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

Session 1: Strategic Thinking

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

Session 2: The Challenges of Leadership

• The distinction between management and leadership
• Key leadership theories
• Expectations held by leaders and their staff
• Identifying essential leadership traits
• Characteristics of effective leaders
• Leadership inspiration, impact, and charisma vs. the "loner" archetype
• Transformational leadership approaches

Case Study/Exercise

Session 3: Establishing a Vision

• Distinguishing 'Mission' from 'Vision'
• Reasons for strategic plan failure and preventive measures
• Aligning on 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 thinking processes
• Techniques for developing 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 after analyzing the Current Business Environment and Influences. The plan must assess current resources, business environment, and influences against the established vision.

Session 5: Analysing the Current Business Environment and Influences

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

Case Study/Exercise

Session 6: Analysis of Resources

Analysing the Orga​nisation

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

Case Study/Exercise

Session 7: Motivation and Change Management

• Motivational theory
• Practical approaches to motivation
• The role of money as a motivator
• The role of change agents
• Resistance to change
• The DREC curve
• Approaches to managing change

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. Identifying Potential Conflict Areas
  4. Countering Objections

Case Study/Exercise

Session 9: Projects and Measures of Success

• New Projects vs. Business as Usual
• The necessity of KPMs (Key Performance Measures)
• 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
• Communication strategies
• Resource Allocation
• Resource characteristics
• Building the team
• Projects vs. 'Business as Usual'

Case Study/Exercise

Session 11: Managing the Strategic Change including Conflict Management

• The necessity of conflict – is it healthy?
• Viewing Conflict as a Problem
• Root causes of conflict
• Managing, mitigating, or avoiding conflict
• 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 colleagues
• Conducting Meetings
• Discussion groups and Forums

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

Session 13: Dealing With people

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

Case Study/Exercise: Your supervisor asks you to re-allocate responsibilities. The affected staff are likely to be unhappy as they are anxious about change. How would you handle this situation?

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
• Handling resistance

Case Study/Exercise: Your predecessor held weekly team meetings but declined to chair them, opting instead to select a senior employee. Do you agree with this approach? Would you make changes? 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 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 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 Team 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 handle this situation?

Session 17: Managing Problems

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

Case Study/Exercise: Your staff performance is declining due to excessive workload. Your boss disagrees and instructs you to manage it. How do you handle this seemingly impossible brief?

Session 18: Motivation

• Basic motivating factors
• Creating the right environment
• Carrot and stick approach
• Nurturing approaches
• Patronage

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

Session 19: Delegation

• The art of delegation
• When to delegate
• Supervision techniques
• Avoiding overkill
• Monitoring progress
• 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 perform a task. They claim to be 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 Objectives
• Remuneration considerations
• Conducting the Appraisal
• 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 unsuccessful candidate?