Strategic Thinking (Virtual Classroom)

Gary Dichtenberg is the president of Professional Development Associates, a training and development consulting firm, dedicated to assist organizations and individuals achieve their highest level of performance excellence.

The vast majority of workshops and consulting services has occurred at companies such as MassMutual, Delta Air Lines, Lucent Technologies, and Pfizer. Gary founded Professional Development Associates in 1988 after serving as vice president of training and development for Citicorp. Prior to his work at Citicorp he served as manager of management development at Consolidated Edison where he directed a broad developmental strategy that contributed to a fundamental change in the business.

Gary's expertise in persuasion and communication skills is enhanced by his broad experience in assisting companies improve their managerial excellence. He is a member of the commercial panel of the American Arbitration Association, the Network of Organizational Development practitioners and the American Society for Training and Development. Gary holds a B.A. degree in history from Hofstra University. He holds an M.S. in organizational psychology from Columbia University and an M.S.W. from Yeshiva University.

Module 1 – Distinction between strategic and tactical thinking

• The paradigm effect on idea creation and implementation
• Paradigm shift and key questions
• How to avoid solving the wrong problem precisely
• The power of group think and how to identify it

Module 2 – Identification of one’s thinking style

• How thinking style can affect one’s approach to problems
• Identification of one’s own thinking style
• Improve team effectiveness through implementation of diverse thinking styles

Module 3 – Key skills of a strategic thinker: developing a toolbox

• The Socratic Method
• Rational-emotional decision making
• Force field analysis
• SWOT
• Criteria based decision making

Module 4 – Strategic Thinking as a management tool in facilitating change

• Why change efforts fail and how to avoid failure

Module 5 – Strategic Thinking as a critical skill in selling one’s ideas

• How to develop a powerful case to increase odds in selling your ideas
• The difference between a decision-maker and a specifier
• How to handle objections

Module 6 – Cooperation vs. Competition and the nature of risk

• Exercise and application
• Program evaluation and concluding ideas