Training Goals and Methods

Our goal is to help them make better decisions more quickly and with less uncertainty. This mission is the basis of our training philosophy and methods.

A unique model. Our training leverages a fact most trainers overlook: people always learn faster from their mistakes. Learning better decision-making comes only with practice. By making mistakes safely, you learn what doesn’t work and how to position yourself to take advantage of the opportunities that must eventually come your way.

The reverse of what people expect. Our methods reverse the expect order of a lesson and followed by a test. First comes the test, then the lesson. In our programs, you are challenged constantly to think and make mistakes. You are also rewarded constantly,  even for making mistakes. The purpose of our programs is to practice strategic skills and give people the courage to use them.

We use a variety of activities in our programs. All these activities are designed to involve the participants in the experience:

  • individual challenges,
  • team competitions,
  • practice scenarios,
  • and more to illustrate the principles of strategy

With these activities, we go beyond explaining Sun Tzu's strategy in technical terms. We give participants experience in using the techniques of strategy and seeing how they work.

The Institute’s programs focus on building a very set of  skills in nine specific stategy areas. These range from Finding Opportunities and Minimize Mistakes to Identifying Situations and Responding Rapidly.  These skills have immediate and practical application within any job that requires making decisions on the front lines of an organization.