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
• Interlinking the three core areas through process

Session 2: The Challenges of Leadership

• Management versus Leadership
• Theories of Leadership
• Expectations of leaders and their teams
• Identifying key leadership traits
• Qualities that define an effective leader
• Inspiration, impact, and charisma in leadership versus the "loner" archetype
• Transformational leadership

Case Study/Exercise

Session 3: Establishing a Vision

• 'Mission' vs 'Vision'
• Why strategic plans fail and how to prevent failure
• Agreeing 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
• Developing techniques for strategic thinking
• 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 should assess current resources and business environment influences against the defined vision.

Session 5: Analyzing the Current Business Environment and Influences

• External Environments
• The General Environment
• Key influences impacting the business
• Business Product/Service Cycles
• Customer Analysis

Case Study/Exercise

Session 6: Analysis of Resources

Analyzing the Organization

• The holistic approach
• Silo issues
• Cross-organizational assessment
• Assessment areas:
  • Financial, Human Resources, Operations, Systems, and Style

Case Study/Exercise

Session 7: Motivation and Change Management

• Motivational theories
• Practical motivation techniques
• 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'
• Creating Strategic Movement
• Developing Strategic Options
• Strategy Implications
  1. Identifying Stakeholders
  2. Cross-organizational Buy-in
  3. Potential conflict areas
  4. Countering Objections

Case Study/Exercise

Session 9: Projects and Measures of Success

• New Projects vs 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
• Objectives
• Tasks
• Communications
• Resource Allocation
• Resource characteristics
• Building the team
• Projects vs 'Business as Usual'

Case Study/Exercise

Session 11: Managing Strategic Change including Conflict Management

• The need for conflict – is it healthy?
• Conflict as a problem
• The causes of conflict
• Managing, mitigating, and/or avoiding conflict
• The impact of change and managing its effects
• Selling the benefits of change to the organization
• Minimizing the downside
• 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 as a manager and team member during 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
• Meetings
• One-to-one encounters
• Overcoming resistance
• Dealing with your own supervisors
• Presenting issues and challenges to your team

Case Study/Exercise: Your supervisor requests you to re-allocate some responsibilities. ~The staff concerned will not like it – they are nervous of change. How will you handle this?

Session 14: Communication Skills

• Different styles
• Corporate/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? Would you change it? If so, how?

Session 15: Management Styles

• Textbook definitions
• Your preferred style
• Your institution's style and your supervisor'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 favoured by most management gurus is the best?

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 a Leader
• The influence of Supervisor Behaviour – on the Team and each Team Member
• The focus of an effective Supervisor

Case Study: You have been promoted ahead of a colleague and friend who is obviously disappointed. How should you handle this?

Session 17: Managing Problems

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

Case Study/Exercise: Your staff are underperforming due to excessive workload. Your supervisor 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
• The Carrot/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
• When to delegate
• Supervising delegated tasks
• Avoiding over-management
• 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 overstepping boundaries? 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 say 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 appraisal
• Objective of appraisal
• Remuneration considerations
• The appraisal process
• 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 unsuccessful individual?