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Improve Your Strategic Thinking – Part Two

By David Kidd, BPR

This article is the second in a six part series.

The real value in strategic thinking isn’t just in generating ideas or in making better decisions: it’s about building a framework that future-proofs your radio station and provides you with the best chance of achieving long-term success.

Here’s the next tip on how to become a better strategic thinker.

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Step 2. Use All of Your Brain

Because strategic thinking is about creating connections, it requires two types of thinking: (1) divergent thinking, where one looks at the big picture, generates ideas and explores many possible solutions, and (2) convergent thinking, where one examines and arranges those ideas logically and derives the best solution or strategy.

Psychologists have conducted research which found that the most innovative thinkers have the ability to switch between these two styles – divergent and convergent – rapidly.

So how can you improve your ability to switch between the two styles of thinking?

One popular method for doing this is through the Six Thinking Hats technique pioneered by Edward De Bono. In summary, this technique approaches a problem by wearing six different ‘hats’, reflecting different types of convergent and divergent thinking.

The green hat focuses on possibilities, new ideas and creativity.

The red hat deals with feelings, hunches and intuition.

The yellow hat – brightness and optimism, exploring the positives.

The white hat calls for information, known or needed. The “facts just the facts”.

The blue hat manages the thinking process.

The black hat – risks, difficulties, problems. The risk management hat.

The more often you practice De Bono’s technique the better you usually become – and the more your mind moves with ease from one way of thinking to the next.