURSE OUTLINE Discipline of Strategic Thinking What is Strategic Thinking?

• 7 Steps to Strategic Thinking
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Differing Perspectives
• Strategic Thinking Hurdles

Vision and Systems Thinking

• What is Vision?
• Creating a Vision Statement
• Systems Thinking
• Ladder of Inference
• 6 Steps to Better Outcomes
• Creativity

Creative Thinking

• Types of Creativity
• Analytical Barriers
• Emotional Barriers
• Creative Thinking Techniques
• Rules of Brainstorming
• Practical Methodology of Brainstorming
• Variations of Brainstorming
• Mind Mapping
• Lessons Trying to be Creative

Critical Thinking

• What is Critical Thinking?
• Origins of Critical Thinking
• The Socratic Method
• Scientific Method
• Bloom's Taxonomy
• Which Competency is It?
• Critical Thinking in Business
• The Disposition Toward Critical Thinking
• Elements of Reasoning
• Evaluative Questions
• Universal Intellectual Standards

Problem Solving

• What is a Problem?
• Types of Problems
• Problem Solving Defined
• Triple Constraints
• Overcoming Constraints
• The Flower Competition
• Gathering Data
• Lateral Thinking

Decision-Making

• What is Decision-Making?
• Elements of Decision-Making
• Evidence-Based Decision-Making
• Six Thinking Hats