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

Session 1: Strategic Thinking

• Defining the concept of 'Strategic'
• The three core pillars of Corporate Strategy
• Understanding Process, Content, and Context
• Interlinking the three core strategic areas

Session 2: Leadership Challenges

• Distinguishing Management from Leadership
• Reviewing Leadership Theories
• Aligning expectations between leaders and staff
• Identifying key leadership traits
• Attributes of effective leaders
• Balancing inspiration, impact, and charisma versus the 'loner' archetype
• Principles of Transformational Leadership

Case Study / Exercise

Session 3: Establishing Vision

• Differentiating 'Mission' from 'Vision'
• Common reasons for strategic plan failure and prevention strategies
• Formulating a robust organizational vision
• The necessity of clarity and measurability in vision
• Securing stakeholder buy-in for the vision

Case Study / Exercise

Session 4: Cultivating Strategic Mindset

• Strategic planning and cognitive processes
• Techniques for enhancing strategic thinking
• Effective communication practices
• Identifying critical skills required for success

Case study / Exercise

Major Case Study Workshop: Participants will work in small groups to develop a plan for launching a new business or strategy following an analysis of the current business environment and influences. The plan must assess resources and environmental factors against the established vision.

Session 5: Analyzing the Business Environment

• External Environmental Factors
• The General Business Environment
• Identifying key influencing factors
• Business Product and Service Cycles
• Customer Analysis Techniques

Case Study / Exercise

Session 6: Resource Analysis

Organizational Analysis

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

Case Study / Exercise

Session 7: Motivation and Change Management

• Theories of Motivation
• Practical approaches to motivation
• The role of financial incentives
• The function of Change Agents
• Managing resistance to change
• Understanding the DREC curve
• Methodologies for change management

Case Study / Exercise

Session 8: Formulating Strategy

• Translating Vision into Reality
• Creating Strategic Momentum
• Developing Strategic Options
• Strategic Implications:
  1. Identifying Stakeholders
  2. Achieving Cross-Organizational Buy-in
  3. Identifying Potential Conflict Areas
  4. Addressing and Countering Objections

Case Study / Exercise

Session 9: Projects and Success Metrics

• Distinguishing New Projects from Business as Usual
• The importance of KPIs
• Various measurement approaches
• Applying the Scorecard Method
• Key business drivers and traceability
• Hard and Soft Metrics
• Establishing a metrics framework
• Project Tracking Mechanisms
• Risk Reporting Procedures

Case Study / Exercise

Session 10: Implementation Processes

• Resource allocation, strategic planning, and control
• Utilizing planning tools
• Defining Objectives
• Assigning Tasks
• Communication protocols
• Resource Distribution
• Resource characteristics
• Team Building
• Balancing Projects with 'Business as Usual'

Case Study / Exercise

Session 11: Managing Strategic Change and Conflict

• Evaluating the necessity and healthiness of conflict
• Viewing conflict as a problem area
• Root causes of conflict
• Strategies for managing, mitigating, or avoiding conflict
• Impact of change and managing its effects
• Communicating the benefits of change to the organization
• Minimizing negative outcomes
• Keeping the implementation plan on track

Case Study / Exercise

Session 12: Team Assessment

• Preparatory groundwork
• Reviewing Personnel Files
• Analyzing Work Records
• Feedback from colleagues
• Meeting observations
• Insights from discussion groups and forums

Case Study / Exercise: Two participants will role-play a manager and team member in an initial meeting. The group will provide a friendly debrief and discussion.

Session 13: Interpersonal Management

• Various Management styles
• Behavioral styles
• Banking cultural styles
• Bank and management policy styles
• Aligning with your personal style
• Conducting effective meetings
• Handling one-on-one interactions
• Overcoming resistance
• Managing relationships with superiors
• Communicating issues and challenges to your team

Case Study / Exercise: Your manager requests the re-allocation of certain responsibilities. The affected staff members are reluctant due to fear of change. How would you handle this?

Session 14: Communication Skills

• Adapting to different communication styles
• Corporate and Management communication norms
• Oral, written, and electronic communication
• Fostering two-way communication
• Building esprit de corps
• Utilizing 'Top-down' directives effectively
• Addressing resistance to communication

Case Study / Exercise: Your predecessor held weekly team meetings but did not chair them, opting instead for a senior employee. Do you agree with this approach? Would you make changes? If so, how?

Session 15: Management Styles

• Standard definitions of management styles
• Identifying your preferred style
• Aligning with institutional and superior styles
• Determining what works best for your department
• Determining what works best for the team

Case Study / Exercise: Is the collegiate management style often recommended by business experts the most effective approach?

Session 16: The Manager's Role

• Transitioning from Team Member to Supervisor
• Ensuring the Team achieves its goals
• Driving continuous improvement within the Team
• Managing the full scope of the role – time management and goal setting
• Establishing Leadership 'Presence' – projecting the image of a leader
• The impact of Supervisor Behavior – on the Team and individual members
• Focus areas for an effective Supervisor

Case Study: You are promoted ahead of a colleague and friend who is visibly disappointed. How should you manage this situation?

Session 17: Problem Management

• Informal, semi-formal, and formal dispute resolution
• Effective problem-solving methods
• Seeking help and guidance
• Achieving resolution
• Referral processes

Case Study / Exercise: Staff performance is low due to excessive workload. Your manager disagrees with your assessment and instructs you to manage the situation. How do you handle this challenging directive?

Session 18: Team Motivation

• Fundamental motivating factors
• Cultivating the right work environment
• Applying the Carrot and Stick approach
• Nurturing talent
• The role of Patronage

Case Study / Exercise: How would you motivate your team to work on a weekend without offering additional financial rewards?

Session 19: Delegation

• The art of effective delegation
• Determining when to delegate
• Supervising delegated tasks
• Avoiding micromanagement
• Monitoring progress
• Understanding trade finance concepts

Case Study: You have asked your deputy to prepare the preliminary budget. How do you monitor the process without interfering? At what point would you intervene, and how would you manage the transition?

Session 20: Conflict Resolution

• Primary causes of conflict
• Methods for resolution
• Involving management in resolution
• Handling challenges to authority
• Utilizing formal procedures

Case Study: You assign a task to a junior employee who claims to be too busy. You insist, and they refuse publicly. How should you address this direct challenge to your authority?

Session 21: Performance Appraisals

• The importance of appraisals
• Objectives of the appraisal process
• Remuneration considerations
• Conducting the Appraisal
• Providing Encouragement and Guidance
• Addressing performance weaknesses

Case Study: You must select one of two candidates for promotion and inform both of the outcome. How do you handle the unsuccessful candidate's reaction?