Section 12A--Strategic Thinking and Results Focus

Question 1

What is the process of organizing, planning, leading, and controlling resources within an entity with the overall aim of achieving established goals?

Answer 1

Organizational management

Question 2

Which management provides leaders the ability to make decisions and resolve issues effectively for the benefit of the organization and its employees?

Answer 2

Organizational management

Question 3

When Airmen think on both a large and small scale, long and short term in order to identify and achieve desired goals, which time of thinking are they employing?

Answer 3

Strategic thinking

Question 4

According to retired USAF general officers, Airmen who identified best and worst case scenarios for how a situation might be resolved, were employing which type of thinking?

Answer 4

Strategic thinking

Question 5

According to retired USAF general officers, Airmen who considered how other stakeholders would be affected by proposed courses of action, were employing which type of thinking?

Answer 5

Strategic thinking

Question 6

According to retired USAF general officers, Airmen who viewed issues from the perspective of more senior leadership (“work your boss’s boss’s problems), were employing which type of thinking?

Answer 6

Strategic thinking

Question 7

Which fundamental component of a strategic thinking mindset is employed when Airmen: look beyond their immediate organization; make use of formal and informal networks and reach out to others with relevant expertise; reach out to peers from past assignments who have dealt with similar issues or to contacts within the other Services?

Answer 7

Intellectual Inclusiveness

Question 8

Which fundamental component of a strategic thinking mindset is demonstrated when Airmen don’t assume they are the smartest person in the room on a given issue (or the only smart person within the room); ask their subordinates for candid feedback on their proposed approach, or explicitly communicate their desire to understand and consider alternate perspectives before making a decision?

Answer 8

Intellectual Humility

Question 9

Which activity of strategic thinking is the identification of emerging patterns in the environment? It consists of taking in, deconstructing, and synthesizing information from different sources, with the goal of applying this information in the future.

Answer 9

Scanning

NOTE: example of scanning includes seeking input from an expert panel and analyzing historical data and trends.

Question 10

Which activity of strategic thinking involves framing issues broadly, exploring problems rather than aiming to solve them immediately, and considering input from all stakeholders?

Answer 10

Questioning

Question 11

Which activity of strategic thinking involves identifying a broad range of options (brainstorming), using various analytic tools and techniques to explore potential solutions, and rejecting options only after exploration?

Answer 11

Conceptualizing

Question 12

Which activity of strategic thinking allows for informed speculation to anticipate the impact of a proposed action on organizational performance?

Answer 12

Testing

Question 13

Which activity of strategic thinking is being applied when an Airmen might initially conduct a role play of how the proposed course of action would be communicated to stakeholders an how they are likely to respond?

Answer 13

Testing

Question 14

Which type of goal focuses on how individuals contribute to the group, fostering collaboration and incentivizing support that will help other team members succeed?

Answer 14

Groupcentric goals