In recent years critical thinking skills has become an essential tool for employees and leaders to deal with the ever-changing market forces. Organizations where staff are able to think clearly and systematically can improve their work performance and the way ideas and solutions are expressed. To become an excellent critical thinker requires the application of the right mindset, thinking skills and strategies that will allow staff to develop the ability to assess any situation and provide solutions to meet the best-case scenario. Sun Tzu’s Art of War stratagem will be an excellent metaphor and parable to direct one’s thinking into a critical thinking mode to overcome “business wars”.

Objective

In this Sun Tzu’s Art of War stratagem workshop, you will gain and learn:

• To appreciate the underlying meaning of the Sun Tzu’s Art of War stratagem aligned to critical thinking skill
• To become a better problem solver, finding solutions and making more effective decisions when dealing with obstacles in the business battlefields
• To hone one’s critical thinking skill and gain confidence by learning to build productive and effective work performance that can enhance one’s career

Outline

This workshop strives to allow participants to gain guidance towards outmanoeuvring rather than fighting the problems by looking at the application of relevant Sun Tzu’s Art of War stratagem within the business domain. This will require critical thinking skills as Sun Tzu said “The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus, do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.”

Program outlines

Essentials of Sun Tzu’s Art of War Stratagem – 13 Chapters made easy

• The Sun Tzu Art of War “Warring Concepts”
• Identifying key concepts used to act as metaphors in critical thinking

Defensive strategy is the essence to critical thinking in solving problems

• Understanding foreknowledge, foresight, actioning, positioning in Sun Tzu’s Art of War concepts to identifying problems
• Reducing chances of failure with concepts of surprise prevention, siege prevention, pre-empting and doing battle

Offensive strategy as a critical thinking for hard and difficult decisions

• The use of “Intelligent” as a tool to create options to solve problems
• Reducing and cutting losses to recoup and reorganize for future wins and sustainability

Movement to “battle” strategy to implement workable business solutions

• Momentum in execution of solutions to gain success as an advantage
• Forecasting the outcome of “business war” that attributes towards success

Who should attend

This workshop will be useful for Supervisors, Managers, Directors in all business functions, particularly for staffs that are involved in business areas that require deep thinking as well as agility to solve problems.

Methodology

Interactive and engaging training with key concepts shared with examples and cases to reinforce learning objectives. Attendees are encouraged to actively participate in discussions and raised questions as part of facilitation.

Testimonial

- Knowledge and strategic is applicable to my real life
Heraeus Materials Singapore Pte Ltd

- Clear, Concise
- Interesting content and activities
- Related real life experience
Heraeus Materials Singapore Pte Ltd

- Very relevant process of critical thinking that can be apply to my work
- Good Learning material with example
- Give good example of case study
Singapore Institute of Technology

Good breakdown of material and explanation with relevant examples. On slides detailing what Sun Tzu said and its applications in business, trainer tended to elaborate a lot but it is slightly harder to follow as online half day training, this is the limitation
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts

Had read some parts of Sun Tzu's and practiced in my life and work. This workshop expounded on his theories which are very applicable to our constantly changing environment especially now
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts

Alan Go's Profile

Dr. Alan Go is the Founder of RISE Education Management and an independent education consultant. He currently serves as Team Lead with Eduvalue, a regional education quality assurance firm, providing management advisory and turnaround strategies. He is also the Principal of Hanbridge Institute in Singapore, the international campus of XiJing University in Xi’an, China.

With more than 25 years of experience, Dr. Go has held senior regional leadership roles as a management executive, entrepreneur, trainer, and educator. Over the past 12 years in education—eight of which were with ERC Institute—he was appointed CEO (Singapore) and COO (Asia), overseeing operations across Singapore and Vietnam.

Highly passionate about learning and human development, he has delivered hundreds of seminars, workshops, and conferences. Dr. Go has mentored numerous executives in enhancing leadership and management capabilities, emphasizing entrepreneurial thinking, design thinking, and critical thinking to cultivate the right mindsets, skills, and behaviours for organizational growth.

A sought-after speaker and corporate trainer, he has conducted engagements across Singapore and Asia on leadership, entrepreneurship, strategic planning, marketing, and personal branding. As a strong advocate of Blue Ocean Strategy and Sun Tzu’s Art of War, he is known for translating strategic concepts into practical application.

Dr. Go holds an Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA) and a WSQ Diploma in Adult and Continuing Education (DACE). He earned a Bachelor of Arts (Distinction) in Journalism (Advertising) from the University of Oklahoma, USA, and a Master of Business Administration (International Business) from Edith Cowan University, Australia, graduating in the top 15% of his cohort. He also holds a Doctorate in Business Administration, with research focused on leadership and sensemaking in driving growth-oriented and resilient private education institutions.