Strategic Thinking Handbook #2: Top 10 Everyday Tools for Strategic Thinking

The Top 10 Everyday Tools for Strategic Thinking continues the learning begun in the Top 10
Everyday Tools for Daily Problem Solving – Strategic Handbook #1, offering additional orientation to the Systems Thinking Approach™.  As the second Strategic Thinking Employee Handbook in this two-part series, author Stephen Haines, further defines what Systems Thinking is, why it matters, and how it will not only change the way we look at life but the way we work, as well as 10 more simple and practical tools.

Systems Thinking is ... finding patterns and relationships and learning to reinforce or change these patterns to fulfill ones goals.  Haines concept of the “helicopter view” is based on such and suggests viewing every organization, team, family and individual from 5,000 feet above earth, as a whole living system.  Next, “working backwards” you’ll define the ideal path in order to obtain the desired outcome or goal of that particular system.  In other words, we focus on the outcome first and then we examine the interconnected parts that will work together to achieve the goal.  This is the basis for the term “backwards thinking.”

As author, Steven Haines states, “the way we think creates the results we get... to impact the quality of our results is to improve the way we think. How you think is how you act. How you act is how you are.”  By thinking strategically and deciding our outcomes first, or looking at the whole picture, we can then work on the parts or steps that will make the system work.  We can be better prepared for change because we would have already planned for any environmental impacts, relationships, and causes.  

Vital Things You’ll Learn:

• Desired outcome goal seeking in all activities
• Backwards thinking: how natural systems operate
• Feedback for effectiveness and results
• Operational flexibility and web of relationships: flatter organizations and self-organizing, plus relationship patterns, webs, interdependence, and leverage
• Simplicity vs. details and bureaucracy

Founded in 1990 by Stephen Haines, The Haines Centre for Strategic Management has grown into a Global Alliance of master consultants, trainers and business partners with offices in over 25 countries.

The Haines Centre are the world leaders in the practical application of a critical and Systems Thinking Approach® to Strategic Management supporting planning, people, leadership and change.