[Neurons] A Promotion of STRATEGIC THINKING ---- Why Getting the book is a Great Strategy

Mon Apr 28 18:03:55 EDT 2025

From: L. Michael Hall

Neurons Promotion

Why Reading Strategic Thinking

Is a great Strategy!

STRATEGIC THINKING

A Deep Dive to Become a Skilled Strategist

Preface                             6

Part I: Introduction
10

1. The Human Dimension of

     Thinking
11

     Forms of Non-Thinking

     Thinking as Questioning

     Thinking as Comparing

     Thinking Stimulus: Problems

     Kinds of Thinking

2. Defining Strategic Thinking
19

     What is it?

     Facets of Strategic Thinking

     Implications of Strategic Thinking

     Strategic Understanding

3. Strategic Thinking Pattern
30

    Well-Formed Outcome Questions

4. Strategic Data Points
50

    Data Points in Strategic Thinking

    Strategic Vulnerability 

    Strategic Declarations

5. Strategic Purpose
59

    Strategic Data Points

    Intentionality and Intentions

5. Who Needs Strategic Thinking
68

    Dreamers and Performers

    Synergizing Strategic Thinking

Part II: Strategies
76

7. Linear Strategies
77

    The NLP Strategy Model

     The Strategy Code

8. Stimulus-Response Strategies
85

     The TOTE Model

     Origin of the NLP Model

9. Meta-Level Strategies
94

    Meta-State Model

    Meta to the Hidden Structures

    Going Meta to the Meta Place

10. Strategic Resilience
107

    Resilience Linear Stages

    Deep Inside that Strategy

    Resilience's Hidden Meta-Levels

    Modeling the Meta-Levels

Part III: 

Strategic Thinking Power
122

11. Strategic Grounding
123

       When Facts Become Strategic

       Facts as Meaning Constructs

       Testing Meta-Facts

       Facts and Opinions

12. Implementing Strategically
135

       Strategic Actions

       Strategic Interventions

       Strategies as Patterns

       "Running a Pattern"

13. Strategic Problem-Solving
148

      The Glorious Side of Problems

       "Problem" and Its Implications

       Problem Definition

       Pseudo-Problems

14. Strategic Change
160

      Principles and Processes of               Change

15. Strategic Thinking as Flow
166

       The State of Flow

       The Steps of Flow

        Psychic Energy in Flow 

16. Strategic Thinking Games
171

      Games 

       Chess and Strategic Thinking

Part IV: 

After Strategic Thinking
177

17. Beyond Strategic Thinking
178

       Being-cognition

       Humorous Thinking

18. Going Forward with 

      Strategic Thinking's
187

Appendices
193

   A: The Thinking Series

   B: The Meta-Model Questions

   C: Cognitive Distortions List

   D: Cognitive Biases List

   E: Evaluation of Strategic Skills

   F: Why Nothing about Business  

        Strategies?

Bibliography
201

Author: L. Michael Hall
208

Neuro-Semantics
211

RECOMMENDATIONS

"After reading Strategic Thinking, I realized I could have reached even
greater heights in my soccer career.  The insights and strategies it offers
would have helped me become more resilient, confident, and focused,
especially during challenging times.  Instead of doubting myself or
hesitating, I would have had the tools to stay on track toward my goals.

Strategic Thinking emphasizes the importance of focus and thinking more
strategically, which would have been invaluable for navigating tough
periods. Now, I feel equipped to approach my life with more clarity and
purpose.  I've learned how to think and act strategically rather than
letting emotions take control, giving me a sense of personal empowerment I
didn't have before.  If you struggle with perfectionism, I highly recommend
this book. It's a chance to live more fully as you take meaningful steps
toward your goal."

Magnus Hedman

Former World Cup Soccer Player, Sweden.

Professional Corporate & Leadership Coach

Sweden

"Most of our thinking is strategic, whether or not we're aware of it.  In
Strategic Thinking, Michael masterfully brings the typically unconscious
processes of strategic thinking into conscious awareness, offering a
practical framework for purposeful action.  This book is essential reading
for leaders, coaches, parents, and anyone eager to live with greater
clarity, tackle challenges effectively, and create the life they truly
desire.  Rather than presenting a ready-made strategy for problem-solving,
it equips readers with the tools to think strategically in real time-an
indispensable skill in our rapidly changing world."

Jason Schneider

Founder of the Perception Academy

Master Trainer in Neuro-Semantics

"If you thought you knew what strategic thinking is: think again.  This
book, Strategic Thinking, will give you a completely new understanding about
it.  Michael Hall is a genius of our time!  This is a must read!"

Omar Salom

Director General, Salom Change Dynamics

Neuro-Semantic Trainer and Meta-Coach

Columbia

PREFACE

"Strategy is about the future and therefore involves uncertainty."

                                           Heijden , Scenarios (2005)

S

trategic thinking is what we all do.  You think strategically and so do I.
In fact, you cannot not do this kind of thinking.  It's built into the very
fabric of consciousness since your mind is designed to enable you to figure
out what will, or could, happen and how to response if it does.  Thinking
strategically means you compare two things, Now and Then.  Where am I now?
Do I like where I am and what I'm experiencing?  Where would I like to be?
How much better could things be?  If you entertain these comparative
questions-you are doing strategic thinking.

Yet effective strategic thinking is so much more.  Additionally, you can do
strategic thinking well or you can do it poorly.  You can learn to become a
highly skilled strategic thinker.  And if not, if you fail to do the
necessary strategic thinking, you will suffer the misery of disappointment
and the grief of selling yourself short of your potentials.

Question: What happens when you aren't able to do effective strategic
thinking?  The answer: A lot of very unpleasant things!

           You won't be able to solve problems effectively.  In fact, you
will probably end up trying to solve pseudo-problems without knowing it or
knowing why you're so frustrated.

           You won't be able to effectively set and achieve goals.  You
then may falsely conclude that goal-setting is a bunch of BS.  "Goal setting
doesn't work.  Why should I waste my time on that?"

           You won't be able to effectively use your intentional thinking.
Consequently, you won't be able to create a prioritized set of values which
will inform and guide your decisions and choices.

           You won't be able to effectively anticipate the future.
Consequently, you will not become "the architect of your future."  Your
forecasting of the future will be off and with it your anticipations, hope,
and expectations.

           You won't experience a strong sense of control over the use of
your mind or abilities.  You will probably feel out-of-control and a victim
of  fate or circumstances.  Without self-efficacy, striving for any form of
excellence or expertise will seem out of the question.

           You won't be able to discipline your mind (thoughts), emotions,
or behaviors to deliver on your desired objectives.  All sorts of
interferences will disrupt your progress so you won't achieve what you set
out to achieve.

Now who would want any of that?  I don't!  When your strategic thinking
ability is low or undeveloped-you are more likely to feel like a victim.
You will then talk and act like a victim rather than a victor.  Strategic
thinking puts you in the driver's seat of life so that you decide where to
go and what to do with your talents, skills, and energies.

Coming Surprises about Strategic Thinking

I think you will be delightfully surprised by many of the things that you'll
discover in the coming pages about strategic thinking.  I was, and I
continue to be surprised by some of them.

The first surprise is that strategic thinking is more profound and deeper
than you probably expect.  It certainly surprised me on several accounts.
What I anticipated as I contemplated writing this book ("strategic thinking
is straightforward and obvious") and where the research and writing took me
(strategic thinking goes deep into human psychology) are two very different
things.  I was surprised about all that's involved and implied in strategic
thinking.  The good news is that strategic thinking is not rocket science.
Starting from common, everyday human thinking, you can easily learn the
skills and become a skilled strategist. 

The next surprise was that there's an entire discipline for learning
strategic thinking.  It is so much more than just setting goals.  Most
people have some ideas about what strategic thinking is.  When asked, "What
is strategic thinking?" people say things like, "You know how to do
something," "You are deliberate in what you want," and/or "You'll make fewer
mistakes."  Now while these statements are generally true, they are far too
general.  They poorly define strategic thinking and fail to direct someone
toward the true brilliance that is inside of effective strategic thinking.

Another surprise.  I was surprised to discover that strategic thinking is a
dynamic which occurs in nearly every other thinking skill.  I didn't expect
that.  Yet it is inside of critical thinking, creative thinking, deciding,
learning, metaphorical thinking, predictive thinking, and on and on.
Without strategic thinking, your ability with these other thinking
competencies would be severely limited.

A surprise for NLP trained people will be that the biggest and most
impactful aspect of the Strategy Model occurs not in the step-by-step
analysis of a strategy, but what occurs at the meta-levels.  That's why many
NLP strategies do not work.  They ignore the hidden frames at the
meta-levels which are essential to the strategy.  When you discover this
surprise, it will open your eyes to a whole new realm where the strategic
"magic" occurs. 

In the coming chapters you will discover the surprise of the soft side of
strategic thinking.  Now referring to "the soft side" calls attention to
human fallibility, uncertainty, chance, unconscious factors, etc.  Yet I had
never before connected it to strategic thinking.  I found that to be a
fascinating insight as I hope you will.

Similarly, while I had written extensively about facts-what they are, how to
identify them, how much you can trust them, etc., I had not realized the
role facts play in strategic thinking, namely, strategic grounding.  That's
not only important, it is critical.  Without strategic grounding, any and
every strategy will be ineffective in the real world.

Strategic actions led to the surprise regarding the role of lead measures-
actions you measure which lead to your outcome-as the most powerful way to
ensure you are on the right pathway for achieving your goals.  These lead
measures and actions stand in contrast to lag measures which is what most
people and most organizations use.  But inasmuch as a lag measure refers to
something already done, something in the past, it is useless if you want to
know the actions you can use to influence your objectives.

When I wrote about strategic interventions, and how to use strategies which
have already been developed, I realized that those patterns actually
represent a fairly recent development in training, coaching, and personal
development.  Patterns as formalized strategies arose from the developers in
the Human Potential Movement as they were doing strategic thinking -trying
to figure out how various experts were able to do what they were doing.

In the chapter on problem-solving, I introduced what many will find most
surprising, namely, the glorious nature of problems. That's not only because
problems activate our thinking and our creativity, but provides us with a
challenge which will mobilize our potentials.

Then there is the surprise of strategic thinking's relationship to the state
of flow.  At first glance, it seems that strategizing and flowing are two
radically different experiences.  How surprised will you be to find that
they are not?  Amazingly, strategizing can actually be a great flow
experience.

Finally, there is the fact that there are at least two thinking skills which
do not involve strategic thinking.  Because these are non-instrumental
thinking capacities, you are able to move beyond strategic thinking to be
totally present in the moment in your being-cognition and simply enjoy the
values that strategic thinking delivers.  And in those moments of
being-cognition, you might very well experience being-amusement-humor.
That's Maslow's description of the kind of humor that arises in
being-cognition. Here you enjoy the experience for itself as it becomes an
end-value rather than a means-value to some other end.

In addition to the surprises you will encounter about strategic thinking, as
you learn what strategic thinking is, and how to develop it, you will be
changed.  You will become an effective strategist yourself.  Thinking
strategically, when you so choose, will enable you to achieve your goals,
take charge of your life, unleash your potentials, and become highly
productive.  Learn it well, and it will change your life!

Finally, what about laughable strategies?  There are a thousand-there are a
thousand strategies which people have come up by which to try to achieve
some desired goal, but which are so ridiculous. They are so much laughable,
they are a joke.  To lighten the mood, I have put these at the end of
chapters under, For A Moment for Strategic Fun.

How to Buy the Actual Physical Book 

              Order it on www.neurosemantics.com come.

              But that will cost you $25 plus shipping.

Outside of the USA the shipping obviously is the problem.

Or order it through Pay-a-Statement and get 20% discount.

·       1 book  $20 plus shipping ($10 inside the USA; $40 outside).   The
US  post office has made this not such a good deal.

·       3 books in one package: $15 a book so $45 plus $40 --- $85.  Order
for 2 friends, each pay $28.33 and that includes the book and the shipping.

·       Pay A Statement <https://www.neurosemantics.com/pay-a-statement/> 

L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.

Executive Director, ISNS

738 Beaver Lodge

Grand Jct., CO. 81505 USA

meta at acsol.net

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