The ability to think strategically is an increasingly important requirement for managers at all organizational levels. HRD (human resource development) professionals have attempted to help develop this ability through work experiences. However, research identifying which work experiences are most beneficial is limited. As a result, HRD efforts may be weakened. This paper presents findings indicating the importance of nine categories of work experiences to developing the ability to think strategically, and specifies their required characteristics. The characteristics vary with the experience but do follow some general themes. (Contains 1 table.)