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

Session 1: Strategic Thinking

• Defining 'Strategic'
• The three core areas of Corporate Strategy
• Process, Content, and Context
• The process linking the three core areas

Session 2: The Challenges of Leadership

• Distinguishing management from leadership
• Key leadership theories
• Expectations placed on leaders and their teams
• Identifying essential leadership traits
• Defining what constitutes effective leadership
• Inspiration, impact, and charisma versus the 'loner' archetype
• Transformational leadership

Case Study/Exercise

Session 3: Establishing a Vision

• Distinguishing 'Mission' from 'Vision'
• Why strategic plans fail and strategies to prevent failure
• Building consensus on a Robust Vision
• The need for clarity and measurability
• Securing buy-in for the Vision

Case Study/Exercise

Session 4: Becoming Strategic

• Strategic planning and thinking methodologies
• Developing techniques for strategic thought
• Effective communication
• Identifying critical skills required for success

Case study/Exercise

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

Session 5: Analysing the Current Business Environment and Influences

• External Environments
• The General Environment
• Identifying key impacts and influences
• Business Product/Service Cycles
• Customer Analysis

Case Study/Exercise

Session 6: Analysis of Resources

Analysing the Organisation

• Adopting a holistic approach
• Addressing Silo Issues
• Cross-Organisational Assessment
• Assessment areas:
  • Financial, Human Resources, Operations, Systems, and Style

Case Study/Exercise

Session 7: Motivation and Change Management

• Motivational theory
• Practical motivation techniques
• The role of money as a motivator
• Change agents
• Understanding resistance to change
• The DREC curve
• Approaches to managing change

Case Study/Exercise

Session 8: Establishing the Strategy

• Turning 'Vision' into 'Reality'
• Creating Strategic Momentum
• Developing Strategic Options
• Strategic Implications
  1. Identifying Stakeholders
  2. Achieving Cross-Organisational Buy-in
  3. Identifying 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
• Applying 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
• Setting Objectives
• Defining 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 necessity of conflict – is it healthy?
• Conflict as a problem
• Root causes of conflict
• Managing, mitigating, or avoiding conflict
• Impact of change and managing its effects
• Selling the benefits of change to the organisation
• Minimising negative outcomes
• Keeping the plan on track

Case Study/Exercise

Session 12: Assessing Your Team

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

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

Session 13: Dealing With People

• Management styles
• Behavioural styles
• Bank cultural style
• Bank and management policy style
• Your personal style
• Meetings
• One-to-one encounters
• Overcoming resistance
• Dealing with your own bosses
• Selling issues and challenges to your team

Case Study/Exercise: Your boss wants you to re-allocate some responsibilities. The staff concerned may be resistant, feeling nervous about change. How will you handle this?

Session 14: Communication Skills

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

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

Session 15: Management Styles

• Textbook 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 collegiate style of management favoured by most management gurus is the most effective?

Session 16: The Role of a Manager

• Transitioning from Team member to Supervisor
• The role in ensuring the Team achieves its goals
• Ensuring continuous Team improvement
• Managing the whole role – time management and effective goal setting
• Leadership 'Presence' – projecting the image of a Leader
• The Influence of Supervisor Behaviour – on the Team and individual Members
• The focus 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

• Dealing with issues informally, semi-formally, and formally
• Methods of problem solving
• Enlisting help and guidance
• Resolution strategies
• Referral processes

Case Study/Exercise: Your staff are underperforming due to excessive workload. Your boss disagrees with this assessment and instructs you to manage the situation. How do you handle this seemingly impossible task?

Session 18: Motivation

• Basic motivating factors
• Creating the right environment
• The Carrot and Stick approach
• Nurturing staff
• Patronage

Case Study/Exercise: How would you persuade your team to work on a weekend without offering extra reward?

Session 19: Delegation

• The art of delegation
• Determining when to delegate
• Supervising delegated tasks
• Avoiding overkill
• Monitoring progress
• Understanding trade finance

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

Session 20: Conflict and Resolution

• Main causes of conflict
• Resolution methods
• Involving management
• Dealing with challenges to your authority
• Formal procedures

Case Study: You ask a junior employee to carry out a task. They claim they are too busy, but you insist. They refuse again, in front of others. How should you handle this direct challenge to your authority?

Session 21: Staff Appraisals

• Importance of appraisals
• Objectives of the process
• Remuneration considerations
• Conducting the Appraisal
• Providing encouragement and guidance
• Addressing weaknesses

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