Module 1: Making sense of BOK 3.0 - Using systems thinking

Study Map: The Reinventing Strategic Planning the systems thinking approach® modified to facilitate your preparation for passing IASP SPP or SMP exams.

Problem: You want to become a recognized strategic planning expert, but you're feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. You don't know how to stop wasting time studying unimportant content, and it seems like your family isn't being supportive. The certification exam you need to study for has tons of content, but provides little direction. It's difficult to know or guess what might be on the exam, and you're struggling to figure out where to best invest your study time. On top of all that, you're not good at exams. It's a huge problem, and it feels like there's no way out.

To make things even worse…

Here’s what most aspiring IASP certified planning professionals think will solve the problem, but it won't...

Usual solutions used at attempting to pass the exam first time:

Cramming study sessions
Using old study materials
Relying on memorization rather than understanding concept

Why these usual solutions DO NOT work:

Cramming study sessions may help you remember information short-term, but it won't help you truly understand the material or retain the information for the long term. This exam requires a deep understanding of the concepts, not just rote memorization.
Using old study materials may not cover the most updated information or changes in the exam content. The IASP certification exam is constantly evolving, so it's important to use the most current study materials available.
Relying on memorization rather than understanding concepts won't prepare you for the real-world application of the knowledge required to pass the exam. It's important to grasp the underlying principles and logic behind the concepts to be a better strategy professional and to succeed on the exam.

Luckily for you, we have a solution...

The ten-step model for installing a strategic management system

A simple and profound method for strategic and operational planning and execution. Based upon The Systems Thinking Approach®.

This is a practical way to create more successful strategic plans that integrate risk into strategy development. Create plans with built-in strategic agility, which will achieve superior results and have higher employee adoption. We apply strategic thinking as a foundation for business sustainability.

Alignment with the IASP BOK3.0 five strategy systems activities

IASP's Strategy System Activity Groups; Formulate strategy, Transform organisation, Engage stakeholders, Execute strategy and Govern strategy; and The Haines Centre's Strategic Management model correspond beautifully. They are both Systems Thinking Approaches.

Let’s look at how our 10-step strategic management model fits with the domains of the strategic planning professional:

Formulate strategy is steps 1-7
Transform organization is step 8
Execute strategy is steps 9 & 10
Govern strategy is steps 9 & 10
Engage stakeholders is our Parallel Involvement process which is woven throughout all steps in our model.

Remember that these areas of activities are not distinct, nor do they happen in a specific order. They are continuously and simultaneously performed. They complement each other, build upon one another and form an iterative process.

Module 1: Orientation:

Learning objective

Students will understand the rationale for the course and be able to use the study map to navigate through the learning objectives and the Watch-Try-Do simulations for each module.

Learning objective

Students will be able to understand the difference between systems thinking, strategic planning and strategic management.

Learning objective

Students will be able to use the 5 systems elements and associated strategic questions and see how they relate to specific sequence of steps within the 10-step model.

Learning objectives

Students will be able to develop a concise plan that addresses all 4 phases in order to make your overall strategic plan.

Learning objective

Students will be able to conduct a future environmental scanning exercise that is forward looking and engages key stakeholders in identification of relevant key future trends for the business and its customers and consideration of their implications and what to do about them.

Learning objective

Students will be able to vision, mission, values and competitive positioning of products and services that are superior to the competition in the eyes of the target customer.

Learning objective

Students will be able to develop quantifiable measurements of success for achieving an organization’s vision, mission, and core values on a year-by-year basis as the culmination, on paper, of all your previous work on your organization's vision, mission, and values.

Learning objective

Students will be able to undertake a CURRENT STATE ASSESSMENT, where internal and external analyses are conducted of the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Learning objective

Students will be able to create core strategies to bridge the gap between the Ideal Future Vision and the Current State.

Learning objective

Students will be able to understand how core strategies are to be implemented by the different strategic business units.

Learning objective

Students will be able to develop annual unit action plans with prioritized actions and names the resources you will need to actually implement your core strategies.

Learning objective

Students will be able to develop an implementation game plan that incorporates the key concepts for successful implementation and transformation, specifically the iceberg: Content, Processes, and Structures; and the rollercoaster theories of change and how they interact.

Learning objective

Students will be able to transforms the strategic plan into a multitude of individual plans and ties a rewards system to it.

Learning objective

Students will be able to facilitate an annual strategic review and update to keep pace with and be flexible to changing environments.

Learning objectives

Students will have a good understanding of the process of strategic planning. have a good grasp of how to accomplish strategic goals and objectives for your organization.
By the end of this course, students will be able to use The Systems Thinking Approach® to preparing for, creating, executing and leading the strategic management process.

The Overarching Goal

To be the key that unlocks the door to passing your IASP Certification Exam on the first try. We will help you save time by focusing on what really matters!

The course content has been specifically modified to facilitate your preparation for passing your IASP SPP or SMP exams.

This course has been approved by IASP as a certified preparation workshop for their SPP and SMP exams. It is registered with Course ID: 16786484.

This IASP (www.strategyassociation.org) registration does not make any guarantees that taking this course will assure certification will be earned. It simply means that the provider has met the filing requirements for registration.

MAKING SENSE OF BOK 3.0 - USING SYSTEMS THINKING

IASP BOK3.0 says; “For best results, the use of a systems thinking approach is recommended when implementing a strategy management system. An organization is better equipped to design a system with the right inputs, throughputs, outputs, and feedback within a dynamic and rapidly changing environment when inviting leaders to reflect” (p4) on five key strategic questions within our five-phase ABCDE model:

PHASE A: Where do we want to be?
PHASE B: How will we know when we get there?
PHASE C: What are the inputs required for action?
PHASE D: How do we get there?
PHASE E: Ongoing: What will/may change in your environment in the future?

You will:

Gain the expertise to be an independent strategy consultant with IASP certification
Increase your chances of crushing the IASP certification exam on your first try
Study for an exam with tons of content but little direction, and be fully prepared
Stop guessing and know exactly what to expect on the certification exam
Invest your study time effectively and efficiently for maximum success
Overcome exam anxiety and boost your confidence with our comprehensive study materials
Pass the IASP certification exam on your first try and jump start your career in strategic planning
Join an elite team of consultants as an IASP certified planning professional, showcasing your expertise and credibility in the industry
Save time by focusing on the most important content for the exam, maximizing study efficiency and avoiding wasting time on non-essential material
Continue excelling in your regular job while preparing for the IASP exam, balancing work and study without sacrificing performance
Achieve exam success on the first attempt, avoiding the frustration and time-consuming process of having to retake the exam
Utilize the exam material to enhance your strategic thinking at work, gaining recognition from your boss and standing out as a valuable asset in your organization

But you will not become an expert yourself. This course really only taps in on some foundation level skills. As described in the diagram below you are likely to transition across the continuum of competence and over time you will build your confidence in the use of the ABCDE model and the 10-step model and work with others in more experienced in the approach as the need arises.

In further masterclass training and through practical application, you will see significant growth in self-mastery and breakthrough thinking skills at the personal, interpersonal, team, and family/community levels.

Design of the course

Valerie MacLeod is a pioneer SMP #012. As someone who has been facilitating, coaching, and training for over twenty-five years, she understands the challenges and struggles of aspiring planning professionals. She has arrived at a place in her career where she coaches, guides and develop others, and is uniquely qualified to help you pass the IASP exam the first time.

Valerie was part of a team of 24 strategy professionals that created the IASP Standards, Certification Process and examinations. Part of the team that wrote the exam questions for the initial examinations. Valerie has been teaching the original exam preparation course for over 25 years and we updated the course every year to keep abreast of changes in the IASP Body of Knowledge and the planning profession. Valerie is also co-author of the IASP Certification Practice Examination (2024) - available to purchase at www.systemsthinkingpress.com

Structure of this course

This course consists of 15 modules of learning in which we will address the concepts of the systems thinking approach® to strategic planning. We have used adult/experiential learning models in the form of the watch-try-do simulations in most modules. The intent is to encourage you to apply these concepts to a hypothetical case study and within the context of your own work. The course structure is as follows and generally follows the 10-step model in the diagram below in a clockwise motion starting in the top right-hand corner.

Module 1: Orientation

Module 2: Introduction to STATM

Module 3: The ABC Model & Ten Steps

Module 4: Step 1 Plan to Plan "prep" step

Module 5: Future Scan & Stakeholder Involvement

Module 6: Step 2 Envision the Ideal Future

Module 7: Step 3 Key Success Measures

Module 8: Step 4 Current State Assessment

Module 9: Step 5 Develop Core Strategies

Module 10: Step 6 Develop the 3-Year Business Plan

Module 11: Step 7 Cascade the Strategies into action plans and strategic budgets

Module 12: Step 8 Plan to implement - "prep" step

Module 13: Step 9 Implementation and change

Module 14: Step 10 Annual Strategic Review and update

Module 15: Course summary and review

Watch-Try-Do Simulations

Adult/experiential learning is learning that occurs naturally when a person engages in some activity, looks back at the activity from a critical stand point, extracts some useful insight or knowledge from the analysis, and puts the result to work through a change in behavior. Of course, this process is experienced spontaneously in everyone’s ordinary life.

People never stop learning. With each new experience, we consciously or unconsciously ask ourselves questions such as, “How did that feel?” “What really happened?” or “What do I need to remember about that?” It is an inductive process, proceeding from observation rather than from a priori “truth” as in the deductive process.

Learning can be defined as a change in behavior as a result of experience or inputs, and that is the usual purpose of training. The effectiveness of experiential learning is based on the fact that nothing is more relevant to us than ourselves. Your own reactions, observations, and understanding of something are more important than someone else’s opinion about it. Research has shown that people learn best by doing. You remember what you do better than you remember what you know.

WATCH (Experiencing)

In the WATCH (Experiencing) mode, we show you how to work with the systems thinking approach®. For this, we have recorded the step-by-step actions that need to be performed in a series of modules. These steps are demonstrated using case studies, examples and whiteboard/flip chart explanations as a video or through a reading in the online course.

TRY (Processing)

Participants are encouraged to try executing the demonstrated steps in the TRY (Processing) mode. They will see options and highlights illustrated in the readings to help them. This acts as reinforcement and facilitates learning by doing.

DO (Generalising & Applying)

In the DO (Generalising & Applying) mode, participants execute the steps in the process on their own, without any hints. If someone gets stuck at any point, there are readings and case studies to refer to.

THE QUIZ

There is a short quiz in modules #2 - #15. Please note that the quiz contains a mix of question types:

Multiple choice for BOTH SPP and SMP exam practice
Open-ended definitional-type only for SMP exam practice

The required content relating to the questions in this quiz can be found in the pdf download of the slides for each videos in each module. So it is recommended that you review this content BEFORE attempting the quiz.

Practice makes perfect. Participants can view the simulation videos and try any number of times till they gain the confidence to perform the steps in the systems thinking approach®. They can always go back and view the whole strategic management cycle for reinforcement.

Required text

The prescribed texts for course are:

Reference: BOK 3.0 2024 https://www.strategyassociation.org/general/custom.asp?page=bok3
Book: Strategic Thinking, Leadership, Planning and Change - Building Organizational Systems that Work – By Barbara A. Collins, M.S., SMP https://www.amazon.com/Strategic-Thinking-Leadership-Planning-Change-ebook/dp/B0D4V58327
Book: IASP CERTIFICATION PRACTICE EXAMINATION (BOK3.0) 2024 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4YQYHYN These 160 sample exam questions are written in the same format at the formal exam with the first 90 targeted at SPP level and teh second 90 targeting SMP candidates. They have been created created by our own Haines Centre for Strategic Management Limited professionals who hold the SMP designation. These practice exam questions have been updated from the original version (2012) to conform to IASP Body of Knowledge 3.0.

Optional reading:

Book: Haines, Stephen G. Reinventing strategic planning – The systems thinking approach® / Stephen Haines with James McKinlay, Systems Thinking Press - https://www.amazon.com.au/Reinventing-Strategic-Planning-Thinking-Approach/dp/0977978613

Please refer to the study map in this module as a checklist on the required readings and tasks for each module.

We will also provide additional readings and resources throughout the subject which you will be able to access through this Learning Management System platform.

Want more? – optional readings

See our publications on www.systemsthinkingpress.com

This week we have one recommendation for you if you are interested in learning more about the terminology & notations that are important in the BOK 3.0 and this is also a great glossary reference - BOK 3.0 2024 https://www.strategyassociation.org/general/custom.asp?page=bok3

Learning Objective

Students will understand the rationale for the course and be able to use the study map to navigate through the learning objectives and the Watch-Try-Do simulations for each module.

WATCH

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Resources

Video 40 + VAL_SLIDES_FIN.pdf

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Video 40 + VAL_SLIDES_FIN.pdf

Video 01B.pdf

Video 04.pdf

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