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Strategic Thinking

Learn how to strengthen your strategic thinking skills and encourage it in others. Through case studies and practical thinking exercises, you’ll stimulate your strategic thinking, learn to recognize patterns that impact strategy and enhance your abilities to generate new insights and ideas. Come to your next strategic planning session with the best possible strategic ideas—and help your business move forward in an increasingly competitive world.

Seminar Number: 02018

4.6
(277 reviews)
  • In-Person
  • Live Online
  • At Your Company Location

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About This Course

Short-term fixes might get you through the week, but they won't build lasting, big-picture success. This strategic thinking course helps you sharpen your ability to analyze complex business challenges and anticipate what's coming next. You'll gain a toolkit for aligning daily decisions with long-range goals, preparing you for greater responsibilities. Many professionals choose this strategic thinking training to strengthen their ability to think critically, see patterns others miss and contribute to smarter business decisions.

Read the FAQs

Who Should Attend

  • Directors 
  • Managers
  • All professionals who want better business insights and trends that contribute to a more successful business strategy

  •   In-Person2 Day(s)
    1.2 CEU, 14 CPE, 12 PDCs, 12 PDU, 12 PHR, 12 PMU, 12 SPHR
  •   Live Online2 Day(s)
    1.2 CEU, 14 CPE, 12 PDCs, 12 PDU, 12 PHR, 12 PMU, 12 SPHR
 
 

Learn how to strengthen your strategic thinking skills and encourage it in others. Through case studies and practical thinking exercises, you’ll stimulate your strategic thinking, learn to recognize patterns that impact strategy and enhance your abilities to generate new insights and ideas. Come to your next strategic planning session with the best possible strategic ideas—and help your business move forward in an increasingly competitive world.

  • Explore ways to challenge your assumptions and view your business in a new light
  • Learn and apply different thinking methods to avoid groupthink
  • Control reactive fixes to problems even in an uncertain business environment
  • Generate new ideas and evaluate future scenarios before your competitors do
  • Know when to embrace necessary risk, even if resources and information are limited
  • Learn to create better short-term goals that support long-term strategy
  • Introduction to strategic thinking: a new way of thinking and looking at the world
  • Identifying trends and patterns in the macro environment
  • Reviewing the business and industry environment; assessing your current organization
  • Practicing strategic thinking calisthenics
  • Generating ideas and creating plans with a big-picture perspective
  • Building an action plan to expand the strategic thinking skills of yourself and colleagues

Learning Objectives

  • Leverage New Skills to Support Your Strategic Thinking Every Day
  • Apply a Process to Envision Your Organization’s Desired Future
  • Recognize the Influences Within and Outside Your Organization That Could Support or Derail Your Future Goals
  • Identify the Changes Necessary to Reach Your Future Goals
  • Expand the Number of Perspectives That Influence Your Moves Forward
  • Create a Plan for Building Skills and Testing Your Ideas

Context of Strategic Thinking

  • Define Strategic Thinking and Recognize How It Can Be Used in Your Day-to-Day Work
  • Compare and Contrast Strategic Thinking to Analytical Thinking, Critical Thinking, and Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
  • Identify the Characteristics of Strategic Thinkers

Strategic Thinking Process and Skills

  • Explain a Model for Strategic Thinking in Day-to-Day Activities and Work Applications
  • List Skills and Tools That Can Be Used to Support Strategic Thinking

Assess the Current State

  • Identify the Influences and Relationships at Different Levels of an Organization That Can Impact a Strategy
  • Recognize and Identify Patterns of Interaction and Development That Are Likely to Influence the Effectiveness of a Strategy
  • Incorporate Multiple Perspectives on a Possible Strategy, and Assess Different Influences on the Potential Success

Envision a Desired Future State

  • Envision a Desired Future State
  • Recognize and Use Thinking Skills That Support Imagining New Ways of Relating to the Market and Customers

Build Your Path on Paper

  • Identify and Sequence the Multiple Steps to Move from the Current State of the Issue/Opportunity to the Desire Future State
  • Anticipate the Reactions/Responses of Others in the Larger Systems Impacting Your Situation
  • Identify and Conduct Experiments and Tests That Point Your Way Forward

Implement Your Strategic Knowledge and Skills

  • Assess What You Gained from Applying Strategic Thinking Tools to Your Project
  • Anticipate Pitfalls You May Encounter as a Strategic Thinker
  • Create an Action Plan for Development of Strategic Thinking Skills

Download Extended Seminar Outline PDF

View a Sample of Our Reviews

4.6

277 reviews

 
It was very interactive and allowed participants to apply the learnings directly to issues in their particular line of work. It was a helpful step-by-step process that can be replicated once I return to my organization.
5
Kelly L.
 
Director, Marketing
 
Industry: Real Estate
the course was very good, it provided lots of detail and example; there were also charts, diagrams and other visual that help get the point across.
5
Tammy K.
 
CBS Support Manager
 
Industry: Finance, Lending & Brokerage
The seminar provided an overall framework for understanding the strategic thinking process and related skills. I liked that the seminar incorporated many exercises for practicing the underlying skills.
4
Patrick F.
 
Production Manager
 
Industry: Telecommunications, Antenna Systems
The course was well laid out, the skills taught were relevant and we got an opportunity to apply it to real life problems. The instructor was organized, knowledgeable and experienced.
5
Karen G.
 
SCADA Manager
 
Industry: Energy, Utilities & Waste
It provided helpful content for me to be able to bring back to my role. I am now equipped with some tools to assist me moving forward.
4
Brandon R.
 
Regional Service Director
 
Industry: Manufacturing

This course is valid for 12 PMUs.

HRCI. The use of this seal confirms that this activity has met HR Certification Institute’s® (HRCI®) criteria for recertification credit pre-approval.

SHRM logo.

AMA is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CPSM or SHRM-SCPSM.

Talent Triangle 12 Business Accumen PDUs
Project Management Institute (PMI) Talent Triangle, 2015.
Reproduced with the permission of PMI. Copyright and all rights reserved.

American Management Association is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and is accredited to issue the IACET CEU.

National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)

American Management Association is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org. For additional information or for more information regarding administrative policies such as complaints and refunds, please contact Customer Service at 800-262-9699.

Recommended CPE Credit: 14 hours/Basic
Prerequisites: None
Advanced Preparation: Online pre-and post-assessment
Delivery Method: Group Live/Group Internet Based
Field of Study: Technical - Management Services

In-Person Schedule

5 Sessions Available

Live Online Schedule

7 Sessions Available

  • $2,995.00 Non Members
  • $2,695.00 AMA Members
  • $2,656.00 GSA
Date Duration State City Zip
  2026-06-02 2026-06-03 Jun 2, 2026 - Jun 3, 2026 2 Days CA San Francisco 94103 San Francisco Register Now

  2026-08-06 2026-08-07 Aug 6, 2026 - Aug 7, 2026 2 Days MA Boston 02110 Boston Register Now

  2026-10-08 2026-10-09 Oct 8, 2026 - Oct 9, 2026 2 Days DC Arlington/Washington 22202-4807 Arlington/Washington Register Now

  2026-10-19 2026-10-20 Oct 19, 2026 - Oct 20, 2026 2 Days IL Chicago 60601-5927 Chicago Register Now

  2026-12-16 2026-12-17 Dec 16, 2026 - Dec 17, 2026 2 Days NY New York 10019 New York Register Now

Frequently Asked Questions

I’m stuck in day-to-day execution. How do I actually become more strategic?

If you’re constantly reacting instead of thinking ahead, this strategic thinking course helps you step out of tactical mode. You’ll learn practical frameworks to anticipate challenges, connect decisions to long-term goals and think beyond what’s urgent, so you can focus on what actually moves the business forward.

I’m not a senior executive. Is this strategic thinking training still relevant for me?

Yes. You don’t need a C-suite title to benefit from strategic thinking training. If your role requires decision making, influencing others or aligning work to bigger business goals, these skills apply immediately — whether you're leading a team or preparing for your next step up.

What makes this different from a typical strategic thinking workshop?

Many strategic thinking workshops stay conceptual. This one is hands on. You’ll work through real-world business scenarios, challenge assumptions and apply tools you can use back at work — not just talk about strategy in theory.

Will this help me make better business decisions under pressure?

Yes. Strong strategic thinking skills aren’t about having more time — they’re about asking better questions. This course gives you structured ways to evaluate risk, assess trade-offs and make clearer decisions, even when the stakes are high.

Is this a Strategic Thinking certification?

No. This is a professional development Strategic Thinking training course, not a formal certification program. You’ll receive a certificate of completion, but it is not a credentialing or licensing program.

Can this strategic thinking course be delivered in-house to help leaders think more strategically and make better decisions?

Yes. This course can be delivered at your company, in person or live online, for managers and leaders. Delivery can be tailored to your organization’s goals, challenges, and market environment, helping participants think more strategically, anticipate change, and make more informed business decisions. To explore options, please contact us for more information.
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