Strategic Thinking – Nathan Magnuson

12 Crucial Questions to Better Decision-Making

Decisions fascinate me. Occasionally they come easily. Sometimes they are difficult. Oftentimes they’re stressful. Some have huge implications. Most have a variety of influencing factors. Some decisions turn out perfectly. Some blow up entirely. Leaders are responsible for making important decisions that by nature aren’t easy. In fact, in a…

Make Better Decisions Using WRAP

August 3, 2015 decision-making Leadership perspective planning Strategic Thinking

How exciting is decision-making?? I’ve always enjoyed the logic that goes into navigating the personal and professional crossroads of life. Sometimes things work out. Other times it’s a disaster. Did we make the right call? How can we know for sure? I read a book a couple years ago that took…

3 Continuous Improvement Questions You Ought to Consider

June 15, 2015 Organizational Effectiveness Strategic Thinking

What comes to mind when you think about continuous improvement? Hopefully you believe it’s a leadership responsibility we all share each and every day. “CI” doesn’t discriminate based on seniority, title, pay grade or job function. Good ideas can come from everywhere. And in a changing environment where what worked…

Whose “Guy” Are You?

April 20, 2015 Communication Influence Strategic Thinking

“I’ve got a guy.” That was one of the key messages of a sales training event I visited recently. The new sales consultants were supposed to realize they didn’t need to know everything about the services they were providing – they had plenty of other “experts” to support various parts of the…

Handling Unexpected Setbacks Like a Winner

April 6, 2015 Strategic Thinking

What happens when you fall down? I have a pastor friend whose church plant recently had to shut its doors after a couple years of financial, emotional and time sacrifices. Another friend’s restaurant wasn’t able to renew the property lease and now it’s closed. Several colleagues have had high profile work…

Jump Start Your Next Big Thing!

January 5, 2015 Change Strategic Thinking

A new year is often a great opportunity for new beginnings. But the truth is, we can get a new start anytime. New jobs, new projects, new goals, new hobbies – the possibilities are endless. When was the last time you started something new? If you’re just getting started now,…

How SMART Are Your Goals?

November 11, 2013 Coaching Leadership Personal Effectiveness planning Strategic Thinking

Zig Ziglar once said that “a goal properly set is halfway reached.” I don’t know about you, but I always figured if I could get a 50% head start in anything, I’d take it! Of course it can take a lot of effort to slug through the dog days of…

But What If I Can’t Delegate?

October 21, 2013 Communication Delegation Expectations Leadership Organizational Effectiveness Personal Effectiveness planning Strategic Thinking

“I don’t like to micro manage,” my friend lamented. “But even when I set clear expectations and deadlines, I find myself having to guide the entire process or else the ball gets dropped. Is that an employee issue or a leadership issue?” It’s hard enough to want to delegate in…

How Do You Diagnose an Organization?

October 14, 2013 Culture Human Resources Influence Leadership Organizational Effectiveness Questions Strategic Thinking

You’ve just been assigned to fix a problem or design a solution for an organization, department or team. Maybe you’ve been brought in as a consultant or joined a cross-functional task force. Regardless, management wants results. Where do you start? Just like in medicine, the last thing a change practitioner…

How to Measure Learning Programs Using the Kirkpatrick Evaluation Model

August 12, 2013 Engagement Human Resources Learning Organizational Effectiveness Strategic Thinking

All of a sudden you get put in charge of building a new training course for your organization. It could be leadership training, professional training or technical training. Doesn’t matter. So you do the hard work of analyzing the learning needs, developing objectives, designing content, coordinating the event and finally…

6 Ways to Change Your Learning Culture

July 8, 2013 Culture Human Resources Learning Organizational Effectiveness Strategic Thinking

When you were growing up, you probably spent hours sitting in a classroom listening to teachers deliver lecture after lecture in school. Now, as an adult employee, the thought of sitting through company training seems boring, unproductive, pointless and wasteful compared to actual work you could be doing. And if…

3 Things Strategic Leaders ALWAYS Do

June 24, 2013 Guest Post Influence Organizational Effectiveness Personal Effectiveness Strategic Thinking

Hopefully you’ve given significant thought to the questions “what is a leader?” and “what do leaders do?” Almost everyone has an opinion. Folks who value execution say, “leaders should drive results.” Folks who value relationships say, “Leadership should inspire others to reach their potential.” Folks who value authority say, “leaders…