This document provides an overview of a training workshop on Taking Advantage of Complexity through Innovative Thinking and Strategic Management. The workshop teaches tools and techniques to help participants better define challenges, generate unique solutions, and manage group problem solving when dealing with complex issues. It combines lectures, exercises, and a project-based approach where participants apply the concepts to a real business challenge. The objective is for participants to leave with skills to capitalize on complexity within their organizations.

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©!2013!Roundhouse!Training.!Not!to!be!used!without!permission.!
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Taking!Advantage!of!Complexity!
innovative(thinking(+(strategic(management!
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2. !! !Roundhouse)Training!
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©!2013!Roundhouse!Training.!Not!to!be!used!without!permission.!
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Introduction!
A!global!financial!services!company!launches!a!new!project.!The!project!team!
enthusiastically!jumps!in!and!rapidly!comes!up!with!an!initial!plan,!unintentionally!setting!
the!boundaries!of!the!project´s!future.!The!Board!of!Directors!later!ponders!why!the!project!
outcome!is!“more!of!the!same”.!Couldn´t!the!team!have!come!up!with!a!more!groundL
breaking!solution?!
An!international!retail!chain!experiences!a!limit!to!its!growth,!because!its!managers!hold!the!
belief!that!expansion!is!mainly!hindered!by!the!lack!of!suitable!outlets.!Isn´t!this!a!selfL
fulfilling!prophecy?!!!
A!German!automotive!supplier!holds!regular!international!meetings!to!support!the!growth!in!
its!China!and!North!America!operations,!intercultural!differences!mean!not!all!information!is!
on!the!table,!which!results!in!major!problems!at!a!later!stage.!Couldn´t!this!have!been!
avoided?!!
If!you!have!experienced!similar!scenarios!within!your!organisation,!then!this!workshop!will!
be!of!interest!to!you!and!your!team.!
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Background!
When!we!start!working!on!projects!or!encounter!challenges!that!are!new!to!us,!we!have!the!
tendency!to!apply!the!same!problemLsolving!strategies!that!have!been!successful!to!us!in!the!
past.!This!is!not!always!right,!new!situations!may!require!new!ways!of!thinking.!!
We!may!also!not!make!the!best!of!use!of!our!people.!Team!members!that!are!more!senior!or!
more!assertive!may!adversely!influence!the!behaviour!of!the!group!leading!to!lost!
opportunities.!!
The!risk!of!missing!an!opportunity!or!acting!too!late!increases!significantly!when!we!are!
operating!in!a!complex!environment.!This!may!limit!our!success!as!a!company!or!as!a!
manager.!
This!course!offers!innovative!thinking!techniques!within!a!strategic!management!framework!
and!is!designed!for!team!members!that!aim!to!take!advantage!of!the!increasing!complexity!
in!their!environment.!Participants!will!be!better!equipped!to!take!advantage!of!such!complex!
challenges!by!routinely!approaching!these!critical!issues!from!a!variety!of!perspectives,!
thereby!unearthing!patterns!that!can!lead!to!more!unique!and!innovative!solutions.!

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Workshop!objectives!
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On!completion!of!this!workshop!participants!will:!
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• Have!practical!tools!at!their!disposal!to!systematically!define!challenges!from!
multiple!perspectives.!
• Be!able!to!generate!more!highLquality,!unique!and!groundLbreaking!solutions.!
• Have!the!skills!to!manage!effective!group!problem!solving!when!dealing!with!
complex!issues.!
• Have!a!holistic!overview!and!a!better!appreciation!of!how!an!issue!might!develop!
over!time,!allowing!for!a!more!anticipative!and!proLactive!approach!towards!future!
opportunities!and!challenges.!
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Applied!techniques!
Participants!will!be!introduced!to!a!strategic!problemLsolving!framework!that!looks!at!
mission!and!vision,!objective!setting,!key!factors!of!influence,!strategic!options!and!choosing!
a!route.!
Throughout!this!workshop,!a!systems!thinking!and!visualisation!approach!will!be!adopted!to!
improve!understanding!of!complex!challenges.!
Participants!will!be!trained!to!develop!their!own!new!perspectives!by!applying!a!range!of!
tools!and!techniques,!including:!stakeholder!analysis!and!perspectives,!system!objectives!
over!time,!the!5!whys,!analogies!from!nature,!story!telling,!reverse!brainstorming,!
intercultural!comparison,!using!wildcards!in!scenario!planning,!assumptions!analysis.!!
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Learning!methodology!
The!course!will!combine!lectures,!video,!group!and!individual!exercises,!reflection!and!
feedback.!To!firmly!embed!the!key!learnings!into!the!work!environment,!the!workshop!
benefits!most!from!a!projectLbased!learning!approach,!where!the!sponsor!company!
proposes!a!relevant!business!challenge.!This!workshop!is!all!about!“doing”:!using!the!
techniques!and!concepts!that!have!been!offered,!being!challenged!and!personal!
development.!The!workshop!language!is!English!or!German.!
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Who!should!attend?!
This!workshop!is!designed!for!teams!or!members!of!teams!that!aim!to!take!advantage!of!the!
increasing!complexity!in!their!environment.!The!content!will!be!tailored!to!the!industry!and!
level!of!the!participants,!which!can!range!from!junior!management!to!senior!executive!level.!
Typically!participants!have!a!university!degree!or!equivalent!experience!gained!elsewhere.!
The!course!is!relevant!for!people!working!in!diverse!job!roles!including!engineering,!
marketing,!finance,!IT,!risk,!R&D,!general!management,!sales!and!human!resources.!The!
workshop!is!most!valuable!to!those!that!are!exposed!to!complexity,!ambiguity!or!change.!!
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Agenda!
Introduction,!aim,!workshop!outline!and!training!approach!
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Section!1.!Setting!the!scene!and!introducing!the!tools!
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Introducing!your!company´s!challenge,!project!or!issue!
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Using!visualisation!and!systems!thinking!to!navigate!complexity!
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Exercise:!Practice!your!visualisation!and!systems!thinking!skills.!
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Thinking!preferences!and!pitfalls!
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Exercise:!Your!preferences!and!practical!steps!to!avoid!the!most!common!thinking!traps.!
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Introduction!to!a!strategic!management!framework:!mission!and!vision;!objective!setting;!
key!factors!of!influence;!strategic!options;!choosing!a!route.!
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Section!2.!Adding!contour!lines!to!our!complex!landscape!
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Mission!and!vision!
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Exercise:!Using!the!5!why´s!to!determine!your!project!teams!reason!for!being!and!what!your!
inspirational!aims!are.!
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MultiLperspective!objective!setting!!
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Exercise:!!Using!a!stakeholder!map!to!determine!what!your!main!project!objectives!are.!
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What!are!the!key!factors!of!influence!(KFI´s)!
Determining(the(multiplicity(and(interdependence(of(KFI´s(allows(us(to(build(up(an(image,(
have(a(common(understanding(and(ascertain(that(all(critical(items(are(included.(
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Exercise:!Using!visualisation!and!systems!thinking!to!develop!a!pictorial!representation!of!
your!project.!!
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The!passive!factors!of!influence!
Selecting(those(factors(of(influence(that(are(being(influenced(by(many(other(KFI´s(will(
highlight(those(sections(that(need(to(be(monitored(and(probed.!
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Exercise:!Using!wildcards!and!storytelling!techniques!to!develop!your!project´s!scenarios.!
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Active!factors!of!influence!
The(dominant(active(factors(constitute(those(parts(of(the(constellation(where(pulling(the(
lever(will(have(the(most(effect.(
Exercise:!Develop!a!richer!understanding!of!the!project’s!active!factors.!What!may!happen!
when!you!pull!certain!levers?!
Innovative!option!space!
With(the(rich(understanding(of(our(complex(and(dynamic(system(we(will(now(leave(this(
behind(us(in(search(of(creative(and(innovative(ideas.(
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Exercise:!Using!assumptions!analysis!and!method!/!objective!reversal,!we!will!look!to!the!
outside!and!cross!our!normal!boundaries!of!thinking!in!search!of!innovative!ideas.!
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Mutually!exclusive!option!development!
Using(all(perspectives(gained,(we(will(now(develop(options(for(the(important(active(KFI´s.(
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Exercise:!Use!reverse!brainstorming!to!fully!open!up!your!project´s!option!space.!
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Combining!strategies!and!scenarios!
Making(choices(and(selecting(a(route(that(will(lead(to(your(vision(
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Exercise:!The!devil´s!advocate;!defend!the!strategic!routes!not!chosen.!
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Section!3.!Anticipating!a!new!world!
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Exercise:!Use!a!storytelling!technique!to!describe!the!chosen!strategy!–!150!years!from!now.!!
How!did!you!achieve!this?!!
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Feedback!and!close!of!course!
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©!2013!Roundhouse!Training.!Not!to!be!used!without!permission.!
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Roundhouse!Training!
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Roundhouse!Training!was!established!in!2011!in!response!to!the!growing!need!for!
individuals,!teams!and!organisations!to!deal!with!the!increase!in!complexity,!ambiguity!and!
change!in!their!business!surroundings.!Roundhouse!Training!offers!workshops!that!are!based!
on!a!range!of!practical!tools!that!can!be!used!across!industries!and!tailored!to!suit!individuals!
and!teams!from!junior!management!to!executive!level.!The!objective!of!these!workshops!is!
to!come!up!with!unique!and!innovative!solutions!to!take!advantage!of!complex!business!
challenges.!!
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Roundhouse!Training!was!founded!by!Edwin!van!Eijbergen,!an!international!training!expert!
with!over!15!years!of!experience!designing,!delivering!and!organizing!executive!training!for!a!
global!audience.!In!addition!to!executiveLlevel!management!experience!with!the!financial!
publishing!group!Euromoney!Institutional!Investor!Plc.!(London,!FTSE!250)!in!Europe,!Asia!
and!North!America,!he!has!cooperated!with!a!European!scientific!research!centre!that!
studies!complex!thinking.!Edwin!completed!his!Masters!degree!in!Business!Administration!in!
1999!with!Henley!Management!College!in!the!UK!and!now!lives!with!his!family!in!greater!
Munich,!Germany.!Since!setting!up!Roundhouse!Training,!he!has!worked!with!leading!global!
organisations!such!as!BMW,!EADS!and!Allianz.!!
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Contact!details!
Would!you!like!more!information!and!explore!how!this!workshop!could!benefit!you,!please!
contact!Edwin!van!Eijbergen!by!telephone!or!email.!
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Roundhouse!Training!
Steinberg!2!
82069!Hohenschäftlarn!
Germany!!
Telephone:!+49!(0)8178!998569!!
Mobile:!+49!(0)170!312!8737!!
Email:!evaneijbergen@me.com!!!
Blog:!roundhouset.wordpress.com!
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Edwin!van!Eijbergen!