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

Session 1: Strategic Thinking

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

Session 2: The Challenges of Leadership

• Distinction between management and leadership
• Theories of leadership
• Expectations held by leaders and their teams
• Identifying key leadership traits
• Defining what constitutes a good leader
• Inspiration, impact, and charisma in leadership versus the "loner" approach
• Transformational leadership

Case Study/Exercise

Session 3: Establishing a Vision

• 'Mission' versus 'Vision'
• Why strategic plans fail and strategies to prevent failure
• Agreeing on a Robust Vision
• The importance of Clarity and Measurability
• Achieving Buy-in to the Vision

Case Study/Exercise

Session 4: Becoming Strategic

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

Case Study/Exercise

Major Case Study Workshop: In small groups, participants will develop a plan to launch a new business or strategy following an analysis of the Current Business Environment and Influences. The plan must assess Current Business Environment and Influences resources against the established vision.

Session 5: Analysing the Current Business Environment and Influences

• External Environments
• The General Environment
• Identifying Key Influences Impacting the business
• Business Product/Service Cycles
• Customer Analysis

Case Study/Exercise

Session 6: Analysis of Resources

Analysing the Organisation

• The holistic approach
• 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
• Resistance to change
• The DREC curve
• Approaches to change management

Case Study/Exercise

Session 8: Establishing the Strategy

• Turning 'Vision into Reality'
• Creation of Strategic Movement
• Developing Strategic Options
• Strategy Implications
  1. Identifying the Stakeholders
  2. Cross-Organisational 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 KPM's (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
• 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 area
• The root causes of conflict
• Managing, mitigating, and 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/Exercise

Session 12: Assessing Your Team

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

Case Study/Exercise: Two participants will role-play a manager and team member in an initial encounter. The group will then de-brief in a supportive 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
• Facilitating Meetings
• One-to-one encounters
• Overcoming resistance
• Managing relationships with your own bosses
• Communicating issues and challenges to your team

Case Study/Exercise: Your boss requests the re-allocation of certain responsibilities. The affected staff may be reluctant due to nervousness about change. How will 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
• 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 practice? 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 favoured 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 the Team continuously improves
• Managing the whole role – time management and effective goal setting
• Leadership 'Presence' – projecting the image of the Leader
• The Influence of Supervisor Behaviour on the Team and each Team Member
• 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
• Achieving Resolution
• 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
• Patronage

Case Study/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
• Overview of 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 state they are too busy, but you insist. They refuse again, in public. How should you handle this direct challenge to your authority?

Session 21: Staff Appraisals

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

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