IntroductionLearning is one of the fundamental elements for success in a professional career. As far as the US Army is concerned, there are two types of skills: technical knowledge and tactical knowledge. You can have technical knowledge without tactical knowledge but not the other way around. Technical knowledge is nothing more than knowing how a book tells you to do something, but employing that knowledge is tactical knowledge. In the military, one of the ways we gain technical knowledge is through institutional learning. The United States Army Sergeants Major Academy (USASMA) is one of those institutions as well as the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) that oversees the Intermediate Level Education (ILE) program for majors. I will discuss how the technical knowledge I have acquired here at USASMA can be appropriately employed in an operational assignment. The knowledge gained from the C100 block is important for a future Operations Sergeants Major because it provides newly graduated USASMA and ILE program students with the same core institutional knowledge and can speak the same language. Topics I will discuss C121 (Introduction to critical thinking and problem solving), C122 (creative thinking, logic and decision making) and C123 (evaluation). I have heard that these courses are related in one way or another and to become a better planner one should do their best to master these areas. I'm not claiming that these are the three most important topics discussed, but I will say that for planning purposes these courses can pay huge dividends at any level, from battalion, to division and above. The most important thing in knowing these subjects is the Sergeant Major's skill and... center of paper... allows the staff to think outside the box and not be afraid to recommend new or unproven training courses. action, if incorporated into the planning process. This type of thinking can be very useful when addressing a problem that has not been presented before or is unfamiliar to the group. It is extremely important to be very careful when using creative thinking and not allow false assumptions to creep into the thinking process. They can have a negative effect on the outcome and could certainly have important strategic implications. As long as creative thinking is applied correctly, it can be a tremendous asset in planning by seeking new and innovative ways to solve problems. Even a family problem can be solved better and more efficiently this way. The key is not to stifle this thought process. It's very easy to ignore this, especially if time is of the essence.