Many executives report that making decisions is one of their biggest professional challenges. This workshop examines the art and science of strategic decision making. Learn how to identify the most strategically important dimensions on which to ground your decisions, and find your best options. Practice proven techniques for making better strategic decisions in the face of complexity, uncertainty and conflicting objectives.
Analyze the problems you wish to resolve, and link decision-making issues to strategic goals
Articulate your corporate strategy, to ensure your team keeps moving in the right strategic direction
Make strategic decisions involving multiple goals and stakeholders
Perceive your environment from multiple angles to discover strategic options and predict consequences
Structure your strategic planning with a systematic decision analysis and problem-solving framework
Avoid unconscious biases and common decision-making traps that lead to fallacious reasoning and unfavorable outcomes
Improve the efficiency and quality of team decision making, without sacrificing consensus
Putting the “Strategy” into Strategic Decision Making
Strategy, vision and values-based decision making; advocacy vs. inquiry
Translating corporate strategy into day-to-day decisions
Managing conflicting objectives
Frameworks for Improving Decision Making
Characterizing risk and opportunity; quantifying goals and identifying alternatives
Decision-making tools and techniques
Scenario building and strategic planning
Decision Biases and Traps
Cognitive processes, intuition vs. analysis
Identifying your own decision style and control of biases
Group decision making and group decision traps
Special features
This workshop combines case studies, group activities and simulation to explore the concepts and tools of strategic decision making. You will apply what you are learning to your own strategic decisions, and you’ll receive worksheets and guides for making better strategic decisions back at your organization.
Dr. Steven Minns
Faculty
Steven is a faculty member in the Strategy and Business Economics Department at the UBC Sauder School of Business. His interests include business strategy, innovation, decision making and public policy. Formerly he was Head of Project Management at Taylor Woodrow, an international development and infrastructure construction firm with operations throughout Europe, Africa, North America and the Middle East.
"This program opened my mind to the multiple moral and business values that influence strategy every day. By harnessing the power in that value frame, we can guide and align decisions throughout the organization."
“This program teaches skills that can be applied immediately on the job. Learning not only from top-notch educators, but also from peers from various backgrounds, enhances the experience.”