These are necessary skills and key issues for anyone who is involved in:

• Developing a new company/division/department
• Improving the performance of an existing company/division/department when faced with major change in business conditions
• Balancing financial and non-financial objectives and goals
• Growing an existing company/division/department
• Planning his/her own career more carefully

By the end of this course, delegates will learn about:

• How to develop a plan to achieve the goals you want for you and your company, and develop strategic thinking in your organization/business unit/team
• Determine where you and your company want to be
• Develop a strategic plan for your organization (company/division/business unit/team and for yourself personally)
• Identify the principles and mechanisms that drive successful implementation
• Develop measurable action plans that result in success
• Identify, measure, and track critical success factors

This course is suitable for:

• Anyone in a leading role or management role, or who is about to take up such a role. It would be valuable for others involved in developing or helping realize the company vision who wishes to update his/her knowledge by re-considering leading-edge thinking in the field of strategic thinking and strategic management.
• The course is designed to be very participative and is action-oriented. It will enable functional specialists and professionals from any part of the organization to take a broader view of their potential contribution to the performance of their company, division, business unit or team. 

The approach to the seminar is to combine formal presentation of the subject matter with class discussion of case studies that illustrate the issues that have just been presented. Some use of video-based material is included. Above all, the seminar leader will refer extensively to examples of strategic analysis and decisions made in companies with which he has been personally involved. This gives a real-life and up-to-date perspective on the subject.

DAY 1

Strategic Thinking and Making Things Happen

• The essence of strategy – core concept and definition of terms
• What an effective strategic plan looks like
• How we think
• Analytical thinking
• Creative thinking
• Leadership and management, comparing the strategic and operational levels
• Strategic and operational goals – the significance and difference
• Two key roles
• Visionary - the role of the Chief Executive Officer
• Chief Implementer - the role of the Chief Operating Officer
• Building a strategy/business planning team
• Mini-case 1: tutor presentation and group discussion
• Two key roles

DAY 2

Strategic Planning – The Detail of Powerful Business Analysis

• Review of Day One – questions and answers
• Concept of the “business model”: the integrated supply-demand chain
• Vision and mission – case examples, class discussion and guidelines
• Practical group exercise on Vision and Mission Statements
• Analysis of the business environment (1) – the SPECCTRE technique
• Analysis of the business environment (2) - the 5-forces technique
• Cost-based strategies versus differentiation-based strategies
• Mini-case 2: group work and presentation/discussion

DAY 3

Strategic Choice and Linkage to Marketing and Sales Planning

• Review of Day Two – questions and answers
• How to evaluate market structures, trends and prospects
• SWOT analysis and the strategy matrix
• Strategic choice – how to make strategy selection decisions
• Linkage to marketing plans and sales plans
• Marketing plan – identifying and capturing value rather than just volume
• Sales plan – how to choose and fulfill market opportunities
• Mini-case 3: group work and presentation/discussion

DAY 4

Linkage of Strategy to Financial and Operational Planning

• Review of Day Three – questions and answers
• Strategic versus operational aspects of finance – the strategic role of the CFO
• Globalisation of the financial markets
• Minimising risk and uncertainty
• Cost analysis, time compression and shortening life-cycles
• Capital-labour substitution, cost structures and significance of break-even
• Alignment of operational efficiency with financial efficiency
• Mini-case 4: group work and presentation/discussion

DAY 5

Bringing It All Together

• Review of Day Four – questions and answers
• The relevance and contribution of strategy maps and balanced scorecards
• Key Performance Indicators and performance measurement at the strategic level
• The significance of “Dynamic Alignment” in supply chain structures
• Managing implementation – effective execution of strategy
• “Death of distance” and the shift towards the business model
• Final thoughts – the business model and the future of strategic management
• Overview of the whole course

CDGA attendance certificate will be issued to all attendees completing minimum of 75% of the total course duration.