Final answer:
Structured thinking involves recognizing the problem, organizing information, and revealing gaps and opportunities, which are essential steps before implementing solutions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The key elements of structured thinking involve a few critical steps that help in the problem-solving process. First, recognizing the current problem or situation is essential as it serves as the foundation for understanding what needs to be addressed. Next is organizing information, which involves methodically arranging data and insights to make sense of the situation at hand. Additionally, revealing gaps and opportunities is another element that can lead to more effective problem-solving by identifying what is missing or what can be capitalized upon in the current framework. While implementing a solution is part of problem-solving, it is generally considered a subsequent step after structured thinking has helped to map out the strategy. Through various approaches such as brainstorming, idea dumps, and seeking expert information, one can effectively utilize structured thinking to address complex issues.