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 that links the three core areas

Session 2: The Challenges of Leadership

• Distinguishing management from leadership
• Key leadership theories
• Expectations held by leaders and their staff
• Recognizing key leadership traits
• Characteristics of effective leadership
• Inspiration, impact, and charisma in leadership versus the "loner" archetype
• Principles of transformational leadership

Case Study/Exercise

Session 3: Establishing a Vision

• Distinguishing 'Mission' from 'Vision'
• Understanding why strategic plans fail and how to prevent such outcomes
• Reaching agreement on a robust Vision
• The necessity for clarity and measurability
• Gaining buy-in for the Vision

Case Study/Exercise

Session 4: Becoming Strategic

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

Case study/Exercise

Major Case Study Workshop: Participants will be asked to work in small groups to agree on a plan to launch a new business or strategy, based on an analysis of the Current Business Environment and Influences. The plan should assess resources and the current environment against the defined vision.

Session 5: Analysing the Current Business Environment and Influences

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

Case Study/Exercise

Session 6: Analysis of Resources

Analysing the Orga​nisation

• The holistic approach
• Addressing Silo Issues
• Cross-Organizational 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
• Identifying 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'
• Creation of Strategic Movement
• Developing Strategic Options
• Strategy Implications
  1. Identifying Stakeholders
  2. Achieving Cross-Organizational Buy-in
  3. Identifying Potential conflict areas
  4. Strategies for Countering Objections

Case Study/Exercise

Session 9: Projects and Measures of Success

• New Projects versus Business as Usual
• The need for KPMs (Key Performance Measures)
• Measurement approaches
• Using 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
• Communication strategies
• Resource Allocation
• Resource characteristics
• Building the team
• Projects versus 'Business as Usual'

Case Study/Exercise

Session 11: Managing Strategic Change including Conflict Management

• The need for conflict – assessing whether it is healthy
• Conflict as a problem
• Root causes of conflict
• Managing, mitigating, or avoiding conflict
• The impact of change and managing its effects
• Selling the benefits of change to the organization
• Minimizing the downside risks
• Keeping the plan on track

Case Study/Exercise

Session 12: Assessing Your Team

• Preparatory work
• Reviewing Personnel files
• Work Records
• Input from Other colleagues
• Conducting Meetings
• Utilizing Discussion groups and Forums

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

Session 13: Dealing With People

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

Case Study/Exercise: Your boss requests you to re-allocate certain responsibilities. The staff concerned are unlikely to welcome this, as they are 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 chose not to chair them, selecting a senior employee instead. Do you agree with this approach? Would you change it? If so, how?

Session 15: Management Styles

• Textbook definitions of management styles
• 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 think the collegiate style of management favored by most management gurus is the most effective?

Session 16: The Role of a Manager

• The transition from Team member to Supervisor
• The role in ensuring the Team achieves Team goals
• Ensuring continuous improvement for the Team
• 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 an effective Supervisor

Case Study: You have been promoted ahead of a colleague and friend who is visibly disappointed. How should you handle 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 not performing due to an excessive workload. Your boss disagrees and instructs you to manage the situation. How do you handle this seemingly impossible task?

Session 18: Motivation

• Basic motivating factors
• Creating the right work environment
• The Carrot and Stick approach
• Nurturing talent
• 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
• Deciding when to delegate
• Supervising delegated tasks
• Avoiding overkill in supervision
• Monitoring progress
• Understanding what is trade finance

Case Study: You have asked your deputy to prepare the preliminary budget for your department. How do you monitor the process without interfering? 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, publicly. How should you handle this direct challenge to your authority?

Session 21: Staff Appraisals

• Importance of appraisals
• Setting Objective criteria
• Remuneration considerations
• Conducting the Appraisal
• Providing Encouragement and guidance
• Dealing with identified weaknesses

Case Study: You have been asked to select one person for promotion from two candidates and to communicate the outcome to both. How do you handle the unsuccessful individual?