Strategic thinking: resolving vital business challenges

Overview

This workshop involves the application of a groundbreaking model of strategic thinking to dramatically improve participants' skill levels as problem solvers, leaders and managers.

Course Content

The workshop shows how strategic thinking can dramatically improve individual, team and organisational performance and competence. Skills in facilitating change are sharpened by sparking greater imagination, creativity and know-how, and establishing new methods for consultation. The workshop explores ways of reflecting on vital issues and implementing better actions by thinking more strategically, and keeping in touch with and adapting to change. It gives a broader understanding of public sector reform and offers an improved ability to think outside the square and adapt to surprise, ambiguity and uncertainty.

Course Outcomes

By the end of this course attendees should be able to:

• understand the dynamics of strategic thinking and regularly create new systems to stimulate discovery
• use a range of tools, models and skills to assist critical inquiry, leadership and teamwork
• better align with broader strategic directions
• anticipate change and develop techniques to reduce uncertainty, risk and ambiguity
• build personal networks and improve expertise, support and awareness
• use the Web to search for emerging trends and challenges
• influence key stakeholders and inspire decision makers on important issues, and explore how mental preferences can develop strategic thinking capability
• draft a personal action plan that applies the lessons learnt in the workshop.

Benefits to your organisation

• staff think more smartly on business challenges and stimulate new action and different solutions
• staff are more empowered and creative in decision making and break the cycle of never being able to resolve tough issues
• staff can anticipate upcoming problems and contingencies and improve business networks and knowledge resources

Benefits to you

• broadened understanding of complex and difficult issues and improved research, learning and leadership skills
• more confidence in strategic thinking and new skills in planning, consultation and problem solving
• improvement in your ability to achieve results