( B2-C1 ) Pré-Expert B2-C1 — Leçon 15

Advanced Problem Solving & Strategic Thinking

Root causes, options, risk assessment, strategic decisions and action plans.

Résolution avancée de problèmes et pensée stratégique · Leçon 15 / 20

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( 01 ) Introduction

🎯 Objectifs de la leçon

12 objectifs · 75–90 minutes

Cette quinzième leçon développe le langage de l’analyse de problèmes complexes et de la pensée stratégique : causes profondes, options, compromis, risques, décisions, plans d’action et indicateurs de suivi.

Analyser des problèmes complexes.

Identifier les causes profondes.

Distinguer symptômes et causes.

Proposer plusieurs solutions.

Comparer différentes options.

Évaluer les risques.

Prendre des décisions stratégiques.

Établir des priorités.

Anticiper les obstacles.

Présenter un plan d’action.

Défendre une recommandation professionnelle.

Utiliser un langage avancé de résolution de problèmes.

( 02 ) Vocabulary

📚 Advanced Vocabulary

A. Problem Solving

problem

problème

issue

question / problème

challenge

défi

obstacle

difficulty

difficulté

complication

bottleneck

goulot d’étranglement

constraint

contrainte

limitation

limite

symptom

symptôme

root cause

cause profonde

underlying cause

cause sous-jacente

contributing factor

facteur contributif

consequence

conséquence

impact

risk

risque

threat

menace

opportunity

opportunité

priority

priorité

objective

objectif

outcome

résultat

solution

alternative

option

trade-off

compromis

contingency

imprévu / solution de repli

scenario

scénario

strategy

stratégie

action plan

plan d’action

decision

décision

implementation

mise en œuvre

B. Strategic Thinking

strategic thinking

pensée stratégique

strategic planning

planification stratégique

long-term vision

vision à long terme

short-term objective

objectif à court terme

strategic priority

priorité stratégique

strategic goal

objectif stratégique

competitive advantage

avantage concurrentiel

resource allocation

allocation des ressources

decision-making

prise de décision

risk assessment

évaluation des risques

scenario planning

planification par scénarios

contingency planning

planification de secours

stakeholder

partie prenante

stakeholder expectations

attentes des parties prenantes

performance indicator

indicateur de performance

key performance indicator

indicateur clé de performance

feasibility

faisabilité

cost-effectiveness

rapport coût-efficacité

sustainability

durabilité

scalability

capacité à passer à l’échelle

efficiency

efficience

effectiveness

efficacité

long-term impact

impact à long terme

C. Advanced Verbs

identify

identifier

diagnose

diagnostiquer

investigate

enquêter sur

analyze

analyser

assess

évaluer

evaluate

évaluer

prioritize

prioriser

anticipate

anticiper

forecast

prévoir

predict

prédire

compare

comparer

weigh

peser

consider

envisager

determine

déterminer

address

traiter / s’attaquer à

resolve

résoudre

mitigate

atténuer

prevent

prévenir

eliminate

éliminer

minimize

minimiser

maximize

maximiser

allocate

allouer

optimize

optimiser

implement

mettre en œuvre

monitor

suivre / surveiller

review

réexaminer

adapt

adapter

revise

réviser

streamline

rationaliser

strengthen

renforcer

D. Advanced Collocations

identify the root cause

identifier la cause profonde

analyze the underlying problem

analyser le problème sous-jacent

assess the situation

évaluer la situation

evaluate the available options

évaluer les options disponibles

weigh the pros and cons

peser le pour et le contre

consider the potential consequences

envisager les conséquences potentielles

assess the risks

évaluer les risques

identify potential obstacles

identifier les obstacles potentiels

develop a strategic plan

élaborer un plan stratégique

establish clear priorities

établir des priorités claires

allocate resources effectively

allouer efficacement les ressources

make an informed decision

prendre une décision éclairée

reach a strategic decision

parvenir à une décision stratégique

implement a solution

mettre en œuvre une solution

monitor the results

suivre les résultats

measure the impact

mesurer l’impact

mitigate the risks

atténuer les risques

minimize potential losses

minimiser les pertes potentielles

maximize opportunities

maximiser les opportunités

develop a contingency plan

élaborer un plan de contingence

anticipate potential problems

anticiper les problèmes potentiels

address the underlying issue

traiter le problème de fond

achieve a sustainable solution

parvenir à une solution durable

improve operational efficiency

améliorer l’efficacité opérationnelle

align resources with objectives

aligner les ressources sur les objectifs

E. Exemples en contexte

Before choosing a solution, we need to identify the root cause of the delays.

Avant de choisir une solution, nous devons identifier la cause profonde des retards.

The team will evaluate the available options and weigh the pros and cons.

L’équipe évaluera les options disponibles et pèsera le pour et le contre.

We should develop a contingency plan in case demand falls again.

Nous devrions élaborer un plan de contingence au cas où la demande baisserait encore.

Allocating resources effectively is the fastest way to improve operational efficiency.

Allouer efficacement les ressources est le moyen le plus rapide d’améliorer l’efficacité opérationnelle.

( 03 ) Expressions

💡 Useful Advanced Expressions

A. Identifier un problème

The main issue appears to be...

Le problème principal semble être…

The underlying problem seems to be...

Le problème sous-jacent semble être…

We need to identify the root cause.

Nous devons identifier la cause profonde.

There are several factors contributing to this problem.

Plusieurs facteurs contribuent à ce problème.

The situation is more complex than it initially appears.

La situation est plus complexe qu’il n’y paraît au départ.

B. Analyser

We need to look at the problem from several perspectives.

Nous devons examiner le problème sous plusieurs angles.

Let's examine the potential consequences.

Examinons les conséquences potentielles.

We should consider both the short-term and long-term implications.

Nous devrions considérer les implications à court et à long terme.

One factor that should not be overlooked is...

Un facteur à ne pas négliger est…

We need to distinguish between the symptoms and the underlying causes.

Nous devons distinguer les symptômes des causes sous-jacentes.

C. Proposer des solutions

One possible approach would be to...

Une approche possible serait de…

A more effective solution might be to...

Une solution plus efficace serait peut-être de…

We could consider...

Nous pourrions envisager…

Another option would be to...

Une autre option serait de…

A long-term solution would involve...

Une solution à long terme impliquerait…

D. Comparer les options

We need to weigh the advantages and disadvantages.

Nous devons peser les avantages et les inconvénients.

The main advantage of this approach is...

Le principal avantage de cette approche est…

The main drawback is...

Le principal inconvénient est…

This option appears to be more feasible.

Cette option semble plus réalisable.

From a long-term perspective, this may be more sustainable.

Dans une perspective de long terme, cela pourrait être plus durable.

E. Prendre une décision

Based on the available evidence, I would recommend...

Sur la base des éléments disponibles, je recommanderais…

Taking all factors into account, I believe we should...

Tous facteurs pris en compte, je pense que nous devrions…

The most practical approach would be to...

L’approche la plus pratique serait de…

We need to balance short-term needs with long-term objectives.

Nous devons équilibrer les besoins à court terme et les objectifs à long terme.

Our decision should be based on clearly defined criteria.

Notre décision doit reposer sur des critères clairement définis.

F. Gérer les risques

We need to assess the risks before committing resources.

Nous devons évaluer les risques avant d’engager des ressources.

The main risk is that costs could increase further.

Le principal risque est que les coûts augmentent encore.

To mitigate this risk, we could introduce a pilot phase.

Pour atténuer ce risque, nous pourrions introduire une phase pilote.

Should the situation deteriorate, we would activate the contingency plan.

Si la situation se détériorait, nous activerions le plan de contingence.

( 04 ) Grammar

🧠 Grammar Focus – Conditionnels, inversions, cause/effet et recommandations

Ces structures permettent de formuler des hypothèses, d’exprimer des causes et des conséquences et de recommander une décision dans un registre professionnel.

A. First, Second, Third & Mixed Conditionals

If we reduce delivery times, customer complaints will decrease.

First conditional : If + présent simple, will + base verbale. Situation réelle et probable dans le futur.

If we invested in automation, we would reduce operating costs.

Second conditional : If + prétérit, would + base verbale. Hypothèse peu probable ou imaginaire dans le présent/futur.

If we had identified the root cause earlier, we would have avoided these losses.

Third conditional : If + past perfect, would have + participe passé. Regret ou hypothèse sur le passé.

If we had trained the team last year, we would not be facing this bottleneck now.

Mixed conditional : condition passée (past perfect) + conséquence présente (would + base verbale).

B. Conditional inversion (Had / Were / Should)

Had we anticipated the risk, we would have prepared a contingency plan.

Inversion du third conditional : « Had + sujet + participe passé » remplace « If we had… ». Registre formel.

Were we to postpone the decision, the situation would deteriorate.

Inversion du second conditional : « Were + sujet + to + verbe » remplace « If we postponed… ».

Should the costs increase again, we would revise the plan.

Inversion du first conditional : « Should + sujet + verbe » = « If … happens ». Très fréquent à l’écrit professionnel.

C. Cause and effect

The delays were largely due to poor resource allocation.

Due to + nom : exprime la cause.

Costs increased as a result of higher transport prices.

As a result of + nom : conséquence causale.

Demand fell; consequently, margins declined.

Consequently : conséquence, registre formel.

Because the process was never reviewed, errors accumulated.

Because + proposition : cause explicite.

The new procedure led to a significant reduction in complaints.

Lead to + nom : produire un effet.

D. Advanced recommendation structures

I would strongly recommend reviewing the supply chain.

Recommend + gérondif (pas d’infinitif après recommend).

I would suggest that the team be given clearer priorities.

Suggest that + subjonctif (base verbale, sans -s).

It would be advisable to run a pilot before full implementation.

It would be advisable to + base verbale : recommandation prudente.

The most sensible course of action would be to prioritize customer service.

Structure nominale formelle pour recommander.

We might want to consider outsourcing part of the logistics.

Hedging : recommandation atténuée.

( 05 ) Conversation

💬 Solving a Complex Business Problem

John

Mary, customer complaints have risen by twenty per cent this quarter. The main issue appears to be delivery delays.

Mary, les réclamations clients ont augmenté de vingt pour cent ce trimestre. Le problème principal semble être les retards de livraison.

Mary

That may be the symptom rather than the cause. We need to distinguish between the symptoms and the underlying causes.

C’est peut-être le symptôme plutôt que la cause. Nous devons distinguer les symptômes des causes sous-jacentes.

John

Agreed. There are several factors contributing to this problem: warehouse capacity, staff turnover and an outdated planning tool.

D’accord. Plusieurs facteurs contribuent à ce problème : la capacité de l’entrepôt, le turnover et un outil de planification obsolète.

Mary

The situation is more complex than it initially appears. Let's examine the potential consequences of doing nothing.

La situation est plus complexe qu’il n’y paraît. Examinons les conséquences potentielles de l’inaction.

John

If we do nothing, we will lose our three largest accounts within six months.

Si nous ne faisons rien, nous perdrons nos trois plus gros clients d’ici six mois.

Mary

One possible approach would be to reorganise the dispatch schedule immediately.

Une approche possible serait de réorganiser immédiatement le planning d’expédition.

John

A more effective solution might be to address the underlying issue and replace the planning system.

Une solution plus efficace serait peut-être de traiter le problème de fond et de remplacer le système de planification.

Mary

We need to weigh the advantages and disadvantages. The main drawback is cost and a three-month implementation.

Nous devons peser les avantages et les inconvénients. Le principal inconvénient est le coût et une mise en œuvre de trois mois.

John

From a long-term perspective, this may be more sustainable, because it improves operational efficiency permanently.

Dans une perspective de long terme, cela pourrait être plus durable, car cela améliore durablement l’efficacité opérationnelle.

Mary

Then we should assess the risks before committing resources.

Alors nous devrions évaluer les risques avant d’engager des ressources.

John

The main risk is disruption during the transition. To mitigate this risk, we could run a pilot in one region.

Le principal risque est une perturbation pendant la transition. Pour l’atténuer, nous pourrions lancer un pilote dans une région.

Mary

Should the pilot fail, we would keep the current system for another quarter. That is our contingency plan.

Si le pilote échouait, nous conserverions le système actuel un trimestre de plus. C’est notre plan de contingence.

John

Had we anticipated the capacity problem last year, we would have avoided most of these complaints.

Si nous avions anticipé le problème de capacité l’an dernier, nous aurions évité la plupart de ces réclamations.

Mary

True, but let's focus forward. If we had upgraded the tool then, we would not be firefighting now.

C’est vrai, mais concentrons-nous sur la suite. Si nous avions modernisé l’outil à l’époque, nous ne serions pas en gestion de crise aujourd’hui.

John

Taking all factors into account, I believe we should combine a quick fix with a structural solution.

Tous facteurs pris en compte, je pense que nous devrions combiner une solution rapide et une solution structurelle.

Mary

Based on the available evidence, I would recommend prioritising the pilot and reviewing resource allocation.

Sur la base des éléments disponibles, je recommanderais de prioriser le pilote et de revoir l’allocation des ressources.

John

We will monitor the results monthly and measure the impact on complaint volumes.

Nous suivrons les résultats chaque mois et mesurerons l’impact sur le volume de réclamations.

Mary

Our decision should be based on clearly defined criteria: cost, feasibility and long-term impact.

Notre décision doit reposer sur des critères clairement définis : coût, faisabilité et impact à long terme.

Questions de compréhension

1. What does Mary say about the delivery delays?

2. Which solution does John consider more effective?

3. How do they plan to mitigate the transition risk?

4. What is their contingency plan?

5. On what criteria should the final decision be based?

Score : 0 / 5

( 06 ) Listening

🎧 The Strategic Approach to Problem Solving

Écoutez le texte (2 à 3 minutes, voix masculine standardisée), puis répondez aux 5 questions.

1. Why do organisations often fail, according to the speaker?

2. What are rising complaints or falling margins usually?

3. What risk does the speaker mention about collecting evidence?

4. What is the purpose of scenario planning?

5. Why must KPIs be defined before implementation?

Score : 0 / 5

( 07 ) Reading

📖 Why Strategic Thinking Matters

Complex problems rarely arrive with a label. They appear as a set of uncomfortable symptoms: costs creeping upward, customers complaining more often, experienced staff resigning without a clear explanation. The instinctive response is to act quickly on whatever is most visible. Strategic thinking begins with resisting that instinct long enough to ask what is actually happening and why.

The distinction between symptoms and root causes is the foundation of the discipline. A delivery delay may be caused by a warehouse bottleneck, which is itself caused by a planning tool that cannot handle seasonal peaks, which exists because an investment was postponed three years ago. Treating the delay alone guarantees its return. Addressing the underlying issue is slower, less visible and considerably more effective.

Prioritisation follows analysis. Few organisations can address every problem simultaneously, and pretending otherwise spreads resources so thinly that nothing improves. Establishing clear priorities means accepting that some genuine problems will wait. The criteria should be explicit: impact on customers, financial consequences, urgency, and whether solving one issue automatically reduces others.

Limited resources also force trade-offs. Every euro allocated to automation is not available for training; every week spent piloting a solution delays its full implementation. Strategic thinkers do not hide these trade-offs behind optimistic language. They state them, quantify them where possible, and explain why the chosen balance is defensible.

Uncertainty complicates everything. No analysis eliminates it, and waiting for certainty is itself a decision, usually a poor one. The practical response is scenario planning combined with contingency planning. If the market recovers, the plan scales up; if it deteriorates, a predefined fallback activates. Were an organisation to plan for only one future, it would be unprepared for the others.

Flexibility must therefore be built into the plan rather than added when it fails. That means short review cycles, indicators that reveal problems early, and a culture in which revising a decision is treated as competence rather than weakness. Had many failing projects been reviewed honestly after three months, their losses would have been a fraction of the eventual total.

Finally, strategic thinking requires a long-term vision. Short-term fixes that damage capability, morale or reputation are not solutions; they are deferred costs. The strongest recommendations balance immediate relief with structural improvement, and they explain how success will be measured. Based on that combination of analysis, honesty about trade-offs and measurable follow-up, an organisation can make decisions that remain defensible even when circumstances change.

1. What does strategic thinking require at the start?

2. Why is treating a delivery delay alone insufficient?

3. What does establishing clear priorities imply?

4. How should trade-offs be handled?

5. What does the text say about short-term fixes?

Score : 0 / 5

( 08 ) Speaking

🗣️ Speaking Practice – Problem Solving & Strategic Thinking

Répondez à chaque question dans un registre professionnel et structuré, enregistrez-vous puis réécoutez-vous.

How do you usually analyse a complex problem? / Comment analysez-vous habituellement un problème complexe ?

Exemple : I try to identify the root cause before evaluating the available options.