Short programme Advanced Strategic Thinking
ApplyKey facts
- Start date: 3 Oct to 6 Oct 2023
Study with us
- Are you a strategic thinker?
- Do you know how to learn and improve your strategic thinking skills?
- How good is the quality of strategic thinking in your team and organisation?
- Are you using the best technology to enhance your strategic thinking?
- Are you sure of avoiding a strategic thinking failure?
Today’s complex business environment requires leaders to have high levels of strategic capability. This includes not only strategic planning and strategy execution skills, but also primary cognitive skills for conceptualising strategy.
The application of strategic thinking skills supports high quality dialogue amongst leadership teams, and nurtures strategic input from all levels.
This is the new global standard for strategic leadership that aspiring executives must obtain if they are going to build sustainable market success.
Why this course?
The Advanced Strategic Thinking programme is delivered by Strathclyde Business School.
Strathclyde Business School holds triple accreditation from three main business school accreditation bodies - AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB. The school has been recognised for the outstanding support it has given to Scottish businesses, particularly in innovation and leadership. This is demonstrated through the school being the first in Scotland to be awarded the Small Business Charter Award.
Advanced Strategic Thinking teaches individuals and leadership teams how to think like master strategists. It's a unique course, based on original research into the thinking and learning approaches used by leading global strategists
Participant profile
The course is designed for the following profile of participant:
- high-potential and mid-to-senior level mangers working in any function or industry sector with 7-10 years of professional work experience and increasing formal strategic responsibility
- strategy owners at key career transitional points e.g. stepping into a first senior management role; heading up a new division; taking on a general manager role; or a new executive role.
- mid-managers on an international rotation or professional development assignment.
Participants will be curious and conscientious about developing their strategic mindset, learning new cognitive techniques for strategic thinking, and applying strategic thinking to their workplace and personal lives.
Course impact & relevance
This programme explores the primary skills of strategic thinking that serve as the foundation for strategic management and leadership. Participants are challenged to critically assess their own strategy habits and the strategy approaches of their organisation, and learn new ways of thinking and managing strategically. The programme provides a thorough grounding in what strategic thinking is, what strategic thinking skills are, how to cultivate strategic thinking at an individual, team and organisational levels. The content and instruction is based on pioneering research by Dr Julia Sloan on the application of cognitive theory to strategic thinking practice in global business and public policy.
Learning objectives
By the end of this programme, you will:
- enact strategic thinking when required
- switch between strategic thinking, planning and implementation
- understand and apply the key cognitive skills that make up a strategic mindset
- apply strategic thinking skills to high-priority business challenges
- foster a culture of strategic thinking throughout all levels of an organisation
- avoid the risk of strategic thinking failure and corporate crisis
- use organisational design to build strategic sensitivity and growth
- use technology to enhance strategic thinking
- lead the effort and transform your business into a customer-centric organisation
Morning
Developing a Strategic Mindset
Introduction to Strategic Thinking
- What is strategic thinking?
- Strategic thinking, planning, and execution
- Common mental blockages to strategic thinking
Key attributes of strategic thinkers
- Intentionality and flow
- Problem orientation
- Mental dexterity
- Panoramic view
Essential strategic thinking skills
- Deliberate divergence
- Intuition and analysis
- Critical reflection and questioning
- Framing & reframing
- Integrative thinking
Afternoon
Strengthening Strategic Perception
Seeing before others
- Imagination: analogy, anomaly, and metaphor
- Foresight
- Systems thinking
Contemporary strategic thinking frameworks
- Circular thinking
- Ecosystem thinking
- Impact thinking
Morning
Fostering a Culture of Strategic Thinking
Engaging others in strategic thinking
- Strategic sensing
- Barriers and enablers to collective strategic thinking
- Managing cultural influence on strategic thinking
Using the strategy process to support strategic thinking
- Open strategy
- Agile strategic planning
- Strategic experimentation and venturing
Afternoon
Leadership & Strategic Thinking
Strengthening corporate governance by strategic thinking
- Understanding dominant logic and mental models
- Avoiding strategic decision traps
- Strengthening team dialogue and collective commitment
Applying technology to support strategic decision making
- Building quantitative intuition
- Software for augmented strategic thinking
- Multi-stakeholder modelling platforms
Additional components
Diagnostic assessments
- Personal diagnostic: an assessment of individual thinking style to identify key areas of strategic thinking skills development
- Team diagnostic: an assessment of team-based strategic thinking and dialogue quality to identify key improvements in team-based strategic thinking
- Organisational diagnostic: assessment of the organizational environment to identify policies practices to improve strategic thinking organisation-wide.
Practicum
The practicum is a set of exercises and challenges that supports programme participants in applying an understanding of strategic thinking developed in the classroom, to their workplace setting.
The practicum includes the completion of a strategic thinking diary and creative activities to provide individual experiential learning, plus novel team-based practices to support organisational learning.
1-to-1 Coaching
Each participant will receive a one-hour personal 1-to-1 coaching session with the programme faculty to review the results of their diagnostic assessments and discuss any aspects of the programme that the participant wishes to explore further.
Learning event
The Learning Event is a half-day online workshop taking place one month following the in-person meeting, designed to consolidate strategic thinking skills and experience, promote reflection, and share experience amongst the participant group.
Programme instructors
Dr Julia Sloan
Dr Julia Sloan is a leading authority on the cognitive aspect of strategic thinking and is widely recognised for her pioneering work on the application of cognitive theory to strategic thinking practice in global business and public policy.
She is the author of the definitive book, Learning to Think Strategically, and has written numerous articles and white papers on the topic of strategic thinking for corporations, policy institutes and think tanks.
Julia teaches strategic thinking at Columbia University and has lectured on the subject at premier academic institutions globally including:
- Harvard University (USA)
- MIT (USA)
- Beijing University (China)
- Central University of Finance and Economics (China)
- Keio University (Japan)
- Tokyo University (Japan)
Brian Mooney
Brian Mooney is Director of the Strategy Practice Centre at Strathclyde Business School and an expert-practitioner in strategy and strategic thinking.
Brian has 30 years of experience as a corporate leader and strategy advisor working alongside senior leaders to improve their strategic thinking skills and business strategies.
Fees & funding
Fees may be subject to updates to maintain accuracy. Tuition fees will be notified in your offer letter.
All fees are in £ sterling, unless otherwise stated, and may be subject to revision.
Annual revision of fees
Students on programmes of study of more than one year (or studying standalone modules) should be aware that tuition fees are revised annually and may increase in subsequent years of study. Annual increases will generally reflect UK inflation rates and increases to programme delivery costs.
| Standard fee | £2,500 |
|---|---|
| Strathclyde Alumni | £1,995 |
We will accept a credit card payment, or if preferred an invoice can be issued.
Apply
There are no educational or experiential entry requirements for this course, but we suggest that it is suitable for those that currently lead teams in a senior position.