Management Programs

It has been said that "we think a great deal, but rarely do we think about how we think." Business is about action and accomplishment. Thinking is the "invisible" and intangible component...and yet it is the key enabler to effective action.

As global competitive pressures force businesses to become more responsive, effective organizational performance has become tied more closely to an organization-wide capacity for strategic thinking. No longer is such thinking only the province of those at the top or those charged with planning. Strategic thinking has become a necessary component of everyone's job. This workshop helps you hone your capacity for strategic thinking. Using a highly interactive, case-based format, you will:

• Analyze different conceptions of "strategy"
• Explore the process through which strategic thinking leads to strategic insight, which leads to strategy definition and strategic action
• Learn about key leadership competencies and techniques to improve the effectiveness of strategic thinking
• "Look in the mirror" to gain a better appreciation for how our behavioral style preferences and cognitive capacities may impact our effectiveness

Key Topics

• How does strategy fit in the management process?
• What do the business "gurus" say about strategy?
• What is strategic thinking and how is it different from strategic planning?
• What are your strategic thinking strengths and potential limitations?
• How might your personality or your learning style play a role in your capacity for strategic thinking?
• Why is strategic thinking often flawed: how can smart people do dumb things?
• If I wanted to become a more effective strategic thinker, where would I start?

Who Will Benefit

Middle- and upper-level managers and informal organizational "thought leaders" desiring to improve their organization's effectiveness in the marketplace

Instructor

James W. Fairfield-Sonn