Making sense of BOK 3.0 - Using systems thinking

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:

  1. Cramming study sessions
  2. Using old study materials
  3. Relying on memorization rather than understanding concept

Why these usual solutions DO NOT work:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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:

  1. Formulate strategy is steps 1-7
  2. Transform organization is step 8
  3. Execute strategy is steps 9 & 10
  4. Govern strategy is steps 9 & 10
  5. 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.

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!

This practice examination content has been specifically modified to facilitate your preparation for passing your IASP SPP or SMP exams. 

This quiz is part of a 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:

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

Design of the questions

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 another IASP Certification Practice Examination (2024) - available to purchase at www.systemsthinkingpress.com

THE QUIZ

Please note that the quiz contains a mix of question types:

  1. Multiple choice for BOTH SPP and SMP exam practice
  2. Open-ended definitional-type only for SMP exam practice
  3. The answers to all of these quiz questions can be found at the end of this exam and they also appear as you respond to each multiple choice question

The required content relating to the questions in this quiz can be found in the IASP BOK3.0. So it is recommended that you review this content BEFORE attempting the quiz.

Recommend text

The recommended texts for this practice exam are:


Recommended Readings

BOK 3.0 - Chapters 1 to 6 - Concepts and activities (April 2022).pdf
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