Course Introduction

This Oxford Management Centre Masterclass in Leadership Thinking Skills training course explores ways that good leaders will be able to foresee potential problems before they happen. They will also develop ways to prevent problems from happening. The best leaders will also become aware of potential opportunities and take advantage of them to benefit the company and employees. In other words, be proactive. Do not wait for things to happen; instead, anticipate them, and help the team be ready in case something goes wrong.

The challenge today is not to discard what has been learned in the past, but to build upon traditional competencies with a whole new and more complex set of skills, tools and sensitivities. Leaders in the new normal need to learn how to be discerning, how to think clearly and wisely, and how to be accountable for their impact on the business. This training course gives you the opportunity to respond to issues, reflect on and reframe your experiences, develop new thinking, and, in turn, engage in new behaviours and actions that are relevant to your position and objectives.

This Masterclass in Leadership Thinking Skills training course will highlight:

• Critical Thinking
• Analytical Thinking
• Creative Thinking
• Strategic Thinking
• Convergent & Divergent Thinking

Objectives

At the end of this Masterclass in Leadership Thinking Skills training course, you will learn to:

• Assess their own thinking and communicating style preferences through a variety of profiling and benchmarking tools
• Understand how to add value through critical thinking
• Recognise the difference between solving problems and finding solutions
• Apply multiple sources of data to form an "information web" before deciding
• Take time to think
• Takeaway a toolkit of thinking techniques to meet the challenges which lie ahead

Training Methodology

The Masterclass in Leadership Thinking Skills training course uses self-assessment questionnaires, models, practical exercises, case studies, presentations, and group discussion to develop critical thinking and innovative decision-making skills. The use of participants’ own real work situations adds reality and enhances transference of learning. This is a non-threatening environment which will allow participants to practice safely techniques they will then transfer to the workplace.

Organisational Impact

Attending this Oxford Management Centre Masterclass in Leadership Thinking Skills training course will enable participants to meet the ‘new normal’ needs to learn how to be discerning, how to think clearly and wisely, and how to be accountable for their impact on the business.

• Align new thinking to achieve organizational goals and objectives
• Be proactive and identify problems, together with solutions, before they impact the business
• Create a climate of critical thinking amongst their teams
• Create ownership of complex problems and empower solutions
• Transfer the classroom learning directly to the workplace with immediate impact

Personal Impact

As a participant, you will learn to:

• Consolidate the methods and techniques for thinking critically
• Make better decisions for solving problems innovatively and successfully
• Enhance critical thinking in the workplace
• Display the confidence to tackle complex issues courageously
• Employ a comprehensive toolkit of processes and techniques to ensure success in any situation

Who Should Attend?

This Masterclass in Leadership Thinking Skills training course is designed for all professionals who are required to handle various issues and challenges. It is also recommended for professionals who desire to enhance their thinking abilities for better strategic performance.

This training course is suitable to a wide range of professionals but will greatly benefit: 

• Leaders and Managers
• Supervisors and Team Leaders
• HR Professionals
• Team Members who require high levels of thinking & decision making in their roles
• Professional involved with Strategic Planning and Implementation

Course Outline

DAY 1

How To Think Critically 

• Identify a problem or issue
• Create inferences on why the problem exists and how it can be solved
• Collect information or data on the issue through research
• Organize and sort data and findings
• Develop and execute solutions
• Analyze which solutions worked or didn’t work
• Identify ways to improve the solution

DAY 2

Developing Analytical Thinking 

• Data Analysis – dealing with statistics
• Communication Skills – questioning & listening
• Innovative thinking – new ideas for old problems
• Reasoning & deliberation
• Researching – right tools & resources
• Critical Thinking - analyzing technical information and logical reasoning to reach conclusions
  

DAY 3

Building Innovation Capability In Self, And Others

• How creative am I? Challenging self-imposed assumptions
• Beware the creative introvert: the “ENIGMA” of the quiet, awkward individual
• Where do good ideas come from? “Imagineering”: current examples from technology
• “Curiosita”: multiple intelligences and lessons from Leonardo da Vinci
• Fostering and facilitating organisational innovation
• Building the creative organisation: a menu for good leadership practice
• Creative leadership dialogues to influence, persuade and align your people
  

DAY 4

Strategic Thinking 

• The Essence of Strategy – Core Concept and Definition of Terms
• The Difference between Good Strategy and Bad Strategy
• How to Think Strategically? – Practical Techniques
• Leadership and Management, Comparing Strategy and Operations
• Strategic and Operational Goals – The Significance and Difference
• Using the Strategic Management System
  

DAY 5

Convergent & Divergent Thinking 

• A quicker way to arrive at a solution
• Leaves no room for ambiguity
• Encourages organization and linear processes
• Identify new opportunities
• Find creative ways to solve problems 
• Assess ideas from multiple perspectives
• Understand and learn from others