Business Planning and Strategic Decision-Making

The central objectives of this training course are as follows:

• Learn how to develop a plan to achieve the goals you want for you and your organization (company / division / business unit / team)
• Develop strategic thinking in your organization
• Develop a strategic plan for your organization
• Identify the principles and mechanisms that drive successful implementation
• Develop measurable action plans that result in success
• Understand your underlying business model and how it relates to your strategy

CONTENT:

Strategic Thinking and Planning

• The Essence of Strategy – core concept and definition of terms
• The Difference between Good Strategy and Bad Strategy
• How to Think Strategically – some techniques
• Leadership and Management, Comparing Strategy and Operations
• Strategic and Operational Goals – the significance and difference
• Using the Strategic Management System

Developing Strategy – The Power of Business Analysis

• Understanding the Importance and Value of a “business model”
• Vision, Values, Mission and Goals – strategy as perspective
• Case Examples and Guidelines: Vision and Mission Statements
• Analysing your Business Environment
• How to Evaluate Your Organization’s Competencies and Capabilities
• Resource-based Approaches to Strategy

Strategy Development, Choice and Translation

• Levels of Strategy: Corporate, Business and Functional
• Competitive Strategy – strategy as position
• Emergent Strategies – strategy as patterns
• Uncertainty and Scenarios – strategy as plans
• Strategic Choice – how to select the best strategy
• Translating Strategy with Strategy Maps and Balanced Scorecards

Embedding Strategy in the Organisation

• Communicating Strategy and Managing Stakeholders
• How to Manage Strategic Risk
• Alignment of Operations with Strategy
• Strategic Performance Measurement
• Managing Implementation – effective execution of strategy
• Integrating Strategic and Operational Management Processes

Bringing It All Together

• Good Strategy - case examples
• Building a Strategy / Business Planning Team
• Analysing Business Models and Strategies in an Industry
• Understanding and Overcoming Psychological Bias
• Overview of the whole course
• Action Planning and Next Steps

TRAINING METHODOLOGY

The training methodology combines lectures, discussions, group exercises and illustrations. Participants will gain both theoretical and practical knowledge of the topics. The emphasis is on the practical application of the topics and as a result participant will go back to the workplace with both the ability and the confidence to apply the techniques learned to their duties.