ABSTRACT

Strategy requires an ability to conceive the future, see and create possibilities, and focus to choose a direction. Successful strategy is a mental discipline consisting of broad ranging, flexible, and creative thinking. Choosing the Future will help you achieve this success by studying fundamentals such as effective group thinking, knowing when to delay a decision for more information, balancing contrasting modes of thought, and transforming thought into action.

Using a cycle to show the relationship among different strategic thinking tools, Choosing the Future gives you guidance to respond to these basic questions:
What seems to be happening?
What possibilities do we face?
What are we going to do about it?
Choosing the Future will help you advance your thinking skills. Rather than telling you what to do, it teaches you to use your business knowledge to discover your own ideas and strategic direction.

Stuart Wells is Professor of Organization and Management at San Jose State University, where he serves as Director of the Center for Global Competitiveness and as Director of the Small Business Institute. As founder of the Leading Edge Consulting Group and co-founder of Corporate Wisdom, he has worked on leadership development and strategy issues with such major corporations as Clorox, Dupont, PepsiCo, and Proctor and Gamble. He is the author of several books, including From Sage to Artisan: The Nine Roles of the Value-Driven Leader.

part 1|47 pages

To Think or Not to Think? That Should Not Be a Question

chapter Chapter 1|10 pages

Closed Mind, Open Mind

chapter Chapter 2|2 pages

Hey Buddy, Can You Paradigm?

chapter Chapter 3|7 pages

Looking for Answers in All the Wrong Places

chapter Chapter 4|7 pages

What's the Sound of One Mind Thinking?

chapter Chapter 5|5 pages

More than You'll Ever Know

chapter Chapter 6|8 pages

The Opposing Forces of Thought

chapter Chapter 7|6 pages

Ultimate Alchemy— Transforming Thought into Action

part 2|22 pages

Strategic Thinking Basics

chapter Chapter 8|5 pages

The Heart of the Matter

chapter Chapter 9|8 pages

In Search of Process

chapter Chapter 10|7 pages

Strategic Thinking Cycle

part 3|49 pages

There's Something Happening Here

chapter Chapter 11|7 pages

Visualizing the Field

chapter Chapter 12|5 pages

The Whirling Maze of Forces

chapter Chapter 13|9 pages

Knowing the Players

chapter Chapter 14|7 pages

Solving the Puzzle— Detecting Patterns

chapter Chapter 15|5 pages

Creating Crystal Balls— Forming Scenarios

chapter Chapter 17|3 pages

A Minor Exploratory Interlude—Eclectic Analogies

part 4|42 pages

Talking the Walk— Deciding What to Do

chapter Chapter 18|9 pages

Making a Difference— Delivering Value

chapter Chapter 19|7 pages

Moving against the Grain— Shifting Paradigms

chapter Chapter 21|6 pages

Balancing Offense and Defense

chapter Chapter 22|8 pages

Playing Your Best Hand

part 5|45 pages

Walking the Talk— Doing What You Decide

chapter Chapter 23|8 pages

Forming the Raison D'Être

chapter Chapter 24|8 pages

Following One Path

chapter Chapter 25|9 pages

Maneuvering Through Shifting Terrain

chapter Chapter 26|4 pages

Setting Goals

chapter Chapter 27|8 pages

Taking Action

chapter |3 pages

Epilogue Some Concluding Remarks