When it comes to training, many people think of learning a tool or skill: how to use Excel, how to write code, how to do specific tasks. But there’s another kind of learning that doesn’t get as much attention—training for creative thinking or strategic decision-making. This type of learning can’t be reduced to tutorials on how to click the right buttons or apply a formula. It’s about fostering a mindset and approach to problem-solving that can make a transformative difference.
On LinkedIn recently, I initiated a discussion to explore the **softer reasons** why people choose to learn what they do. I was curious about the motivations behind their learning choices, but my question was initially misunderstood. Many took it at face value, responding with the assumption that I was asking about *what* they wanted to learn rather than *why* they wanted to learn it.
Mynda Treacy contributed significantly to this conversation by offering a key insight: when she conducts training, she starts by focusing on where the student is in their journey—on their perception of what the training is for. This shift from teaching features to understanding the purpose behind the training is crucial. It’s not about simply learning the tool; it’s about understanding what the tool enables you to achieve.
Why Mentoring Matters for Strategic Learning.
Here’s where mentoring comes in. Unlike structured classroom-style training that teaches features, mentoring for creative or strategic thinking requires something more tailored and dynamic. The mentor doesn’t just teach *how* to do something—they guide you toward thinking about *why* you are doing it and how to apply it in a meaningful way.
At the core, the mentor needs to understand how you are currently thinking about the challenge at hand, and help you see why a path you took may turn out to be a dead end. It’s a feedback loop.
In creative or strategic learning, the mentee often doesn’t know exactly what they’re looking for. This is where the challenge lies—how can someone find the right mentor when they don’t yet understand what they need to learn? My answer is this: they need a mentor who can help them uncover the right questions, not just provide the answers.
This goes beyond teaching features or specific formulas. It’s about transferring a capability, a way of thinking. In my own journey, I’ve seen this approach work spectacularly. When companies hired me as a regular Excel user, they didn’t expect much beyond the basics. Yet, I was able to triple my pay and gain freedom to choose my own projects because I brought a different perspective: I applied core strategic concepts rather than just features of the tool.
The Limitations of Traditional Training.
Teaching creative thinking or strategic problem-solving can’t be achieved through traditional product demonstrations. You won’t get the skills you need by learning how to do an XLOOKUP or knowing how to do a PivotTable. Or Power Query. While these are useful tools, they don’t teach you how to think, or even that you need to think, and learn to think.
As Mynda Treacy also pointed out, mentoring can be expensive. But that’s because it provides something of tremendous value: the transfer of not just knowledge but also experience and strategic insight. And from my perspective, that’s where the real value lies.
Project-Based Mentoring: The Real-Life Approach.
One method that bridges the gap between theoretical learning and real-world application is project-based learning, but even that needs to be approached in the right way. There are two types of project-based learning:
1. Contrived projects created by the trainer to help students understand principles.
2. Real-life projects the student is actually dealing with in their current work. In their job..
In my view, it’s the second type of project that truly helps someone develop their skills. A student doesn’t need to look far to find an opportunity for learning—there are inefficiencies and broken processes everywhere. Any workplace you are in will have at least one process that can be improved, and those processes are excellent testing grounds for developing creative thinking skills.
Mentoring within a real-life project, where you work through a real-world problem and learn to apply core concepts, is the most valuable training you can receive. It’s not about disrupting or destroying what’s currently in place—it’s about learning to study, think strategically, and apply solutions effectively.
The Core Principle: It’s Simple but Powerful.
The concept we need to teach is deceptively simple. In fact, many people overlook its power because they assume strategic thinking is complex. However, the real challenge isn’t in understanding the concept—it’s in learning how to apply simple foundational principles to real-world problems. And that’s where mentoring plays a key role.
Through real-life applications, we should teach students not just to use tools but to apply a core principle you’ve successfully used to help organizations transform. It’s not something they could learn by picking out random tutorials or figuring out which buttons to click. It’s something deeper—something that only a mentor with experience can teach.
Mentoring with a Program in Mind.
This type of mentoring doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Or by accident. It’s not about someone coming to me with a vague idea of wanting to learn Excel or the latest popular feature that’s trending on social media. Instead, we need to guide them to look for the opportunities, what I call the “low-hanging fruit” or what Hiran calls the “Dirty Dozen” in their workplace—well-known inefficient methods or well-known outdated ways of working that can be transformed using strategic thinking and the right methods.
For example, Nelson, a mentee from Kenya recently approached me with a project that many others in his region were also working on. By applying the core principles I’ve taught him, he’s now able to approach that project with a fresh perspective. That’s the power of mentoring—not just teaching a tool, but enabling someone to think strategically about how to apply it.
Conclusion: The Value of Mentoring for Creative Thinking.
Training for creative thinking or strategic problem-solving is unlike traditional training. It’s not about teaching features or skills in isolation; like a vacuum cleaner salesman selling door to door, it’s about helping people understand how to apply core concepts to make meaningful changes in their work, the environment at work, and beyond. How they connect people within the processes that runs the business. Smoothly. This type of training requires a mentor—someone who has been through the process and knows how to guide others.
But how can they find such people?
The right mentor won’t just give you answers. They’ll help you uncover the right questions and give you the tools to think critically and strategically. And in today’s fast-changing world, that ability is worth far more than knowing how to use the latest software feature. It’s the difference between following instructions and creating your own path.
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This article highlights the importance of mentoring when it comes to learning how to think strategically and creatively. If you’re curious about how to leverage Excel (and other tools) to transform your work and career, let’s connect with others like minded, and explore how mentoring can make a difference.
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