Five reasons to crack into a juicy, nutritious, nutty workshop

Anyone who knows me or reads my stuff knows I love a good metaphor 😊

Recently, I was busy organising the brochure and website for my new workshop - Strategic Thinking in a Nutshell - and of course, I was looking for an image of a nutshell! My very clever designer talked me out of distracting the audience from the core topic of the workshop with a picture of nuts, but I couldn't resist the chance to write about it. Turns out there are quite a few connections between my workshop and actual nuts and nutshells…

There were pictures of nuts being cracked by nut-crackers.

What do we know about cracking nuts? Nuts are hard to crack.

So too for understanding strategic thinking, it can be a hard nut to crack. Unless you have an expert guide of course, or the leverage of a nut-cracker. In other words, I've done the work for you sussing out what this thing is and why it's a big deal. In half a day, you and your team can crack into a shared understanding for yourselves.

There were pictures of nuts in shells with a bit of shell broken off and the nut just peeking out, looking like the nut was being 'revealed'.

This makes me think of the first person who ever discovered a nut inside a shell. How exciting after the effort to crack into this very hard casing to have it reveal a juicy morsel that you then discover both tastes good and gives you great energy! Strategy and strategic thinking can be a bit of a mystery. It can feel like there's something important hiding behind an impenetrable exterior that you can't quite get to.

The Strategic Thinking in a Nutshell workshop reveals the juicy morsels you need to know. Like a definition and process for strategic thinking which I refer to as a 'meta-framework'. It makes other definitions and processes make sense - and often highlights their gaps. The workshop also goes a step further and 'reveals' the competencies needed to be an effective strategic thinker. Suddenly, everything seems much clearer and less mysterious!

There were pictures of nuts as part of a nutritious breakfast…

Nutritious indeed! Nuts are packed with good fats for energy, and essential nutrients. They keep us satisfied and healthy in so many ways. And honestly, so does strategic thinking!

Like healthy food, strategic thinking is not something that should be indulged in once a year on a retreat. You are not going to see real gains that way. It is something you need as a regular part of your thinking diet. Like 'being a healthy eater', strategic thinking is a 'way of being' which can permeate all of your thinking and keep you constantly tracking towards your goals.

I'm getting carried away though. If you really want to learn how to become a strategic thinker, do the full eight week programme (STDP). The Strategic Thinking in a Nutshell workshop will give you a sneak peek into why strategic thinking is so nutritious in a professional, leadership and organisational sense.

There were pictures of nuts presented as gifts…

The skill of strategic thinking is truly a gift. And once it is grasped, it is a gift that keeps on giving. That's because it keeps us moving towards the things that matter. I don't know one professional who doesn't want to see impact and results of some sort in their work. Most workplace frustrations boil down to difficulties with making headway towards achieving goals. The Strategic Thinking in a Nutshell workshop will show you exactly what I mean by this.

Have you ever noticed that a whole walnut looks uncannily like a brain??

The brain is an incredible thing, and it has special ways of tripping us up. Any understanding of strategic thinking or what it means to be a strategic thinker is not complete without some basic cognitive psychology and neuroscience. This is a big part of the full Strategic Thinker Development Programme, and is touched on in the nutshell workshop.

Now that you are both feeling hungry, AND dying to know more about this workshop, here's the link: www.ninafield.co.nz/nutshell-workshop