A fun way to practice strategic thinking

There's a question that has been asked on LinkedIn forums and in some of my recent presentations: how can you develop your strategic thinking skills. There are many answers to that question including broad reading, environmental monitoring, issues identification, research and study. There's another way to develop your skills, which is fun and can be a great conversation starter with your friends, or even the basis for a blog if you're that way inclined.

Find an organisation in the news that is attracting a lot of criticism for an aspect of its performance. Look particularly at those where a lot of people are proposing solutions which have a really common feel to them. Identify some underlying long term issues affecting that organisation and see if you can come up with a different solution to everyone else.

When you are not part of an organisation, you are forced to think more broadly because you don't have the level of detail that will allow for making a truly informed decision on strategy.

Cricket has been big in the news in Australia because of the poor performance by the national team in the recent Ashes test matches against England. Lots of people have solutions that generally revolve around sacking the selectors, coaches or some of the players.

Cricket is going through a period of transition. Australia has led the way for a couple of decades but suddenly is failing to produce the level of talent it has produced in the past.

There are some long term changes that have to be faced. The opportunities to play and money in cricket have increased dramatically, meaning that players will stay longer in the game at national and state levels. Where players used to leave the sport because they needed to look after their future lifestyles, they can now live those lifestyles while playing.

The population of Australia has increased markedly in the last decade, as has competition in sports. There are very limited opportunities in cricket at senior levels and many different sports now competing for the same talent. The introduction of franchise based 20/20 cricket (T20) has resulted in older players staying on in their state teams to try to get places in various T20 competitions.

Are those long term trends likely to change a lot? No. Will sacking players or selectors resolve problems caused by these long term trends? Also no.

So the solution is to break the nexus between states and cricket teams and to introduce more domestic level (first class) cricket teams. Perhaps nine or ten altogether, with six based through the Eastern mainland and three or four more in Central, West and Tasmania. No more NSW, Victoria, SA et al. Instead establish a competition with drafts, recruiting and competition for players. Perhaps name the teams after famous Australian cricketers. The Benauds v The Borders!

There are those who would argue that more teams will reduce the quality of the competition. Experience in the AFL and NRL suggests a very short term dip will be followed by a quick and marked increase in quality. Expanding cooperative competition has this impact in many sectors, such as retail clusters. There will be more players battling for spots in the national team and lifting each others performances.

More teams will also allow experienced players to stay on longer, passing their knowledge and experience onto young players, while also providing more opportunities for younger players. It improves the competitive position for cricket against other sports in attracting young talent.

Having come up with a very different solution like this, you then go to the pub or coffee shop with some friends, prompt the conversation onto cricket, let them all come up with the ordinary solutions and then hit them with your idea. The discussion that follows will not only be fun, but will also let you experience the type of questions and comments you will face when you do the real thing for your own workplace. You will also hear the real thing - in the corporate environment people may not be as critical to your face as your friends will be.

Alternatively, you can write your idea in a blog and invite comments.

Please let us know what you think of this idea and of any experiences you have when you try this technique.