Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving - Techniques for Seeing Through the Essence of Business
By structuring complex challenges and identifying the problems truly worth solving, you can derive efficient and effective solutions.
What is Strategic Thinking
Strategic thinking in business is a way of thinking to produce maximum results with limited time and resources. It requires not simply gathering and analyzing lots of information but identifying the problems truly worth solving, formulating hypotheses, and verifying them.
Why Strategic Thinking is Necessary
In the modern business environment, information is infinite. However, if you wait to investigate everything before acting, you cannot win against competition. What's important is "problem-setting ability" to identify which problems to tackle and "hypothesis-building ability" to derive answers from limited information.
By acquiring strategic thinking, the following changes can be expected:
- Work speed and quality improve simultaneously
- Discussions and reports become logical and persuasive
- You can calmly prioritize even in complex situations
- Team decision-making processes become more efficient
Recommended Books
Strategic thinking and problem-solving techniques can be reliably acquired through systematic learning. The four books introduced here are all famous works based on consulting firm practical knowledge and have been read for a long time as essential reading for business professionals.
Issue Driven
This book presents an essential approach to increasing intellectual productivity. The perspective that correctly setting the problem to solve (the issue) determines productivity has become a catalyst for changing many people's work styles. Based on experience at McKinsey and Yahoo, you can learn practical and essential thinking methods.
- Highly productive work is determined by the quality of the problem to solve (the issue)
- Avoid the 'dog's path' and tackle problems with high issue importance first
- A good issue satisfies three elements: 'essential,' 'deep hypothesis,' and 'answerable'
- The outcome of intellectual production is determined by multiplying issue importance and solution quality
Problem Solving Professional
This book systematically explains the problem-solving thinking methods and techniques actually used by consultants. By combining two thinking methods - zero-based thinking and hypothesis thinking - with two techniques - MECE and logic trees - you can develop the ability to structure complex problems and derive solutions. Through not only theory but also specific cases and exercises, you can acquire practical skills.
- Zero-based thinking is the first step to solutions by rethinking from the essence without being bound by existing frameworks
- Hypothesis thinking allows you to efficiently reach the true answer by first proposing a tentative answer and then verifying it
- Break down without omissions or overlaps using MECE, and structure causes and solutions with logic trees
- Establish a consistent process from thinking to execution through the solution system
Hypothesis Thinking
This book reveals that the speed and quality of work are determined not by 'analytical ability' but by 'hypotheses.' Based on 20 years of experience at Boston Consulting Group, it explains the thinking process of formulating hypotheses from limited information and verifying and evolving them. By building hypotheses early rather than gathering information comprehensively before thinking, both the speed and accuracy of problem-solving improve simultaneously.
- Having a hypothesis narrows the scope of information gathering and dramatically speeds up decision-making
- Hypotheses are formulated with the premise that 'it's okay to be wrong' and evolved through verification
- Repeatedly asking 'So What' elevates information from analysis to insight
- Hypothesis thinking is a skill that anyone can acquire through training
Logical Thinking
This book systematically explains the basics of logical thinking required in business. By mastering frameworks such as MECE and So What?/Why So?, you can organize complex information and make persuasive proposals. This book allows you to learn practical methods cultivated in the consulting industry through concrete examples.
- The basic principle of organizing information is MECE classification - mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive
- The quality of logic improves by always asking 'So what?' and 'Why can you say that?'
- Messages that communicate to others are built on vertical and horizontal logical structures
- Logical thinking is not talent but a skill acquired through mastering basic principles and practice
Summary
Strategic thinking and problem-solving techniques cannot be acquired overnight. However, by learning the correct frameworks and thinking methods and accumulating practice in daily work, you can steadily build your abilities. The books introduced explain thinking techniques from different angles, and reading them in combination provides deeper understanding.