Second Order Thinking Template

Description

This Second Order Thinking template helps you visually map out decisions and their cascading effects through multiple levels of consequences. The slide is structured with a flowchart-like layout, starting with a decision point, followed by first, second, and third-order consequences. Each consequence level is color-coded, allowing for easy identification and understanding of the impact each decision has at different stages.

The decision is represented in a blue box, followed by a series of color-coded consequences in yellow, orange, and red, representing first, second, and third-order consequences, respectively. This template provides ample space for you to fill in specific consequences at each level, helping teams analyze decisions from multiple angles and anticipate future outcomes more thoroughly.

Optimized for both PowerPoint and Google Slides, this template is fully customizable, enabling you to add, remove, or adjust elements as needed. It’s perfect for business analysts, strategists, and decision-makers who want to evaluate long-term impacts, visualize complex decision-making processes, or present a structured analysis of decisions in a clear and engaging format.

Who is it for

This template is ideal for business consultants, project managers, strategists, and decision-makers who need to evaluate decisions through a deeper lens. It is useful for presenting and analyzing both immediate and long-term consequences in team discussions, planning sessions, or strategy meetings.

Other Uses

In addition to decision-making, this slide can be adapted for process analysis, risk assessments, policy evaluations, and educational purposes. It’s ideal for mapping out decision trees, scenario planning, or strategic forecasting.