Euro-training Center
 Strategic Thinking amp Business Planning ST97 QR Code
Share (19) Like Download Brochure (PDF) Dates and locations

Strategic Thinking & Business Planning

Overview:

Introduction:

Too often company executives and professionals spend most of their time fixing day-to-day problems. They react to problems, rather than focusing on what they would like the company to be and then on making it happen. This program focuses on changing the way we think from reacting (responding to day-to-day problems, fixing and repairing) to developing plans for what we want to have happened and then implementing the plans.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course the participants will be able to: 

  • Learn 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.

Targeted Audience:

  • Business Managers
  • Team Leaders
  • Process Leaders
  • Functional Managers
  • Project Managers
  • Newly-appointed Senior Managers

Course Outlines:

Unit 1: How We Think: Are We Simply Allowing Things To Happen, or Are We Making Them Happen The Way We Want?

  • What is the strategy – core concept and definition of terms?
  • What is a Strategic Plan?
  • How do we think?
    • Analytical thinking.
    • Creative thinking.
  • What is a Leader? - The difference between leadership and management.
  • Strategic and operational goals – the significance and difference.
  • Two key roles.
  • Visionary - the role of the Chief Executive Officer.
  • Building a strategy/business planning team.
  • Mini-case 1: tutor presentation and group discussion.
  • Two key roles.

Unit 2: Strategic Planning:

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

Unit 3: Linkage to Marketing and Sales and Strategy Choice:

  • 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.
  • Marketing plans and sales plans.
  • Market plan – capturing value rather than just volume.
  • Sales plan – how to choose and fulfill market opportunities.
  • Mini-case 3: group discussion.

Unit 4: Linkage to The Financial Dimension:

  • Review of Day Three – questions and answers.
  • Strategic versus operational aspects of finance. The strategic role of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
  • The issue of financial risk/volatility and its impact on strategy.
  • Globalization of the financial markets.
  • The issue of financial risk/volatility and its impact on strategy.
  • The strategic impact of time compression and shortening life-cycles.
  • Capital-labor substitution, overhead cost, fixed and variable costs, breakeven analysis. The financial aspects of supply chain design – the “value engineering” of fixed and variable cost through outsourcing and “minimal inventory” processes.
  • Summary – strategic cost analysis.

Unit 5: Bringing It All Together:

  • Review of Day Four.
  • Review of the whole course:
    • Vision.
    • Mission.
    • Values.
    • Strategic choice and critical goals.
    • Marketing and Sales Plans.
    • Operational Plan.
  • Developing Action plans and Final thoughts and conclusions – the future of strategic management.
  • The importance of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and measurements.
  • The 'death of distance' and the shift of competitiveness from product/service to business model.

Select training course venue