Intelligence Tools for the Digital Age (Coursera)

First, this course explains some of the skills that will command a premium in the digital age, and why. Then, it offers you mental models and practical frameworks developed by the US intelligence community to give you a cognitive edge understanding the digital world. This edge is not about spying or secrets. It’s about better thinking. This analytic toolkit has nothing to do with tired, static MBA-style strategy frameworks. Instead, these tools to help you come to grips with the volatility, uncertainty, ambiguity and deception of the digital age. Ultimately, this course makes the case that as the world becomes more digital, your future success depends most of all on asking better questions of both yourself and others. Therefore, it teaches you how to adopt an intelligence analyst’s question-asking mindset. In short, take this course to acquire a sustainable business advantage through clearer, more structured thinking.

Syllabus

WEEK 1: A Toolkit for the Digital Future: Intelligence Analysis for the Business Professional

WEEK 2: The Intelligence Analyst’s Mindset

WEEK 3: Intelligence Methods: Analysis, Part One (Macro Actors) The Case of Chinese Rare Earth Elements

WEEK 4: Intelligence Methods Analysis, Part Two: Micro actors (understanding people/organizations)