Exploring Strategic Thinking: Insights to Assess, Develop, and Retain Strategic Thinkers

Abstract

This research product provides a thorough examination of the question: "How can the Army assess, develop, and retain strategic thinkers?" Expert input from within and outside the military provide a variety of perspectives that highlight areas of convergence and divergence, as well as, exemplar techniques, processes and insights that inform and change the conceptualization and practice of strategic thinking in the military. This compendium does not provide the answer to all of the Army's strategic thinking challenges, but it does provide many possible avenues to explore with the goal of enhancing the Army's strategic thinking capabilities.

Enhancing the Strategic Capability of the Army: An Investigation of Strategic Thinking Tasks, Skills, and Development

“…Several other useful works have been published that contribute new degrees of clarity to the understanding of strategic thinking, notably: Bonn (2001), Graetz (2002), Casey and Goldman (2010), and Yorks and Nicolaides (2012). U.S. military scholars have also made contributions in a similar vein; works by Yarger (2008), Waters (2011), andMcCauley (2012) provide scholarly conceptualizations of strategic thinking that align well with non-military academic work.…”

Identification of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for Army Design

“…Once officers with the demonstrated skills to engage in design thinking have been selected and developed they must be rewarded and reinforced for engaging in design thinking. In order to effectively execute design, leaders must encourage subordinates to engage in behaviors that facilitate design (Waters, 2011). The Army, as an institution, must reward those who pursue non-traditional developmental opportunities (Salmoni, Hart, McPherson, and Winn, 2010).…”

Judging Retirement Reform Using the Strategic Thinking Framework

“…The Strategic Thinking Framework (STF), as shown in figure 1, 8 is a useful tool to support DOD leaders in using the foundational competencies of strategic thinking to develop informed judgments about whether the current MRS is aligned with the NSS. 9 Examining the current MRS using the STF begins with an environmental scan that includes a historical perspective, the state of the current strategy or method and an understanding of the current environment.…”