This document outlines several decision making and strategic thinking models: - The Eisenhower Matrix helps distinguish important vs urgent tasks. - SWOT analysis evaluates strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of decisions. - The BCG Box assesses investment value. - The Project Portfolio Matrix maintains oversight of multiple projects. - Additional models provide frameworks for setting goals, providing feedback, creativity, consequences, conflict resolution, and more. The document explores applications of these models to improve decision making and strategic thinking.

1. Strategic Thinking
&
Decission Making Models

2. THE EISENHOWER MATRIX
It helps distinguish what is important and what is urgent.

3. THE SWOT ANALYSIS
Method of evaluating the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of
business/personal decisions.

4. THE BCG BOX
Method of assessing the value of the investments in a company’s types of
investment.

5. THE PROJECT PORTFOLIO MATRIX
It helps maintain an overview of simultaneous several projects.

6. THE JOHN WHITMORE MODEL
The right goal
When established a goal, one could check whether it correlates with these
fourteen requirements.

7. THE FEEDBACK MODEL
ADVICE
COMPLIMENT
I thought it was good but it I thought it was good and
still needs to change!
it can stay as it is in future!
CRITICISM
I thought it was bad and it
has to change!
SUGGESTION
I thought it was bad, but I
can live with it!
It will help categorize the feedback one receives in order to clearly
establish a plan of action.

8. THE MORPHOLOGICAL BOX AND SCAMPER
It creates a new entity, developed by combining the attributes of a variety
of existing entities.

9. THE CONSEQUENCES MODEL
It shows how the extent of the consequences of your decisions relates to
the extent of your knowledge.

10. THE CONFLICT RESOLUTION MODEL
It shows the six typical reactions to a conflict.

11. THE CROSSROADS MODEL
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The beckoning road
The dream road
The sensible road
The road not travelled
The familiar road
The road back
Possible alternatives one may face during the decision making process.

12. THE FLOW MODEL
It is where the state of happiness is called “the flow” and occurs when one is intensely focused
on an activity… of one’s own choosing that is… neither under-challenging nor overchallenging… that has a clear objective… and that receives immediate feedback.

13. THE JOHARI WINDOW
This model provides a model of personal awareness.

14. THE COGNITIVE DISSONANCE MODEL
ATTITUDE
COGNITIVE
DISSONANCE
“Smoking is
unhealthy”
BEHAVIOR
“I smoke”
ATTITUDE
CONSISTENCY
“Smoking is
unhealthy but it
helps me relax”
BEHAVIOR
“I smoke”
It describes that our actions are not consistent with our beliefs.

15. THE MUSIC MATRIX
DESIGNED
Sugababes
N Sync
Kraftwerk
Goldfrapp
Marilyn Manson
Peaches
Madonna
Pink Floyd
Robbie Williams
Bloc Party
U2
Nine Inch Nails
MGMT
Amy Winehouse
Sting
Lenny Kravitz
Tricky
Portishead
Bob Dylan
Bruce Springsteen
Bjork
Beck
AUTHENTIC
It shows what one’s taste in music says about him/her.
AVANTGARDE
MAINSTREAM
Rihanna
Gorillaz

16. THE UNIMAGINABLE MODEL
IMAGINABLE
God
NOT PROVABLE
PROVABLE
Gravity
Eternal Love
Black Hole
God is a woman
UNIMAGINABLE
It shows that one may have beliefs, despite not understanding the
evidence.

17. THE UFFE ELBAEK MODEL
It shows how one sees themselves, how one would like to see themselves,
how others see them and how other would like to see them

18. THE FASHION MODEL
APPEARENCE
Dior
Lacroix
Kenzo
Jean Paul Gaultier
Prada
Hermes
Armani Boss
Gap
FUTURE
PAST
Lacoste
Ralph Lauren
Calvin Klein
Timberland
REALITY
Writer Eric Sommier shows how he positions well-known clothing brands

19. THE FASHION MODEL (continued)
OLD SCHOOL
V-neck sweater
Cut-off jeans
NEUTRAL
ZONE
Trucker cap
Linen suit
Woolen tie
Un-ironed shirt
Trainers with a suit
Skinny tie
Flip flops
Printed t-shirt
Tie pin
HIP
The art of dressing without dressing up.
FORMAL
CASUAL
Shorts

20. THE ENERGY MODEL
MEMORY-DRIVEN
DREAM-DRIVEN
PAST
PAST
FUTURE
FUTURE
NOW
NOW
REALITY-DRIVEN
PAST
FUTURE
NOW
Reflects one’s personality depending on how much time one spends
thinking about the past, present and the future.

21. THE SUPERMEMO MODEL
After learning something, one should refresh their memory at the
intervals shown: one, ten, thirty and sixty days afterwards.

22. THE POLITICAL COMPASS
Analysis of the UK political landscape at the time of the 2010 general
election by politicalcompass.org.

23. THE PERSONAL PERFORMANCE MODEL
It helps evaluate one’s job situation: To what extent are one’s current tasks being
imposed on them? To what extent to they match the abilities and to what extent do
they correspond to desires?

24. THE MAKING-OF MODEL
GOALS
WHAT YOU LEARNED
OBSTACLES
(that you overcame)
SUCCESSES
PEOPLE
It helps create a detailed timeframe, stating goals, outcomes etc.

25. THE PERSONAL POTENTIAL TRAP
The curve shows one’s expectations, the expectation of others and one’s
achievements. When these diverge too much, one will fall into the
personal potential trap.

26. THE HYPE CYCLE
It helps identify the next big thing.

27. THE SUBTLE SIGNALS MODEL
high
low
Frequent contact, minimum
effect
Frequent contact, maximum
effect
Minimum contact,
minimum effect
Minimum contact,
maximum effect
min
max
It helps reveal how efficient one is in a work environment, considering
the contact that they are in with others.

28. THE NETWORK TARGET MODEL
Friends
Family
Poorer – Richer
Older – Younger
Uglier - Attractive
Yearly
Monthly
Weekly
Daily
Colleagues
Acquaintances
It structures one’s contacts by comparing them to self, how frequently
they are met with, how many are from other nationalities etc.

29. THE SUPERFICIAL KNOWLEDGE MODEL
It displays how much easy, difficult, embarrassing and impressive
knowledge one has.

30. THE SWISS CHEESE MODEL
It compares different levels on which mistakes occur with slices of cheese.

31. THE MASLOW PYRAMIDS
The first three are basic needs; the last two are personal growth needs and
can never be satisfied.

32. The solution: Extend the lines outside the box.
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

33. THE SINUS MILIEU AND BOURDIEU MODELS
It is a psychographic method for establishing the different socio-cultural
groupings to define target groups.

34. THE SINUS MILIEU AND BOURDIEU MODELS
This model forces to challenge one to think about their deep-rooted
cultural preferences and practices.

35. THE DOUBLE-LOOP LEARNING MODEL
It involves reflecting on actions and learning from them.

36. THE AI MODEL
The Appreciative Inquiry model involves concentrating on the strengths,
positive attributes and potential of a company or a person rather than
weaknesses .

37. THE PARETO PRINCIPLE
It describes the statistical phenomenon whereby a small number of high
values contribute more to the total than a high number of low values.

38. THE LONG-TAIL MODEL
The mass market wants best-sellers but there is also a demand for niche
products. Individual demand may be low but collectively the niche
products are worth more than the best-sellers.

39. THE MONTE CARLO SIMULATION
It works by running multiple trials based on random sampling to
determine an outcome, using a combination of probability calculation and
statistics.

40. THE BLACK SWAN MODEL
It reminds one that everybody tends to cling most tightly to pillars that we
see toppling instead of analyzing the cause and effect principle.

41. THE CHASM – THE DIFFUSION MODEL
It shows the typical curve of a product launch.

42. THE PRISONER’S DILEMMA
Two prisoners are suspected of having carried a crime together. If both rat
each other out, they each get 8 years. If one rats the other out, s/he’s free,
the other gets 20 years. If both keep silent, they each get 6 months only.

43. THE DREXLER-SIBBET TEAM PERFORMANCE MODEL
It shows the seven stages that every group goes through when carrying out
a project.

44. THE HERSEY-BLANCHARD MODEL
(SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP)
New employees must be instructed, coached, supported and finally
delegated to.

45. THE ROLE PLAYING MODEL (BELBIN & DE BONO)
It is used as a team or meeting technique to stimulate communication and
create a playful/serious approach to a discussion topic.

46. For More Comprehensive Learning, Read:
The Decision Book: 50 Models for Strategic Thinking
by Mikael Krogerus