I have had an experience lately that has broadened my knowledge and experience with strategic thinking. I was able to take a class at the university in which I attend, on organizational behavior. In this class the professor conducted an exercise where he took a group of students and assigned them to be part of a scholarship committee. I was a part of the group of students that were representing the incoming freshman that were being considered for this scholarship. The purpose of this exercise was to use strategic thinking to decide which freshman would receive the scholarship and reward them accordingly.
These candidates all had different assets that would live up to the standards and standing of the university. For example, my candidate was a high school senior who would not be able to go to college without a scholarship. She is a very gifted musician and should she receive a scholarship to the university, she would contribute to the school's music program. One of the other possible choices is very involved with athletics who would be an asset to the school's basketball team. A third candidate was an academic who would blossom in the academic realm. Moreover, my point on why my candidate was well-suited for the scholarship was among the other arguments from classmates who wanted the same for their candidates.
There were many things to consider when trying to decide which of these freshman would be chosen. We had many questions that we had to find answers for. Such as, are some of the candidates more in need of the funding, or did some deserve it more. We had to decide if we were going to evenly distribute the scholarship money so everyone gets the same amount, or bestow it on those who were involved with many activities and would be the students that would most likely make the biggest impact on the school's reputation.
After listening to each representative make their argument about the needs of their candidate, a few classmates withdrew from the debate because they felt their student did not need the money as much as others. One classmate said that his student came from a financially stable household and that the lack of funds would not keep him from going to college. Another classmate mentioned that her student had the time to get a part-time job and would be okay without scholarship money. With strategic thinking among the committee members, we were able to figure out how everyone would profit from the situation. Our committee's final consensus left two students without scholarship money, but helped out three recipients with a part of the scholarship money, based on their needs and accomplishments.
Strategic thinking involved a group effort of brainstorming ideas, initiating change, and finding solutions to our dilemma. With our strategic thinking process, we were able to effectively factor in the highest priorities of our candidates.
If you would like to learn more about CMOE's Applied Strategic Thinking Workshop visit their website or contact one of their Regional Managers at (801) 569-3444.
