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Alicia McKay
Alicia McKay
Author of Local Legends, You Don't Need An MBA, From Strategy to Action. Straight-talking strategist.
Published Jan 17, 2023
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The world’s most valuable skill is critical thinking.
Unfortunately, overwork and overwhelm keeps people from ever learning how to do it. They spend hours trying to learn technical skills, create fool-proof plans and solve operational problems, while failing to realise the world has changed. What you know how todosimply isn’t as relevant anymore - now, in order to be successful, you have to know how tothink.
I know, because I wasted many years and tens of thousands of dollars becoming skilled in the technical elements of strategic planning, business cases and performance reviews.
I went from organisation to organisation, writing the best reports, undertaking the best analysis and presenting the most compelling cases: only to see projects go off-track and people go back to the status quo at the first hurdle. Without a step-by-step plan to stick to, or a facilitator to lead the conversation, they lacked the skills to adapt and change course.
It wasn't until I started teaching leaders to think and work like strategists, and to understand the skillsbehinddecision-making, that I saw implementation skyrocket, change projects completed on time, and organisations flex to the needs of their clients, customers and markets.
The good news is: my loss is your gain.
Here are 3 decision-making frameworks that will save you dozens of painful hours trying to learn critical thinking for yourself:
1. Chip and Dan Heath's WRAP Framework
The measure of a good decision isn't the outcome you produce - but the process you use to make it. Learning this completely changed the way I thought about decision-making, and the importance I placed on process.
According to the Heath Brothers, you can overcome common decision biases like narrow framing, confirmation bias, short-term emotions and over-confidence by using these four steps for every significant choice you make.
Download a one pager from the Heath Brother's websitehere.
2. Greg McKeown's Essentialism Framework
Recommended by LinkedIn
Hang this up in your room somewhere—and stare at it everyday. Greg McKeown, in his book Essentialism, makes the case that the highest point offrustrationoccurs when we're trying to do everything, now, because we feel like we should. In order to reach the highest point ofcontribution, we need to do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason.
When we focus on these three variables, we don't waste time and energy on activities and decisions that aren't a right-fit. Learn more about Greg McKeown's workhere.
3. Tim Ferris' Fear-Setting Framework
I consider this the gold-standard of strategic risk management and contingency planning. Important decisions will always come with risks, consequences and unforeseen problems. Instead of trying to eliminate the negative and plan for the best, Ferris advises people to complete a pre-mortem that simulates potential responses. By drawing up a three column table with:
You're able to prepare for a more pragmatic future, rather than being thrown off course at the first unexpected obstacle. For more information on fear setting, and some useful downloads, check out Tim's bloghere.
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These three frameworks completely changed the way I thought about decision-making, and the support I was able to offer leaders in developing the skills they needed to keep their tricky programmes on track.
I hope they're useful for you.
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The original version of this article appeared on www.aliciamckay.co.nz
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Very useful
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Cédric P. Brossard, MBA
IT & Cybersecurity Executive | Serial Entrepreneur | Leading Strategy & Innovation | Board Member | Former CEO, CTO, CISO, Associate Partner
1y
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Interesting, thanks Alicia. May I suggest a couple additions for #3 ? It is based on the NIST CSF industry standard framework for cybersecurity risks and controls:• The worst things that might happen (Identify risks, ok)• The steps you can take to prevent those (Prevent incidents, ok)• ADD: The ways you will detect should they happen (Detect events)• The ways you will respond if theydohappen (Respond to events, ok)• ADD : The ways you will recover, should your response turns out ineffective (Recover from incident)Reference : https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework
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Larissa Vaughan
Executive - GM Regulatory Affairs & General Counsel at TSB New Zealand
1y
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I loved this - super helpful
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Karen Adams
Writer & Facilitator
1y
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I love the practical tips and frameworks. Having tools to work with can make it much easier to refocus.
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Joe Delaney
Customer Success Executive- Hawai'i | Retired U.S. Marine
1y
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This is awesome. I enjoyed Essentialism and believe in following models / frameworks. This was a great review. Thank you for sharing.
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