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Strategic Thinking

Program content

This course is developed for senior management and leadership teams tasked with setting a clear vision and informed directions for their organisation in uncertain times. Over two intensive days participants will be invited to challenge, expand and improve their ideas about strategic planning and implementation processes by learning and applying a series of strategic thinking theories, frameworks and methods. Key themes and methods covered in the course include:

  • Global trends and new frameworks for strategic thinking;  
  • Strategy as a process v strategy as a plan;
  • The key elements of effective strategic management;
  • Strategic perspectives: economic, political, human capability and knowledge based views of strategy;
  • Strategic thinking, organisational learning and innovation.
  • Scenario planning and managing emergent futures;
  • Stakeholder and Issues Analysis;
  • Strategic thinking and decision making- debriefing on experience;
  • Promoting strategic thinking and management engagement through using cognitive mapping;
  • Strategic Insights: Re-aligning your organisation for success in an uncertain future.

The course combines traditional seminar and case formats with exercises and facilitated discussion forums. Participants from a range of backgrounds will be invited to challenge and expand their current view of strategy, discuss the application of strategic thinking methods in their organisations and share their knowledge, ideas and insights.

Pre-program components

Participants will be asked to identify two futures challenges and two current issues of strategic significance within their organisation, and for each challenge and issue they will: 

  • Provide a brief context and description; 
  • Describe briefly how the challenge/ issue was/will be addressed; 
  • For future challenges, note "Lessons Learnt" from other organisations that may have already experienced similar Market or competitor, technology, economic, political or legal challenges;
  • For management of current issues to date, ask: What is working well?, What is not?, and in both cases Why?
  • For future challenges and current issues: identify one thing the individual would have done differently to improve the outcome.