Overview
Learn how to solve complex problems in a business environment using analysis-based decision making.
As an engineer in a leadership position, you will be faced with new responsibilities and tasks. These may include developing a business (unit) strategy and a business plan or being involved in strategic planning. Your success in dealing with these new responsibilities will largely depend on your ability to have a helicopter view of a situation and to make sound decisions.
In order to make decisions to move organizations forward, leaders will need to ensure that business goals are achievable and well-balanced while also taking into account the uncertainty of future developments. In a complex business environment, a sound strategy is the result of applying an analytical mindset and using a systematic approach to decision making.
This course will help you to build and apply an analytical toolkit including:
- stakeholder goal trees to develop a clear set of measurable goals,
- scenarios to prepare for future situations that may be different from what you expect,
- multi-criteria analysis to assess which decisions can help you reach your goals.
The focus of the course will be on utilizing your analytical skills in a business context, allowing you to unravel complex situations requiring decisions.
Upon completion of this course, you will have been introduced to an analytical mindset and toolkit, and you will have used these in order to write a managerial summary of a business situation analysis to inform an effective decision for your business strategy.
What you'll learn
- How to use a systematic approach to successfully deal with complex decision situations
- How to develop stakeholder goal trees, draw up scenarios, and conduct a multi-criteria analysis
- How to employ an analytical mindset through writing a managerial summary of a business situation analysis that helps your organization move in the desired direction
Quote from student
I am an engineer and often have to lead a team to finish work projects. For most of my career I feel I have been enhancing only my technical skills with less effort to build my leadership skills. Learning new skills will always be a good investment! - Davel Sihombing, Indonesia
Details
Course Syllabus
Get started with effective decision making
Course structure, familiarize yourself with the virtual learning environment, complete your profile, meet your fellow learners and the e-moderator
Week 1: Scenario analysis
- Introduction to Complexity
- Apply to your own case
- Reflecting on your application
- Adapting your case
- Accompanying reading for this course
Week 2: Stakeholder analysis
- Introduction to Actors and Power-Interest
- Apply to your own case
- Reflecting on your application
- Adapting your case
Week 3: Goal analysis and criteria
- Introduction to Goals and Criteria
- Apply to your own case
- Ask the Professor
- Reflecting on your application
- Adapting your case
- Leadership in practice: Interviews with managers about their experience with the analytical mindset
Week 4: Multi criteria decision analysis
- Introduction to Scenarios and System Interventions
- Application to your own case
- Reflecting video on your application
- Adapting your case
- Leadership in practice: Interviews with managers about their experience with the analytical mindset
Week 5: Formulate a sound business strategy
- Introduction video to Multi Criteria Tables
- Apply to your own case
- Reflecting on your application
- Adapting your case
- Ask the Professor II
- Leadership Pitch
- Managerial Summary Assignment
- Next Steps in the Leadership Series
Bonus week: Leadership Pitch
License
Unless otherwise specified, the Course Materials of this course are Copyright Delft University of Technology and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Admission
This is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that runs on edX.
Prerequisites
The course is designed for individuals who are in a leadership position or preparing for such positions in the future. A few years of experience in an organizational setting will be an advantage, but is not a requirement.
