Why Choose The Professional Strategist Training Course?
This course will help enable delegates to develop effective planning skills as today’s challenging and unpredictable environment calls for robust planning processes. The course addresses how sound measurement systems, good communications and a culture that encourages effective decision making are all factors in producing good plans. Delegates will learn the value of visioning as well as analytical skills required to develop strategic plans. They will learn to transform them into operational plans, and with good measurement systems to turn aspirations into quantifiable objectives and then serve to track progress.
Successful planning is a multi-stage process: from horizon scanning and reviewing internal competences, to option generation, making good decisions, matching resources to aspirations and critically, implementing plans.
This course will feature:
- The differences between strategy, planning, goals and tactics
- How organisation’s processes ensure that operational plans contribute to strategic plans
- The importance of effective communication methods and styles to engage with employees
- Links between continuous improvement and planning
- How measurement supports effective implementation of plans
What are the Goals?
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Understand and use planning terminology
- Recognise how they contribute to their organisation’s planning process
- Gain confidence in good communications
- Use the PDCA cycle at individual, team and organisational levels
- Recognise importance of different types of measures in setting goals and tracking progress
Who is this Course for?
This course is suitable to a wide range of professionals but will greatly benefit:
- Those are involved in strategic and business planning or have aspirations to rise to the next level
- Managers at all levels who want to develop their planning skills
- New Managers who wish to gain more strategic perspective in relation to their work
- Middle/Senior Managers aiming to develop their strategic planning skills, to achieve better results and gain influence in the planning process
How will this be Presented?
This course will utilise a variety of proven adult learning techniques to ensure maximum understanding, comprehension and retention of the information presented. This seminar is interactive and challenges one to think. The tutor will guide and facilitate learning, using direct input, daily reflection, discussions, case studies, exercises and video. The tutor ensures that delegates feel comfortable to contribute experiences and share learning.
The Course Content
- Introduction to Strategic Thinking
- Vision, Mission and Objectives & the relationships between them
- The steps involved in developing a corporate strategy: a checklist
- Does strategy lead to change?
- Elements of Unique Competitive Advantage
- Effect of corporate culture on strategy development & implementation
- Organisational planning processes
- Strategy: is there only one right way?
- Tools used in external analysis: PESTLE, Porter’s 5 Forces, GE, SWOT
- Linking external factors to internal competencies: generating strategic options
- Turning aspirations into goals & objectives
- Contingency planning: something unexpected always happens
Communication – the challenge of getting everyone on the same page
- How do we communicate – organizationally & individually?
- Using multiple channels to get the message across
- Leveraging people’s learning styles to communicate more effectively
- How Emotional Intelligence helps leaders communicate more effectively
- The challenges of overcoming employee resistance to change
- Recognition, reward & celebrating success
Strategic Implementation
- Planning the implementation: creating a process for continuous improvement
- Setting expectations: standards, benchmarks, hurdles, milestones
- Using the Deming model: Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)to increase success
- Creating Teams & Distributing Tasks
- Responsibility and accountability – internal or external drivers?
- Recording, measuring & analysing for improvement
Measurement for Success
- What are the Critical Success Factors?
- Do our KPI’s help us achieve good results?
- Choosing useful measures: leading and lagging measures
- The Balanced Scorecard: a mix of financial and non-financial measurements
- Budgets – their role in planning
- Learning organisations : people and technology
- Introduction to Strategic Thinking
- Vision, Mission and Objectives & the relationships between them
- The steps involved in developing a corporate strategy: a checklist
- Does strategy lead to change?
- Elements of Unique Competitive Advantage
- Effect of corporate culture on strategy development & implementation
- Organisational planning processes
- Strategy: is there only one right way?
- Tools used in external analysis: PESTLE, Porter’s 5 Forces, GE, SWOT
- Linking external factors to internal competencies: generating strategic options
- Turning aspirations into goals & objectives
- Contingency planning: something unexpected always happens
Communication – the challenge of getting everyone on the same page
- How do we communicate – organizationally & individually?
- Using multiple channels to get the message across
- Leveraging people’s learning styles to communicate more effectively
- How Emotional Intelligence helps leaders communicate more effectively
- The challenges of overcoming employee resistance to change
- Recognition, reward & celebrating success
Strategic Implementation
- Planning the implementation: creating a process for continuous improvement
- Setting expectations: standards, benchmarks, hurdles, milestones
- Using the Deming model: Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)to increase success
- Creating Teams & Distributing Tasks
- Responsibility and accountability – internal or external drivers?
- Recording, measuring & analysing for improvement
Measurement for Success
- What are the Critical Success Factors?
- Do our KPI’s help us achieve good results?
- Choosing useful measures: leading and lagging measures
- The Balanced Scorecard: a mix of financial and non-financial measurements
- Budgets – their role in planning
- Learning organisations : people and technology
Certificate
- AZTech Certificate of Completion for delegates who attend and complete the training course
Do you want to learn more about this course?
Register now or contact our team to discuss schedules, delivery formats, and customised options.