Developing Strategies for Thriveability Part Two: Strategic Gaming

In part one of this inquiry into the kinds of thinking that will help us survive and thrive now and in the future, we asked the question: What kind of thinking is needed in a complex and uncertain world?

We discovered how to avoid the five thinking traps, by developing an understanding of the seven modes of thinking and how they interact to help us make better decisions.

Here, in part two, we then ask: How can we apply that kind of thinking to the specific opportunities and threats that we need to address and for which effective strategies, plans, and actions need to be developed?

The fascinating thing about the seven modes of thinking is not only do they map perfectly to a sequence of strategy development and implementation methods that have been proven to dramatically enhance the quality of the decisions that emerge, but they also significantly improve the cognitive and emotional/ social capabilities of the people and organizations using these methods.

To put it simply, better decisions, better humans, and better organizations and societies. What’s there not to like, as they say?

In the early nineties, I had the privilege of being the co-founder of a strategy and organizational learning consultancy that developed a suite of methods based on cognitive and complexity science. One of the many breakthroughs that emerged in this process tried and tested in 37 countries on 4 continents by several…