In my ongoing work with organizations and decision makers, a host of problems, issues, and opportunities repeatedly surface. My client may raise a topic worthy of wide thinking or I may see its shape looming around us as we work toward a better future.

The tragedy of a lost Boeing 777 airliner and its passengers has dominated the news, starting with 24/7 coverage by CNN. This news coverage has spawned and forwarded many theories about just what happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, some simple, some complex, some as far-fetched as flying into a black hole. The tremendous divergence of ideas, claims, hypothesis and theories about what transpired with Flight 370 is striking, and even disturbing if the standard by which to judge the thinking is logic. The torrent of conversation about Flight 370 offers an opportunity to explore how strategic thinking can be used to best assess a complex situation.  The applicable points for organizational strategists seeking to find the best path to a better future include situation/SWOT analysis, strategy formulation and risk assessment.