Purpose

To give executive participants a clear, practical opportunity to apply critical thinking and sound decision-making under real-world pressure.

Scenario Overview

You are the executive team of a company facing a major decision.

Your company, SummitTech, has been successful in a core market (digital logistics), but is now dealing with:

A loss of a major client.
An offer to merge with a larger competitor.
Staff morale issues.
Pressure to innovate in a new product area.

Your task: Decide on a strategic path forward.

Time Required

90 minutes total

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Situation Briefing (10 minutes)

Participants are divided into small teams (3–6 people). Each team receives:

A one-page company overview.
A short briefing outlining the current challenges.

Task: Review the situation and clarify what’s known, unclear, or assumed.

Step 2: Strategic Options (15 minutes)

Teams identify 3 possible options the company could take.
Examples: accept the merger, launch a new product, cut costs and refocus, etc.

Task: Briefly list pros and cons for each option.

Step 3: Choose and Justify (20 minutes)

Each team chooses one final decision and explains:

Why this option is best.
What risks they considered.
What assumptions they’re making.

Use the worksheet provided to organize your thinking.

Step 4: Present to the Group (15 minutes)

Each team presents their final decision (3–5 minutes per team).

Facilitator or peers may ask one follow-up question to challenge the thinking.

Step 5: Group Reflection (10 minutes)

Facilitator leads a short debrief:

What shaped your decision?
Were any biases at play?
What would you do differently with more time or better data?

Step 6: Takeaway Tool (5 minutes)

All participants receive:

A simple Critical Thinking Checklist (to use in real decisions).
A One-Page Debrief Guide for use with their teams back at work.

Key Materials (Provided)

Scenario Brief (1 page)
Team Worksheet
Critical Thinking Checklist
One-Page Debrief Template

Learning Outcomes

Practice clear and structured thinking.
Recognize the role of assumptions and incomplete data.
Improve confidence in complex decisions.
Learn a simple decision framework to take back to the workplace.

Capstone Activity: Strategic Thinking Simulation