Four Ways of Introducing new Concepts for Strategic Choice

Abstract

This short guide to alternative learning strategies for introducing the principles and methods of the Strategic Choice Approach was put together by John Friend in 1986, in response to two enquiries at the time when he left the Tavistock Institute to start his own consulting business. The four strategies discussed are: (1) an introductory lecture offering an alternative perspective of planning; (2) work in small groups on a realistic multi-stage planning exercise; (3) a mutual consulting workshop based on live problems facing individuals; and (4) a live planning workshop with a group facing a shared problem situation. Some guidelines for management of such a workshop are offered in IOR1988Workshops.doc. While these guidelines have since stood the test of time, an additional resource has since been introduced by the development of interactive software which offers an alternative vehicle for use of the graphical toolbox of the Strategic Choice Approach as an aid to communication. This has been found especially useful as an aid to one-to-one consulting and in smaller group meetings where an emergent planning situation calls for a more spontaneous response than the convening of a full-scale workshop. The software has also been used to good effect to guide the final plenary demonstration to explore in more depth a problem facing an individual participant which has been selected by voting at the end of a mutual consulting workshop. For an example, see IORFoodLincs.doc.