10 Day Certificate - The Strategic Leader

This training course process is based on a carefully planned mix of succinct tutor input with the practical illustration of tools and concepts, group work on case studies (some are video based), role play exercises with feedbacks, self assessments questionnaires and group discussions to develop the themes around participants’ own experiences and needs. Team involvement and working enable a strategy to be created from start to finish.

This is a highly interactive training course on The Strategic Leader, using a mix of case studies, role play exercises, self-assessment questionnaires, presentations and group discussions to develop the themes around participants’ own experiences and needs. It presents an opportunity for delegates to practice the skills taught using a variety of hands-on negotiation exercises that stress participation and that reinforce and build on the comprehensive training course materials.

ORGANISATIONAL IMPACT

• Improved planning, implementation, results and strategic leadership
• Integration of strategy, finance, and operations
• Much better decision-making and time and resource allocation - Leading to better organisational and individual performance
• Use of a well proven planning process & more effective implementation
• Learn to develop the range of skills and competencies required to manage conflict and negotiate effectively
• Gain the knowledge and confidence to tackle negotiations in a collaborative and constructive manner that produces added value outcomes 

PERSONAL IMPACT

As a direct result of attending this training course, you will:

• Develop new skills and thinking processes for you and the organisation
• Increase behavioural flexibility and career flexibility (vertically and horizontally)
• Accelerate thinking speed and problem resolution for all difficult dilemmas
• Have far greater motivation and proactivity
• Be provided a deep understanding of personal conflict resolution style
• Develop the confidence and ability to influence others and obtain better results through an understanding of how to deal with difficult situations and tough negotiations 

This ASPIRE training course is suitable to a wide range of ambitious professionals, but will greatly benefit:

• Management teams
• Team members
• Administrators
• Professionals from any industry who may find it hard to take a “bigger picture” view of business issues - Both within and outside of the strategic planning process
• Anyone who wish to enhance their negotiation skills and make negotiation a more rewarding and effective part of their job

MODULE I: Strategy and Strategic Planning

DAY 1

Strategic Thinking and External Analysis

• Definitions of strategy and strategic planning
• Why are strategy and strategic planning important?
• Understanding the main frameworks for strategic analysis
• Private and public sector strategies – similarities and differences
• External analysis - Understanding and analysing business attractiveness
• Analysing customers and benchmarking your own strategic position
• How attractive is the game that we have chosen to play?

DAY 2

Internal Analysis and Fusion into Strategic Choice

• The interface and balance of external and internal analysis
• Internal analysis: Financial
• Internal analysis: Non-financial
• The concept and practicalities of the “balanced scorecard”
• Diagnosing and analysing strategic problems and opportunities
• Fusion of analysis into strategic choices - SWOT and the strategy matrix
• How well are we playing the game that we have chosen to play?

DAY 3

Strategic Plans and the Relevance of Alliances and Joint Ventures

• Review of the tools used so far
• The content of a strategy: avoiding “paralysis by analysis”
• Putting a strategic plan together – The 5-page framework
• A real-life example of a business strategy / strategic plan
• Strategies for alliances and joint ventures
• Management of alliances and joint ventures
• Examples of best practices in alliances and joint ventures

DAY 4

Global Strategy, Team Building and the Management of Internal Communication

• The essence of globalisation and global strategy
• Globalisation – The strategic dimension
• Globalisation – The organisational dimension
• Globalisation – The human dimension
• How to build and manage a strategic planning team?
• Communicating strategy through the organisation
• Gaining your team’s commitment and buy-in to the strategy

DAY 5

Strategic Implementation and Getting the Value out of Strategy

• Alignment of strategy, culture, structure and people
• Effective execution - Converting strategic analysis and planning into action
• Aligning and linking strategy with operational objectives
• Implementation – Getting practical things done
• Creating tomorrow’s organisation out of today’s organisation
• Strategic planning at a personal level
• Overview - The complete strategy process
• Summary and conclusions - The corporate and individual value of strategic planning

MODULE II: Negotiation and Conflict Management in Organisations

DAY 6

Breaking Down the Negotiation Process

• The fundamental requirements of negotiation
• Power dispersal and the development of negotiation theory
• Causes of organisational conflict
• Conflict escalation and steps to prevent it
• Managing conflict – The five primary strategies
• The dichotomy of negotiation – Competing and cooperating
• Gaining personal insight - Negotiation style assessment
• Negotiation as a mixed motive process

DAY 7

Implementing Practical Negotiation Strategies

• Effective practical negotiation strategies
• Competitive value claiming negotiation strategies – Cutting the pie
• Batna, reserve point, target point
• Opening offers, anchors, concessions
• Cooperative value creating negotiation strategies – Baking a bigger pie
• Identify interests, information, diagnostic questions & unbundling issues
• Package deals, multiple offers and post-settlement settlements
• Categorising negotiation outcomes

DAY 8

Preparation Templates, Sources of Power & Key Mediation Techniques

• Preparation template - Planning to negotiate
• Internal & external preparation, synthesis and situation assessment
• Identifying and leveraging negotiating power
• Mediation in context – Negotiation, mediation, arbitration and litigation
• Mediation as a facilitated negotiation
• Practical mediation techniques to resolve disputes
• Dealing with confrontational negotiators

DAY 9

Communicating to Maximise Negotiation Effectiveness

• Communication style – Packaging information for maximum influence
• Active listening skills in negotiation
• Communicating through body language
• Interpreting body language and nonverbal behaviour
• Communicating within negotiation teams
• Improving negotiation team performance
• Ethics and negotiation

DAY 10

International and Cross Cultural Complexities

• What is culture and how does it affect negotiating norms?
• Hofstede’s cultural dimensions
• Advice for cross cultural negotiations
• Unique features of international agreements
• Building a deal – What to remember?
• Applying learning to a range of organisational situations
• Summary – Building a better negotiating organisation