Strategic Thinking Workshop

Day (1): Overview of Strategic Thinking

• The importance of strategic thinking.

• Strategic thinking vs. strategic planning & management.
• Context of strategic thinking.

• Identify the characteristics of strategic thinkers.

Day (2): Key Concepts of Strategic Thinking

• Think outside-in.

• Strategic thinking on a daily basis.
• Strategic thinking and planning.
• Strategic thinking in an uncertain and volatile world.
• The roller-coaster of change.

• Action planning.

Day (3): Strategic Thinking Process and Skills

• Explain a model for strategic thinking in day-to-day activities and work applications.

• Skills and tools that can be used to support strategic thinking.
• What are the attributes of a strategic thinker?

• Are you a strategic thinker?

Day (4): Assess the Current Organizational Culture

• Identify the influences and relationships at different levels of an organization that can impact a strategy.
• Recognize and identify patterns of interaction and development that are likely to influence the effectiveness of a strategy.
• Incorporate multiple perspectives on a possible strategy, and assess different influences on the potential success.
• How does this help or hinder your intention to think more strategically?
• What should the ideal culture for team strategic thinking be like and what do you need to do to get there?

Day (5): Envision a Desired Future State

• Envision a desired future state.
• Recognize and use thinking skills that support imagining new ways of relating to the market and customers.

• Taking a look at the box from the outside.
• What things can we do to help us think more strategically while acting tactically?

Day (6): Strategic/Operational Framework

• Exploring the key elements of a framework that you can use to ensure you become aware of all of the elements of your organizational strategy.
• How operations are connected to strategy; how individuals are part of the operations.
• Identify and sequence the multiple steps to move from the current state of the Issue/Opportunity to the desire future state.
• Anticipate the Reactions/Responses of others in the larger systems impacting your situation.
• Identify and conduct experiments and tests that point your way forward.

Day (7): Implement Your Strategic Knowledge and Skills

• Balancing expectations with permission to think and act strategically.
• Organizational knowledge and action learning as useful techniques for getting involved.
• Visual thinking tools to help you ask the right questions.
• Assess what you gained from applying strategic thinking tools to your project.
• Anticipate pitfalls you may encounter as a strategic thinker.
• Create an action plan for development of strategic thinking skills.

Day (8): Review

• Opportunity to explore additional issues, ideas or techniques.
• What will you do next?