Role of Critical Thinking in Making Decisions In Today s VUCA Business Environment

Role of Critical Thinking in Making Decisions In Today s VUCA Business Environment

table of contents Page Thunderbird Background 3 Thunderbird s Point of View 5 Thunderbird Client Team 6 Thunderbird Partnership Process 8 Setting the Context 9 What we Heard 10 Design Logic 11 Program Outline 13 Investment 14 2

thunderbird background rankings Thunderbird offers a unique and powerful educational experience that teaches business how to manage in diverse social, economic, and political environments. GLOBAL EXPERIENCE With nearly 70 years of experience, Thunderbird is a leader in business education. #1 #3 #9 International Business Financial Times 2012 Top Open Enrollment Programs in the World Financial Times 2012 Overall Executive Education Financial Times 2012 #1 #1 Faculty and Course Design Open Enrollment Financial Times 2012 Teaching Methods & Materials Open Enrollment Financial Times 2012 3

GLOBAL NETWORK Our network of alumni and clients spans the globe, crossing borders and industries Thunderbird brings the learning to you With its main campus in Phoenix, Arizona, we also have facilities in Geneva, Moscow, Beijing, and Monterrey clients Our advantage Diversity Our staff represents 16 countries and 17 languages, bringing together a rich variety of skills, experiences, and perspectives. Technology Individualized online learning paths with customized portal for employees to collaborate. Methods Progressive teaching techniques including: gamification and competition, action learning projects, and business simulations. Educator Network Thunderbird educators expertise expands beyond world-renowned faculty to include an array of industry experts, coaches, and trainers from around the globe. Finance... Retail... Manufacturing... Oil and Gas... Pharma... Technology 4

N AL BU NE SI SS PER SO thunderbird s point of view on global management education RNING LEA GLOBAL MINDSET LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES BUSINESS SKILLS 5 o ro f ll o ver for more in

thunderbird client team Jaro Horvath Krystal Olson Kathy Pearson, Ph.D. Jaro Horvath Managing Director Jaro Horvath is a Managing Director within Executive Education at Thunderbird School of Global Management. Jaro joined the Executive Education team after earning his Master s in International Management degree from Thunderbird in May 2006. In his role, Jaro has collaborated with the world s foremost thought leaders and created executive and leadership development programs for organizations from around the globe, ranging from CPG family-owned enterprises to Fortune 100 financial services, high-tech, energy companies, as well as the U.S. military and the Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission. An innovator and an entrepreneur with a strategic mindset and project leadership skills, Jaro continuously creates an impact on the culture of Thunderbird and partner organizations, most recently in the area of sustainable high performance and development of strategies to help boost executive energy, resilience, brain agility, and capacity. Krystal Olson Kathy Pearson, Ph.D. See bio on the following page. Program Manager Krystal Olson is a Program Manager in Executive Education at Thunderbird School of Global Management. She is responsible for program logistics and overall operations and delivery of custom programs. She provides exceptional quality and service to program participants, while ensuring consistency among programs. Krystal holds an MBA as well as a Bachelor s degree in event coordination and public speaking. Key Educator 6

key educator Kathy Pearson, Ph.D. President, Enterprise Learning Solutions Kathy Pearson, Ph.D., is a member of the Thunderbird Educator Network and also president and senior partner of Enterprise Learning Solutions, a firm focused on executive development and learning across industries. Areas of Expertise Decision Making Strategic Thinking Stakeholder Management Besides Thunderbird, Kathy is heavily involved in Executive Education at The Wharton School, Duke CE, and the Institute for Management Studies, teaching on a variety of topics such as the enterprise mindset, stakeholder management, operational excellence, strategic thinking, complex decision making, and strategic execution. As academic director for many programs, she is responsible for the design of the academic curriculum, the integration of the material, and the overall educational quality of the program. Many of her clients are in the health care and financial services fields, and she has also worked with executives from a wide variety of global industries, including professional services, the technology field, consumer products, and the manufacturing sector. In addition to her executive development work, Kathy s industrial and consulting experience includes consulting to senior leadership teams in the areas of strategic formulation, complex decision making under uncertainty, and strategic execution. Earlier in her career, she provided analytical support for the pharmaceutical industry and other health care systems, as well as for the Department of Defense. Kathy received her BS degree in theoretical mathematics from Auburn University, her MS degree in decision sciences from Georgia State University, and her Ph.D. in industrial engineering with a concentration in statistics from Northwestern University. 7

thunderbird s partnership process The diagrams below illustrate the major areas of activity, associated phases, and parties involved in the process of designing, developing, and delivering the Role of Critical Thinking in Making Decisions. I. Assess II. Design III. Deliver IV. Impact & Follow-up Haworth Provides access to key stakeholders. Thunderbird Listens, questions, challenges in order to best understand organizational context and learning priorities. Outcome Clarified learning objectives Defined program success Program design Haworth Questions, challenges, provokes, offers suggestions and feedback in the iterative design phase. Thunderbird Identifies core faculty/ facilitator team, refines program content, designs the learning process and evaluation strategy. Outcome Instructional team selected Program content chosen Approved design Thunderbird Teams deliver the program in accordance to the agreedupon parameters program content, delivery methods. Outcome Delivery of a learning experience with impact (learning, personal, and business) Program evaluation and fine-tune launch of program follow-up Thunderbird Teams debrief and fine-tune the program. Participants implement program followup via formal, informal, collaborative learning. Outcome Learning and development catalyzed by the program takes place Participants move from knowing to doing Impact on business for Haworth Thunderbird meets its clients where they are in the sophistication, resource levels, as well as needs assessment and design process. Our approach is collaborative, flexible, and balances the level of depth and detail with time/cost effectiveness based on client requirements. Program design is an iterative process, and the final product may vary from the information presented in this document. 8

setting the context Haworth is a U.S.-based multinational known for quality, innovation, designed performance, and organic workspaces. While the company is strong and stable, the global business environment is not. The New Normal VUCA The center of gravity in the world has shifted, with organizations domiciled in mature markets having to work much harder to maintain their market positions. This reality and today s volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) require business leaders to demonstrate increased amount of business acumen and leadership agility in order to improve execution and business outcomes through better decision making. Short-Term, Stable Environment, Early Career Analytics Judgment Critical Thinking Long-Term, VUCA, Senior Leaders 9

what we heard Haworth Leadership Institute has recognized the immediate need to strengthen Haworth leaders business skills and acumen. The following preliminary diagnostic information shared with Thunderbird has shaped our approach and design of this engagement. Symptoms Capability deficit analytics, critical thinking, judgment Process-decision rights, clarity, alignment Audience 100 managers of managers primarily in North American sector, in cohorts of up to 30 Structure 2 -day in-residence program at Haworth facilities with limited pre- and post-work Outcome Capability lift for participants, organizational impact Business Sound Decisions, Speed in Execution, Increased Leader Confidence, Morale, Employee Engagement Personal Increased Preparation, Confidence, Executive Presence and Presentation Learning Business Skills Development, Critical Gap Closed 10

design logic Critical thinking is a key component of leadership and decision making. Our view of critical thinking: Are we answering the right question in the first place? Are we understanding the cognitive biases of humans, developing alternatives? As leaders, what do we need to do to recognize and mitigate the effects? Critical thinking in organizational context: the leaders need to navigate multiple stakeholders/teams, anticipate and manage stakeholder views, while demonstrating courage to make decisions and move forward. Most organizations are capable managing the short term (the left side of the framework). The best organizations successfully manage both short and long term, to deliver sustainable results. We will therefore spend more time in the program on the foundation (analytics, judgment, critical thinking) and the right side of the framework, which requires different behaviors of Haworth senior leaders such as future focus, ability to navigate uncertainty, strategic agility. Following the frame-up session, the rest of the program consists of a high-level application using various methods, including interactive lecture/discussion, small groups, and presentations. (see program outline on page 13) One of the key elements of the design is a real business challenge that the participants will work on during the program. Given the limited amount of time in the program, and the fact that the audience will be from various functional areas, we recommend that the business challenge(s) is posed to the group by the program sponsor and/or Haworth executive management. Thunderbird will work with Haworth to help formulate this aspect of the design. 11

achieving sustainable results decision-making framework Short-Term Business Objectives Long-Term Business Objectives Dashboards Clear Metrics for Success Value-Driven Results Managing Uncertainty Higher Tolerance for Failure Emphasis on Analytics Continuous Improvement Clarity of Enterprise Core Alignment of Incentives Accountability Bias Towards Action Organizational Processes Enterprise Mindset Cultural Enablers Adaptability and Optionality Dynamic Scanning Aligned Executive Team Shared Information Inquisitive Mindset Emphasis on Learning Judgment Critical Thinking Analytics Copyright Kathy Pearson, Ph.D. 12

day 1 agenda Setting the Context Today s Realities of VUCA Global Business Environment and Implications for Leaders at Haworth Framework for Short-Term and Long-Term Decision Making Core Elements Value-Driven Results Enterprise Mindset Culture Clarity of the Issue Root Cause Framing Leadership Alignment Clarity Application with Strategic Issue Developing Alternatives Determining Necessary Information Cognitive Biases in an Organizational Context Stakeholder Management day 2 agenda Developing Alternative Application with Strategic Issue Choosing Between Alternatives Decision Rights Building Adaptability Building Adaptability Application with Strategic Issue Moving to Execution Structure and Culture Alignment Feasibility Test Pre-Mortem Execution Application with Strategic Issue Report Out to Senior Leadership 13

investment Needs Assessment and Design $9,000 Needs assessment interviews (3-5 30-min interviews w/ceo, Executive Mgmt, L&D) Result analysis, faculty preparation, and design Post-program debrief, review, and fine-tune for future iterations For each additional program iteration, faculty preparation fee will be charged at $3,000 Delivery $50,000 1 3/4 day in-residence program, 30 participants per cohort; pp/day $833.00 Program materials Delivery rate at international locations may vary Fees do not include travel, food, accommodations (business class outside of continental U.S.), A/V equipment, room, and other facility costs if not delivered on Thunderbird campus or client facility. All expenses paid directly by client or billed back at cost. 14

Thank you Jaro Horvath Managing Director Thunderbird Executive Education jaro.horvath@thunderbird.edu +1 602-978-7033 Where the world comes to learn business. Where business comes to learn the world.