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Frameworks for Thinking

Skill Areas

  1. Problem Solving

  2. Decision Making

  3. Creativity Tools

  4. Strategy Tools

  5. Learning Skills

  6. Leadership Skills

  7. Team Management

  8. Project Management

  9. Time Management




PROBLEM SOLVING

General Problem-Solving Tools

Constructive Controversy
Inductive Reasoning
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
Heuristic Methods
Means-End Analysis
Jain and Sharma’s BADIR Framework

Problem-Solving Approaches

Concept Sprints
The Problem-Definition Process
Working With the Control Influence Accept Model
Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)
Soft Systems Methodology (SSM)
8D Problem Solving Process
The Cynefin Framework
Appreciative Inquiry
The Simplex Process
The Four-Step Innovation Process
The Straw Man Concept
Hurson’s Productive Thinking Model
Action Learning Sets
The FOCUS Model
Creative Problem Solving

Finding the Cause of a Problem

What Is Causal Factor Charting?
Root Cause Analysis
The CATWOE Checklist
5 Whys
The Drill Down Technique
Cause and Effect Analysis
The Four Frame Approach
Interrelationship Diagrams

Improving Business Processes

Process Decision Program Charts
Flow Charts
Using Aide-Mémoire
Swim Lane/Rummler-Brache Diagrams
Storyboarding
Unblocking Bottlenecks
Queuing Models
Data and Information Management
Improving Business Processes

Diagram-Based Tools

Affinity Diagrams
Systems Diagrams / Causal Loop Diagrams
Tree Diagrams

DECISION MAKING

Decision Making Models

The Vroom-Yetton Decision Model
The Kepner-Tregoe Matrix
OODA Loops
The TDODAR Decision Model
The Recognition-Primed Decision (RPD) Process

Choosing Between Options

What Is Prospect Theory?
Decision Matrix Analysis
Paired Comparison Analysis
The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)
Conjoint Analysis
Pareto Analysis
Decision Tree Analysis
The Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM)
The Futures Wheel

Deciding Whether to Go Ahead

Go/No-Go Decisions
TELOS
Risk Analysis and Risk Management
Risk Impact/Probability Charts
Quantitative Pros and Cons
Force Field Analysis
Impact Analysis
Business Experiments

Financial Decisions

Cost-Benefit Analysis
Break-Even Analysis
Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR)
Cash Flow Forecasting

Improving Decision Making

The Ladder of Inference
Decision Making Under Uncertainty
Six Thinking Hats
Howard Marks’ Second Level Thinking Skills
Blindspot Analysis
Critical Thinking
Reactive Decision Making
Monte Carlo Analysis
ORAPAPA

The Impact of Ethics and Values

The Foursquare Protocol
Spiral Dynamics

Group Decision Making

The Hoy-Tarter Model of Decision Making
Multi-Voting
The Modified Borda Count
Organizing Team Decision Making
The Stepladder Technique
Avoiding Groupthink
Hartnett’s CODM Model
Bain’s RAPID Framework
The Delphi Method

CREATIVITY TOOLS

Brainstorming

Brainstorming
Brainwriting
Reverse Brainstorming
Starbursting
The Charette Procedure
Crawford’s Slip Writing Method
Round-Robin Brainstorming
Rolestorming
Online Brainstorming

Other Idea-Generation Tools

O’Connor’s Seven Essential Innovation Questions (SEIQ) Framework
Metaphorical Thinking
Reversal
SCAMPER
Attribute Listing and Morphological Analysis
The Reframing Matrix

Creativity Processes

TRIZ
Beyonder Creativity
Stealth Innovation
Practical Innovation
What Is Stage-Gate Innovation?
Kano Model Analysis
Design Thinking
Turn Your Idea Into Reality
The Disney Creative Strategy
Doblin’s 10 Types of Innovation

STRATEGY TOOLS

Core Strategy Tools

SOAR Analysis
SWOT Analysis
The TOWS Matrix
Porter’s Five Forces Analysis
PEST Analysis
Baker’s 4 Strategies of Influence

Competitive Advantage

USP Analysis
Core Competencies Analysis
Porter’s Diamond
How to Set up an Open Innovation Program
Teece’s Win-Lose Innovation Model
Porter’s Four Corners Model
The Value Net Model
Kay’s Distinctive Capabilities Framework
The ADL Matrix
Ohmae’s 3Cs Model
VRIO Analysis
Competitive Intelligence
Weisbord’s Six-Box Model
Kotler and Keller’s Five Product Levels
McKinsey’s Three Horizons of Growth
The Technology Life Cycle
Kotler’s Pricing Strategies

Strategic Options

PMESII-PT
Porter’s Generic Strategies
Bowman’s Strategy Clock
Simonson and Rosen’s Influence Mix
The Hook Model of Behavioral Design
Creating a Social Media Strategy
Blue Ocean Strategy
Scenario Analysis
Mintzberg’s 5Ps of Strategy
Understanding Game Theory
The Value Disciplines Model
Value-Based Management
The Business Motivation Model
Disruptive Technologies
The Hedgehog Concept

Organization Design

Organization Design
What Is Organization Development?
The McKinsey 7-S Framework
The Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model
The EPRG Model
Miles and Snow’s Organizational Strategies
Mintzberg’s Organizational Configurations
The Greiner Curve
Strategic Alliances
Diversification
Adizes’ Corporate Lifecycle
Deming’s Five Diseases of Management
The Pyramid of Organizational Development

Strategic Prioritization

The Value Curve Model
The Pricing Strategy Matrix
The Boston Matrix
GE-McKinsey Matrix
Porter’s Value Chain
Value Chain Analysis
Mullins’ Seven Domains Model
McKinsey’s Seven Degrees of Freedom for Growth
CAGE Distance Framework
Reidenbach and Robin’s Five Stages of Corporate Ethical Development
Carroll’s Pyramid of CSR

Executing Strategy

Mission Statements and Vision Statements
Practical Business Planning
Simons’ Seven Strategy Questions
Pyramid of Purpose
VMOST Analysis
OGSM Frameworks
The Hoshin Planning System
The Balanced Scorecard
The Triple Bottom Line
Turnaround Management
Corporate Governance

Sourcing and Purchasing Strategy

The Outsourcing Decision Matrix
The Kraljic Portfolio Purchasing Model
Procurement Management
Supplier Relationship Management (SRM)
Words Used in… Outsourcing
Carter’s 10 Cs of Supplier Evaluation

Marketing Strategy

The Marketing Mix and 4Ps
What Are Supply and Demand Curves?
The 4S Web Marketing Mix
Market Sizing
Empathy Mapping
Market Segmentation
RFM Segmentation
Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Model
The Product Life Cycle
What Is Content Marketing?
The Product Diffusion Curve
The Sales Funnel
Customer Journey Mapping
What Is Business Ethnography?
Designing Future-State Customer Journeys
Perceptual Mapping
The Brand Pyramid
Kapferer’s Brand Identity Prism
How to Build a Positive Corporate Brand Reputation
Using Focus Groups
Corporate Social Responsibility
How to Choose a Nonprofit or Charity to Support
The Marketing Research Mix
Developing Personas
The Ansoff Matrix
Customer Intimacy
Keller’s Brand Equity Model
The Buy-Sell Hierarchy
Net Promoter Score

Manufacturing and Operations

Lean Manufacturing
Kaizen
Creating Minimum Viable Products
Kanban
The Product-Process Matrix
Just in Time (JIT)
The 5S System
Business Process Reengineering
Value Stream Mapping
Achieving Economies of Scale
The Innovation Circle
The RATER Model
The Theory of Constraints (TOC)
Green Management

Quality Strategy

Garvin’s 8 Dimensions of Quality
How Good Is Your Customer Service?
Zero Defects
Crosby’s 14 Steps for Improvement
Total Quality Management (TQM)
Deming’s 14-Point Philosophy
Six Sigma
House of Quality
The Benefits of Company Awards
Benchmarking
Critical to Quality (CTQ) Trees

LEARNING SKILLS

Personal Learning Skills

How to Create a Personal Learning Plan
Purposeful Practice
Mind Maps
How to Learn From Your Mistakes
The Cornell Note-Taking System
Getting the Most From Training Programs
Online Training
8 Ways to Prioritize Your Professional Development
Journaling for Professional Development

Understanding How People Learn

Learning Styles
Cognitive Load Theory
Herrmann’s Whole Brain Model
VAK Learning Styles
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
The Conscious Competence Ladder
Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives
The Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition
ABCD Learning Objectives Model
The ADDIE Model
Gagne’s Nine Levels of Learning
Learning Curves
Case Study-Based Learning
4MAT
The 5 E Learning Cycle

Developing a Learning Environment

How to Create a Wiki
Kirkpatrick’s Four-Level Training Evaluation Model
Knowledge Management
How to Run Successful Lunch and Learn Events
The Nonaka and Takeuchi Knowledge Spiral
Developing a Competency Framework
Planning a Training Session
70:20:10

Reading More Effectively

Speed Reading
Reading Strategies
Overcoming Information Overload
SQ3R
Review Strategies
Information Gathering
Keeping Up-To-Date on Your Industry

Memory Techniques

The Link & Story Methods
The Number/Rhyme Mnemonic
The Number/Shape Mnemonic
The Alphabet Technique
The Journey Technique
The Roman Room System
The Major System
Memory Games
How to Remember People’s Names

LEADERSHIP SKILLS

General Leadership

Ulrich’s Leadership Capital Index
Core Leadership Theories
Ethical Leadership
Dunham and Pierce’s Leadership Process Model
Authentic Leadership

Understanding Power

French and Raven’s Five Forms of Power
Building Expert Power

Leadership Styles

What’s Your Leadership Style?
Leadership Styles
Lewin’s Leadership Styles Framework
Fiedler’s Contingency Model
The Tannenbaum-Schmidt Leadership Continuum
Leadership Style Matrix
Strengths-Based Leadership
Blue Ocean Leadership
Action Centered Leadership
Path-Goal Theory
Six Emotional Leadership Styles
The Blake Mouton Managerial Grid
Adaptive Leadership
Servant Leadership
Transformational Leadership
The Seven Transformations of Leadership

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence in Leadership
Developing Self-Awareness
Developing Executive Presence
The Agile Leader
Leading by Example
A Leader’s Mood
The Uncertainty Factor
The Green-Eyed Monster

Becoming a Leader

Level 5 Leadership
The Four Factor Theory of Leadership

Young and Future Leaders

The Leadership Pipeline Model

Crisis and Contingency Planning

Planning for a Crisis
Contingency Planning
Jennings’ Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse
Zenger and Folkman’s 10 Fatal Leadership Flaws
Dealing With Conflicts of Interest

TEAM MANAGEMENT

Understanding Team Dynamics

Deloitte’s Business Chemistry
Team Charters
Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing
Cog’s Ladder
Improving Group Dynamics
The Margerison-McCann Team Management Profile
Belbin’s Team Roles
Benne and Sheats’ Group Roles
Bonchek and Steele’s Thinking Styles
Four Dimensions of Relational Work
The PAEI Model
Gaining the Trust of Your New Team
Building Trust Inside Your Team
The Leader-Member Exchange Theory
Managing Emotion in Your Team
How to Thrive in a Multi-Generational Workplace

Effective Recruitment and Induction

Effective Recruitment
When to Create a New Role
Writing a Job Description
What Are Cultural Fit and Cultural Add?
How to Use Job Descriptions
When and How to Hold Video Interviews
Hiring People: Questions to Ask
How to Run Competency Based Interviews
How to Interview a Friend for a Job
Avoiding Unconscious Bias at Work
Success Profiling
Using Recruitment Tests
Inbox Assessments
Aptitude Testing
Successful Inductions
Onboarding With STEPS
Off to the Right Start
How to Manage a Probationary Period Effectively
Engaging New Recruits
Successful Handovers
Six Steps for Succeeding Without a Handover
Understanding Workplace Values
Goffee and Jones’ DREAMS
What Is Employer Branding?
How to Run an Accelerated Recruitment Drive
How to Avoid the Pitfalls of the Peter Principle

Developing Your Team

Developing Your Team
Career and Personal Developmental Needs
Talent Management
The Nine-Box Grid for Talent Management
Training Needs Assessment (TNA)
The Skills Matrix
Instructor-Led Training
Managing the 4Ps of Delegates
On-the-Job Training
Cross-Training
Active Training
Planning a Company Retreat
Maximizing the Impact of Formal Training
Heron’s Six Categories of Intervention
8 Ways to Strengthen Your Team With Positive Narratives
Succession Planning
How to Manage People’s Retirement

Coaching Your Team

What Is Coaching?
Building Rapport in Coaching
The Skill/Will Matrix
The GROW Model of Coaching and Mentoring
The PRACTICE Model of Coaching
The OSKAR Coaching Framework
The POSITIVE Model of Coaching
Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle
Coaching Through Change
Coaching to Develop Self-Awareness
Coaching to Explore Beliefs and Motives
Coaching for Team Performance
Appreciative Coaching
High-Performance Coaching
Solution-Focused Coaching
Coaching for Talent Development
Coaching With Feedback
Informal Coaching for Managers

Delegating Effectively

Successful Delegation
The BALM Task Allocation Model
Avoiding Micromanagement
The Delegation Dilemma
Preventing Manager Dependency

Motivating Your Team

Motivation
How Good Are Your Motivation Skills?
Pink’s Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose Framework
Amabile and Kramer’s Progress Theory
Sirota’s Three-Factor Theory
Herzberg’s Motivators and Hygiene Factors
Handy’s Motivation Theory
Alderfer’s ERG Theory
Pygmalion Motivation
Expectancy Theory
McClelland’s Human Motivation Theory
Theory X and Theory Y
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Celebrating Achievement
Team-Specific Motivation
The Three Component Model of Commitment

Rewarding and Engaging Your Team

Understanding Strategic Compensation
Rewarding Your Team
Motivating Without Bonuses
Adams’ Equity Theory
The Psychological Contract
Helping Your People Find Purpose in Their Work
Helping Your People Develop Emotional Intelligence
Creating an Energizing Work Environment
Keeping Valued Team Members
How to Retain Good Team Members
Job Enrichment
Hackman and Oldham’s Job Characteristics
Job Embeddedness
Rebuilding Morale
Re-Engaging Team Members
Building a Positive Team
Managing People Experiencing a Mid-Career Slump
Theory Z

Improving Team Effectiveness

Building an Effective Team
Team Effectiveness Assessment
Team Briefings
The GRPI Model
Rationalizing Team Activities
DILO (Day In the Life Of) Analysis
Accounting for Time
How Happy Is Your Team Member?
Employee Satisfaction Surveys
The Perceptions of Organizational Politics Scale
Creating a Healthy Workplace
Health and Hygiene at Work
Breaking Down Silos at Work
How to Manage Hot Desking
Building Confidence in Other People
Fostering Initiative in Your Team
Standing up for Your People
Safety in Teams
What Is a Duty of Care?
Broaden and Build Theory
Why the Rules Are There
Helping People Take Responsibility
Waldroop and Butler’s Six Problem Behaviors
Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Getting Your Team Through the Holiday Season

Performance Management

How to Have a Great One-on-One
Management by Objectives (MBO)
Using Stretch Goals With Your Team
Performance Management and KPIs
Using OKRs
Holding People Accountable
Performance Appraisals
The Five Conversations Framework
Dealing With Poor Performance
Performance Agreements
Formal Warnings
Exit Interviews

Difficult Management Situations

Managing in a VUCA World
Managing During a Downturn
Dealing With Seasonal Changes in Workload
When Teams Shrink
How to Survive High Team Turnover
Reducing Sick Leave
Handling Long-Term Absences in Your Team
Coping With Loss in a Virtual Team
How to Manage a Grieving Team Member
Dealing With a Wide Span of Control
Behavior Management and Measurement
Bad Behavior at Work
Dealing With Bullying on Your Team
How to Deal With Violence at Work
Dealing With Sloppy Work
Managing Team Negativity
Rumors in the Workplace
Resolving Team Conflict
Conflict Resolution
How to Manage When Values Clash
Religious Observance in the Workplace
Resolving Workplace Conflict Through Mediation
How to Manage Rivalry in the Workplace
Avoiding Managerial Self-Sabotage
Avoiding Discrimination
From Reactive to Proactive Management

Managing Different Groups of Workers

Managing Dominant People
How to Manage Controlling People
Managing Perfectionists
Managing Pessimists
Managing Unsociable People
Managing Introverted Team Members
Managing Extroverts
Managing Arrogant People
Managing Volatile People
Managing Grumpy People
Dealing With Angry People
How to Manage Passive-Aggressive People
Managing a Person With a Victim Mentality
How to Manage Defensive People
Managing People With Low Ambition
Managing High Achievers
Managing Gifted People
How to Get the Best From an Extra Miler
Managing an Aging Team
Millennials in the Workplace
Communicating With Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Colleagues
How to Manage a Person With Dyslexia
How to Manage a Team Member With PTSD
Managing People With Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Managing a Person With ADHD
Managing Highly Sensitive People
How to Manage an Underconfident Person
Managing Overconfident People
Working With an Executive Assistant
Managing Knowledge Workers
How to Work Effectively With Consultants
Managing Contractors
Managing Freelancers
Managing Volunteers
Managing Salespeople
Managing Part-Time Staff
Managing Interns
Managing Unskilled Workers
Managing Home-Based Team Members
Managing Working Parents
Managing Caregivers
Managing in a Family Business
Managing Friends and Family Members
How to Manage People in a Micro Business
Emotional Labor
Understanding the Dark Triad

Managing Different Types of Teams

Setting up a Cross-Functional Team
Managing Cross-Functional Teams
Managing a Team of Experts
Managing a Geographically Dispersed Team
Managing Virtual Teams
Managing a Pop-up Team
How to Manage a Commission-Based Team
Managing in a Results-Only Work Environment
Managing in a Unionized Workplace
Managing in a Call Center

Historical Management Theories

Frederick Taylor and Scientific Management
Henri Fayol’s Principles of Management
Frank and Lillian Gilbreth
Elton Mayo’s Hawthorne Experiments
What Is POSDCORB?
Deming’s System of Organizational Knowledge

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Project Management Framework

The Planning Cycle
Project Management Phases and Processes
How to Write a Business Case
How to Write a Design Brief
Project Initiation Documents
Project Charters
Request for Proposal Documents
Project Issue Management
Benefits Management
Managing Project Uncertainty
Managing Project Finances
Business Testing in Projects
Project Close Activities
Rationalizing Your Project Portfolio

Scheduling

Action Plans
How to Use Burndown Charts
Gap Analysis
Estimating Time Accurately
Project Schedule Development
Kanban Boards
Gantt Charts
Critical Path Analysis and PERT Charts
Planning Large Projects and Programs
The MoSCoW Method
Logframes and the Logical Framework Approach

Scope Management

Scope Control
Business Requirements Analysis
Work Breakdown Structures
User Stories in Agile Project Management

Communicating and Delegating

Working With Project Sponsors
Project and Program Governance
Stakeholder Analysis
What Is Stakeholder Management?
Effective Scrum Meetings
Influence Maps
The Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)
The RACI Matrix

Reporting Progress

Project Dashboards
Project Milestone Reporting

Change Management

Change Management
How Good Are Your Change Management Skills?
The Change Curve
Lewin’s Change Management Model
Beckhard and Harris’ Change Equation
Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model
Overcoming Cultural Barriers to Change
Leavitt’s Diamond
The Burke-Litwin Change Model
SIPOC Diagrams
The ADKAR Change Management Model
Bridges’ Transition Model
Changing People’s Habits
Why Change Can Fail

Project Improvement and Review

Sprint Retrospectives in Agile Project Management
After Action Review (AAR) Process
Post-Implementation Reviews
Conducting a Project Healthcheck
Why Do Projects Fail?

TIME MANAGEMENT

General Time Management Tools

Activity Logs
To-Do Lists
Action Programs
Allen’s Input Processing Technique
Costing Your Time
Multitasking
Leverage
How to Be More Organized
The Art of Filing
Managing Electronic Files
Managing Email Effectively

Prioritization

Prioritization
Eisenhower’s Urgent/Important Principle
The Action Priority Matrix
Managing Conflicting Priorities
How to Get More Done in Less Time

Scheduling

Effective Scheduling
The Pickle Jar Theory
Is This a Morning Task?
How to Meet a Deadline

Time Management Challenges

Managing Interruptions
Dealing With Lateness
How to Reduce Dead Time in Your Team
Organizing Disorganized People
Minimizing Distractions
The Art of Concise Conversations
Creating Time in Your Day

Concentration and Focus

Staying Focused When You’re Working From Home
Improve Your Concentration
How to Stay Productive While Traveling
5-15 Reports
The Flow Model
Timeboxing
Energizing Yourself
How to Start Your Day

Goal Setting

Personal Goal Setting
How Good Is Your Goal Setting?
Eight Common Goal-Setting Mistakes
Locke’s Goal-Setting Theory
SMART Goals
Leap Forward With Backward Goal-Setting!
Golden Rules of Goal Setting
Using Well-Formed Outcomes in Goal Setting
Visualization
Treasure Mapping
New Year Resolutions
How to Develop Long-Term Focus
Half-Time Review
Personal Mission Statements

Self-Motivation

Motivating Yourself
How Can I Stop Procrastinating?
Self-Discipline
Snyder’s Hope Theory
Self-Determination Theory
Breaking Bad Habits
Staying Challenged