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

Session 1: Strategic Thinking

• Defining '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
• Foundational leadership theories
• Expectations of leaders and their teams
• Recognizing key leadership traits
• Attributes of effective leadership
• Inspiration, impact, and charisma versus isolated leadership
• Transformational leadership approaches

Case Study/Exercise

Session 3: Establishing a Vision

• 'Mission' versus 'Vision'
• Reasons for strategic plan failure and prevention strategies
• Formulating a Robust Vision
• Importance of Clarity and Measurability
• Securing Buy-in for the Vision

Case Study/Exercise

Session 4: Becoming Strategic

• Principles of strategic planning and thinking
• Techniques for cultivating strategic thought
• Effective Communication
• Identifying critical skills for success

Case study/Exercise

Major Case Study Workshop : Participants will work in small groups to analyze the Current Business Environment and Influences, then agree on a plan to launch a new business or strategy. The plan must assess current resources and environmental factors against the defined vision.

Session 5: Analysing the Current Business Environment and Influences

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

Case Study/Exercise

Session 6: Analysis of Resources

Analysing the Organization

• Adopting a holistic approach
• Addressing Silo Issues
• Cross-Organizational Assessment
• Evaluation Areas:
  • Financial, Human Resources, Operations, Systems, and Style

Case Study/Exercise

Session 7: Motivation and Change Management

• Theories of motivation
• Practical motivation techniques
• The role of Money as a motivator
• The role of Change agents
• Managing Resistance to change
• The DREC curve
• Strategies for change management

Case Study/Exercise

Session 8: Establishing the Strategy

• Turning 'Vision into Reality'
• Creating Strategic Movement
• Developing Strategic Options
• Strategic Implications
  1. Identifying Stakeholders
  2. Securing Cross-Organizational Buy-in
  3. Anticipating 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 KPMs
• Various 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
• Utilizing Planning tools
• Setting Objectives
• Defining Tasks
• Managing Communications
• Opting Resource Allocation
• Understanding Resource characteristics
• Building the team
• Projects versus 'Business as Usual'

Case Study/Exercise

Session 11: Managing the Strategic Change including Conflict Management

• The need for conflict – is it healthy?
• Viewing Conflict as a problem
• Root causes of conflict
• Techniques for managing, mitigating, and/or avoiding conflict
• Impact of the 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
• Reviewing Personnel files
• Examining Work Records
• Feedback from Other colleagues
• Conducting Meetings
• Facilitating 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 to discuss the interaction.

Session 13: Dealing With people

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

Case Study/Exercise: Your boss requests a re-allocation of responsibilities. The affected staff are resistant to change. How will you navigate this situation?

Session 14: Communication Skills

• Variations in 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 delegated the chairing to a senior employee. Do you agree with this approach? Would you make changes? If so, how?

Session 15: Management styles

• Standard 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: Is the collegiate style of management, favored by many gurus, truly the best approach?

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' – embodying 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 handle this?

Session 17: Managing Problems

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

Case Study/Exercise: Your staff are underperforming due to workload issues, but 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
• The Carrot/stick approach
• Nurturing talent
• 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
• 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 this?

Session 20: Conflict and Resolution

• Main causes
• Resolution methods
• Involving management
• Dealing with challenges to your authority
• Formal procedures

Case Study: You ask a junior employee to perform a task, but they claim to be too busy. You insist, and they refuse publicly. How should you handle this direct challenge to your authority?

Session 21: Staff appraisals

• Importance
• Objective
• Remuneration considerations
• The Appraisal process
• Encouragement and guidance
• Dealing with weaknesses

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