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
• Linking the three core areas through process

Session 2: The Challenges of Leadership

• Distinctions between Management and Leadership
• Key Leadership theories
• Expectations placed on leaders and their staff
• Recognising leadership traits
• Qualities that define a good leader
• Inspiration, impact, and charisma versus the isolated leader
• Transformational leadership

Case Study and Exercise

Session 3: Establishing a Vision

• Differentiating 'Mission' from 'Vision'
• Reasons for strategic plan failure and prevention strategies
• Building a robust, agreed-upon Vision
• The importance of Clarity and Measurability
• Securing Buy-in for the Vision

Case Study and Exercise

Session 4: Becoming Strategic

• Strategic planning and thinking frameworks
• Developing techniques for strategic thought
• Communication strategies
• Identifying critical skills required for success

Case Study and Exercise

Major Case Study Workshop: Working in small groups, delegates will formulate a plan to launch a new business or strategy following an analysis of the current business environment and influences. The plan must evaluate current resources and environmental factors against the established vision.

Session 5: Analysing the Current Business Environment and Influences

• External Environmental factors
• The General Environment
• Identifying Key Impacting Influences
• Business Product and Service Cycles
• Customer Analysis

Case Study and Exercise

Session 6: Analysis of Resources

Analysing the Organisation

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

Case Study and Exercise

Session 7: Motivation and Change Management

• Foundational Motivational theory
• Practical application of motivation
• The role of Money as a motivator
• The role of Change agents
• Understanding Resistance to change
• The DREC curve
• Approaches to managing change

Case Study and Exercise

Session 8: Establishing the Strategy

• Transforming 'Vision' into Reality
• Creating Strategic Movement
• Developing Strategic Options
• Implications of the Strategy:
  1. Identifying Stakeholders
  2. Achieving Cross-Organisational Buy-in
  3. Anticipating Potential conflict areas
  4. Countering Objections

Case Study and Exercise

Session 9: Projects and Measures of Success

• Distinguishing New Projects from Business as Usual
• The necessity of KPIs
• Approaches to Measurement
• Utilising the Scorecard Approach
• Key business drivers and traceability
• Differentiating Hard and Soft Measures
• Establishing a metrics framework
• Tracking Projects
• Reporting on Risk

Case Study and Exercise

Session 10: The Implementation Process

• Resource allocation, strategic planning, and control
• Planning tools
• Setting Objectives
• Defining Tasks
• Communication strategies
• Allocating Resources
• Characteristics of Resources
• Team building
• Managing Projects versus Business as Usual

Case Study and Exercise

Session 11: Managing the Strategic Change including Conflict Management

• The need for conflict – assessing if it is healthy
• Viewing Conflict as a problem
• Underlying causes of conflict
• Strategies for managing, mitigating, or avoiding conflict
• The impact of change and managing its effects
• Communicating the benefits of change to the organisation
• Minimising negative outcomes
• Keeping the plan on track

Case Study and Exercise

Session 12: Assessing Your Team

• Preparatory work
• Reviewing Personnel files
• Analysing Work Records
• Input from other colleagues
• Meeting dynamics
• Discussion groups and Forums

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

Session 13: Dealing With People

• Management styles
• Behavioural styles
• Bank cultural style
• Bank and management policy style
• Your personal style
• Conducting Meetings
• One-to-one encounters
• Overcoming resistance
• Managing your own supervisors
• Presenting issues and challenges to your team

Case Study and Exercise: Your boss requests that you re-allocate certain responsibilities. The affected staff are resistant due to anxiety about change. How should 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 effectively
• Addressing resistance

Case Study and 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 and Exercise: Is the collegiate style of management favoured by most management gurus the most effective?

Session 16: The Role of a Manager

• The transition 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' – embodying the leader role
• 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?

Session 17: Managing Problems

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

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

Session 18: Motivation

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

Case Study and Exercise: How would you persuade your team to work on a weekend without additional reward?

Session 19: Delegation

• The art of delegation
• Determining when to delegate
• Supervising delegated tasks
• Avoiding over-delegation
• 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 being intrusive? At what point would you take over, and how would you handle it?

Session 20: Conflict and Resolution

• Main causes of conflict
• Resolution methods
• Involving management
• Addressing 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 publicly. How should you handle this direct challenge to your authority?

Session 21: Staff Appraisals

• The importance of appraisals
• Setting Objectives
• Remuneration considerations
• Conducting the Appraisal
• Providing Encouragement and guidance
• Addressing weaknesses

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