Strategic Development: Thinking, Planning, Management and Leadership Training Course

Session 1: Strategic Thinking

• Defining the concept of 'Strategic'
• The Three Core Areas of Corporate Strategy
• Process, Content, and Context
• The process connecting the three core areas

Session 2: The Challenges of Leadership

• Distinguishing management from leadership
• Overview of leadership theories
• Expectations of leaders and their teams
• Recognizing key leadership traits
• Attributes of effective leadership
• Inspiration, impact, and charisma in leadership versus isolation
• Transformational leadership

Case Study/Exercise

Session 3: Establishing a Vision

• 'Mission' versus 'Vision'
• Reasons for strategic plan failure and prevention strategies
• Formulating a Robust Vision
• The importance of clarity and measurability
• Gaining buy-in for the vision

Case Study/Exercise

Session 4: Becoming Strategic

• Strategic planning and mindset
• Techniques for strategic thinking
• Communication
• Identifying critical skills for success

Case study/Exercise

Major Case Study Workshop : Participants will work in small groups to devise a plan for launching a new business or strategy, following an analysis of the Current Business Environment and Influences. The plan should assess resources and the current business environment against the defined vision.

Session 5: Analyzing the Current Business Environment and Influences

• External Environments
• The General Environment
• Key Influences and Their Impact
• Business Product/Service Cycles
• Customer Analysis

Case Study/Exercise

Session 6: Analysis of Resources

Analyzing the Organization

• The holistic approach
• Addressing Silo Issues
• Cross-Organizational Assessment
• Assessment criteria:
  • Financial, Human Resources, Operations, Systems, and Style

Case Study/Exercise

Session 7: Motivation and Change Management

• Motivational theory
• Practical motivation techniques
• Money as a motivator
• Change agents
• Resistance to change
• The DREC curve
• Approaches to change management

Case Study/Exercise

Session 8: Establishing the Strategy

• Turning 'Vision into Reality'
• Creating Strategic Movement
• Developing Strategic Options
• Strategy Implications
  1. Identifying Stakeholders
  2. Achieving Cross-Organizational Buy-in
  3. Potential conflict areas
  4. Countering Objections

Case Study/Exercise

Session 9: Projects and Measures of Success

• New Projects versus Business as Usual
• The need for KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
• Measurement approaches
• Utilizing the Scorecard Approach
• Key business drivers and traceability
• Hard and Soft Measures
• Establishing a metrics framework
• Project Tracking
• Risk reporting

Case Study/Exercise

Session 10: The Implementation Process

• Resource allocation, strategic planning, and control
• Planning tools
• Objectives
• Tasks
• Communications
• Resource Allocation
• Resource characteristics
• Building the team
• Projects versus 'Business as Usual'

Case Study/Exercise

Session 11: Managing Strategic Change including Conflict Management

• The role of conflict – is it healthy?
• Conflict as a problem
• Root causes of conflict
• Managing, mitigating, or avoiding conflict
• The impact of change and managing its effects
• Communicating the benefits of change to the organization
• Minimizing negative outcomes
• Keeping the plan on track

Case Study/Exercise

Session 12: Assessing Your Team

• Preparatory work
• Personnel files
• Work Records
• Feedback from other colleagues
• Meetings
• Discussion groups and Forums

Case Study/Exercise: Two participants will role-play a manager and a team member in an initial encounter. The group will de-brief in a friendly manner and discuss the interaction.

Session 13: Dealing With People

• Management styles
• Behavioral styles
• Organizational cultural style
• Organizational and management policy style
• Your personal style
• Meetings
• One-to-one encounters
• Overcoming resistance
• Dealing with superiors
• Presenting issues and challenges to your team

Case Study/Exercise: Your boss requests that you re-allocate some responsibilities. The affected staff are likely to dislike it – they are nervous about change. How would you handle this?

Session 14: Communication Skills

• Different communication styles
• Corporate/Management style
• Oral, written, and electronic communication
• Encouraging two-way communication
• Fostering esprit de corps
• Using 'Top-down' directives
• Addressing resistance

Case Study/Exercise: Your predecessor held weekly team meetings but chose not to chair them, selecting a senior employee instead. Do you agree with this approach? Would you make changes? If so, how?

Session 15: Management Styles

• Theoretical definitions
• Your preferred style
• Your institution's style and your boss's style
• What works best for your department
• What works best for the team

Case Study/Exercise: Do you believe the collaborative style of management favored by most management experts is the most effective?

Session 16: The Role of a Manager

• The transition from Team Member to Supervisor
• Ensuring the Team achieves its goals
• Driving continuous improvement within the Team
• Managing the role comprehensively – time management and effective goal setting
• Leadership 'Presence' – embodying the leader role
• The Influence of Supervisor Behavior – on the Team and individual Team Members
• Key focuses of the effective Supervisor

Case Study: You have been promoted ahead of a colleague and friend who is visibly disappointed. How should you manage this situation?

Session 17: Managing Problems

• Addressing issues informally, semi-formally, and formally
• Problem-solving methods
• Seeking help and guidance
• Resolution strategies
• Referral processes

Case Study/Exercise: Your staff are underperforming due to excessive workload. Your boss disagrees and instructs you to manage it. How do you handle this challenging directive?

Session 18: Motivation

• Fundamental motivating factors
• Creating a supportive environment
• The Carrot/Stick approach
• Nurturing talent
• Patronage

Case Study/Exercise: How would you encourage your team to work on a weekend without additional financial reward?

Session 19: Delegation

• The art of delegation
• Determining when to delegate
• Supervision techniques
• Avoiding excessive control
• Monitoring progress
• Overview of trade finance concepts

Case Study: You have asked your deputy to prepare the preliminary budget for your department. How do you monitor the process without micromanaging? At what point would you intervene, and how would you manage the transition?

Session 20: Conflict and Resolution

• Primary causes of conflict
• Resolution methods
• Involving management
• Handling challenges to your authority
• Formal procedures

Case Study: You ask a junior employee to complete a task. They claim to be too busy, but you insist. They refuse again, publicly. How should you respond to this direct challenge to your authority?

Session 21: Staff Appraisals

• Importance of appraisals
• Objectives
• Remuneration considerations
• The appraisal process
• Encouragement and guidance
• Addressing weaknesses

Case Study: You are asked to select one person for promotion from two candidates and must inform both of the outcome. How do you handle the situation with the unsuccessful individual?