Thinking Strategically Power Tools for Personal and Professional Advancement

Written in a concise, accessible style, this book goes beyond brainstorming motivational books to provide the power tools needed to dissect problems and to find innovative solutions. The result is a practical book for managers and other professionals about the strategic use of effort that can lead to astonishing levels of productivity. 34 line diagrams. 2 tables.

Professionals today, whether scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs or managers, need to maximise their effectiveness. Hard work and motivation are not enough. Strategic thinking is needed to be able to choose the right problem to solve, to solve it in a cost-effective way, to use resources efficiently and to be innovative and productive. The combination of skill, motivation and the strategic use of effort can lead to astonishing levels of productivity. Real-world problems are complex and must be tackled with adequate conceptual tools. These tools are based on an understanding of the power of bottlenecks, paradox, scale and perspective constraints, and feedback as leverage points for getting to grips with the problem. Thinking Strategically provides the necessary power tools for dissecting complex problems and for creating innovative solutions.

Acknowledgements; Introduction; Part I. Component Skills of Strategic Thinking: 1. Strategic creativity; 2. Discovery as a process; 3. Strategic problem solving; 4. Reality check; 5. A matter of style; 6. Attitude: the inner strategist; 7. Strategic thinking exercises; Part 2. Strategic Thinking in Practice: 8. Problem finding; 9. Analysis: tools of thought; 10. Solutions: getting a grip; Summary: the strategic thinker; Literature cited; Index.

Professionals today, whether scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs or managers, need to maximise their effectiveness. Hard work and motivation are not enough to tackle the complex real-world problems that surround us. Thinking Strategically provides the necessary power tools for dissecting complex problems and for creating innovative solutions.