Day 1: Reading the Environment and Framing Questions

Strategic Thinking Perspective

• Look beyond immediate operational problems
• Connect current decisions with future outcomes
• Challenge assumptions that unnecessarily restrict choices
• Compare operational thinking with strategic perspectives

Applied Environmental Scanning

• Identify political economic and technological factors
• Observe shifts among beneficiaries and partners
• Estimate relevance of each institutional factor
• Devise a visual environmental summary

The Central Strategic Question

• Convert observations into a strategic issue
• Define scope horizon and decision level
• Avoid questions that presume their solution
• Clarify a question around chosen issues

Day 2: Analysis, Choices, and Objectives

Strategic Situation Analysis

• Identify strengths that create genuine value
• Expose weaknesses obstructing intended results
• Connect opportunities with currently available capabilities
• Build conclusions from multiple evidence points

Developing Viable Alternatives

• Propose directions with deliberately different priorities
• Define advantages and exposure per direction
• Test alignment with organizational purpose
• Compare three alternative strategic directions

Priorities and Objectives

• Select a limited number of priorities
• Frame outcomes describing intended organizational change
• Assign measures and timing to objectives
• map a simple strategic objective map

Day 3: Building and Defending the Plan

Initiatives and Sequencing

• Choose initiatives serving multiple objective
• Identify dependencies across implementation actions
• Estimate essential resources and major risks
• Sequence initiatives within a practical roadmap

Indicators and Review

• Select measures showing progress and results
• Define data sources and measurement frequency
• Set boundaries requiring direct leadership intervention
• Configure a strategic plan monitoring card

Plan Defense Simulation

• Present analysis and choices with brevity
• Answer questions concerning resources and risk
• Adapt plans following substantive professional critique
• Approve the concise version for implementation

• Scanning and analysis exercises using participant environments
• An option laboratory clarifying tradeoffs between directions
• Connected objective initiative and indicator tools
• A concise plan defense before participant peers