Analytical and Strategic Thinking Training

Analytical and Strategic Thinking Training Outline

Gather Intel

Participants are shown how to collect information correctly. Information is key to planning and decision-making . The right information can help you make better decisions and plan. When you are in meetings, listen carefully and ask questions if necessary. Don't forget that information is power. You can't get it by listening only to what was said. Ask questions if you don't understand. You can, for example, gather information about the company's product and then start to think about what you know. What advantages and disadvantages are you able to identify? What can you do to improve the product's sales strategy? Information flows easily and it is easier to think strategically within a company. This is how strategy works.

Think before you react

It does not necessarily mean that you took the right action against a problem within the company. A company that rewards long-term benefits and not short-term gains is one that excels at strategic thinking. It is important to remember that success doesn't happen overnight. Companies that are successful run marathons and not sprints and play the endurance sport. The question is who can last the longest and provide the greatest long-term benefits. The goal is to achieve the best results over time with the least threat. This is how battles are won and their success measured. A general who wins a battle with less casualties is more successful that one who loses his entire army. Opal's company, for example, is in financial trouble and Opal wants to cash in on their investments to save himself. Opal did however gather intelligence about their investments and realized that they were fresh and would not yield enough money to save them. Opal suggests they modify their sales and marketing tactics to increase income and keep it going for a while, if that works. They might be able to invest more time in their investments, which could help them get the money they need. This is an example of an employee who thinks rather than reacting and offering a short-term solution . It was more risky than changing marketing tactics. She began to think about what could happen if they did the first thing she thought of. This is strategy at its best. It's about understanding the elements and reacting appropriately to them. This is how we show participants.

Plan within your plans

Your company may have a strategy in place to address unanticipated problems. But what happens if your plan doesn't work? Flexibility in strategy and foresight are key. Murphy's Law states that anything can go wrong with any plan. Although it sounds pessimistic, this encourages you to plan countermeasures for every possible outcome and scenario. Although you may have a plan in place, it is almost always a good idea to have a backup. You need to have a greater level of foresight in order to make backup plans. Basic foresight refers to the ability to see the problem in advance and formulate a thoughtful response. This skill is essential for problem solving and strategic thinking. Advanced strategic thinking is more than just thinking about the first solution to a problem. This means that you can have a second, third and even fourth response in case the first fails. To create backup plans that work, you need to first analyze the problem and determine what could go wrong with some responses. Then, plan a way to respond for every eventuality. Nick might plan to sell burgers at his company that day. This would be a new item on his menu. He is concerned that this could go wrong and has prepared a backup of the basic menu for his company in case it does. He is later vindicated, and the burgers don’t arrive. He could have had no food, but he planned ahead and prepared accordingly. There are many other examples.