1-2 days workshop in your offices/local venue,
to develop Descriptions and Measures of Thinking Ability,

• groups of individual managers, perhaps from different disciplines
• entire management teams in one department/function/business unit

1. encompass the four Quartiles of Whole Brain Thinking (Visionary, Reasoning, Task, and People Thinking), ... and
2. cover all the key Thinking Styles and Business Thinking Processes required for particular jobs

Thinking Competencies are written Behavioural Indicators used to measure ability to engage and use specific Thinking Styles whilst working through Business Thinking Processes. There is no general standard for Thinking Competencies or even Thinking Processes. Each organisation develops its own list and descriptions. There isn’t even a standard name for any particular Thinking Competency. Even so-called Critical Thinking is actually a mix of very different Thinking Styles.

We have observed competency names such as Strategic, Creative, Analytical, Critical, and Emotional Intelligence. But rarely do we see mentions of the equally important Thinking Competencies of Concept Thinking, Design, Evaluative, Planning, Imagination, Risk, Communication, Enquiry, Contingency (see below) etc.

When asked, few people can define or even explain the words ‘Concept’ or ‘Design’, despite their use in every-day language. These are fundamental Thinking Competencies for any project. The Millennium Dome structure was well designed, but the planning team didn’t really think of its purpose (Concept Thinking), and they made numerous Design Thinking errors for the interior (eg siting of Zones).

And few managers realise that Contingency Thinking (an essential skill in strategy/project planning) is also a stage-wise Thinking Process which needs several more-specific Thinking Styles/Competencies. So it is hardly surprising that so many strategies, plans, and projects go wrong.

• prior to the workshop: diagnostic interviews with job holders and their managers to identify the key thinking skills needed for particular jobs (if required)
• presentation describing specific Thinking Styles, their fit within Whole Brain Thinking, and how/where each is used in key Business Thinking Processes
• the group then decides which Thinking Styles and Thinking Processes are most relevant to their organisation, or particular functional departments/jobs, and which Styles should be developed into Competencies
• after the workshop: our consultants will then assist the client in writing descriptions of the selected competencies (including the behavioural indicators)