Introduction

“Strategy” is a frequently misunderstood concept which needs to be translated into everyday language, and its process demystified. Strategy is not merely about “achieving and keeping a sustainable competitive advantage”, but is about being genuinely creative. Strategic planning is very much not therefore an academic exercise, but is one which entails thinking through implementation, and getting real value out of the process.

Seminar Objectives

• To define and to demystify the concepts of “strategy” and “strategic plans”, but also to demystify the strategic process - as part of “Helicopter Thinking”
• To break it down step-by-step, providing a toolkit for each key stage
• To illustrate it through some well chosen and highly stimulating case studies - and to distil the lessons from this
• To apply it to some of your own management issues - through planning the analysis, option generation, choice and implementation phases of strategy
• To put this within the overall context of the organisation and of the change and influencing process generally
• To give you a lot more confidence in managing your role strategically within your organisation

Training Methodologies

The training process is based on a carefully planned mix of succinct tutor input - with practical illustration of tools and concepts, group work on case studies (all video based - and lively), feedback, and selective work on individual issues in pairs. There will also be some opportunity for role play. You will receive an electronic toolkit within the material for subsequent everyday use.

Organizational impact

• Much better decision-taking and time and resource allocation - leading to better organisational and individual performance
• Use of a well proven planning process
• More effective implementation

Personal impact

• Increasing career flexibility (vertically and horizontally)
• Accelerated thinking speed and problem resolution for all difficult dilemmas
• Far greater motivation and proactivity

Competences emphasised

• “Helicopter” (visionary) thinking
• Creativity
• Strategic influencing
• Strategic leadership
• Problem-solving
• Prioritisation
• Implementation
• Change management
• Imagining the future
• Business analysis
• Strategic team working
• Strategic presentation skills

Who Should Attend?

This seminar is designed for 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. Typically you will have some experience of planning but present and future job challenges imply that you need to step up to a new level of competence in this area, or simply in strategic thinking generally.

Seminar Outline

Day 1 - Strategic Thinking and Analysis

• What is strategy/strategic planning?
• What forms can it take?
• Evaluating strategic options - using state of the art processes
• Case study in the car industry
• Understanding market attractiveness - “PEST” factors, growth drivers, competitive forces: with service industry case study
• Benchmarking your own strategic position/competitor analysis

Day 2 - Strategic Breakthroughs and Implementation

• Overview of day one
• Understanding and benchmarking customer value
• Diagnosing strategic problems
• Strategic diagnosis, option evaluation, implementation and change: case study of a strategic review in the Luxury Health Resort Industry
• Applying implementation techniques and stakeholder analysis to issues in your role: the Mini-Strategy Process

Day 3 - Scenarios and Strategic Innovation

• Review of the tools so far
• Thinking future: using scenario story telling to see around corners - at corporate, business, project, individual levels
• Case study with competitor role-playing and scenario development in the carpet cleaning industry
• Checklists for being more creative
• Applying the mini-strategy process again - value-reengineering with the Sandals’ weddings case study

Day 4 - Strategic Influencing and Action

• Getting buy-in organisationally to strategies
• Becoming a more effective internal strategic influencer/consultant - and also facilitating strategy/running strategic workshops
• The Innovative Loo case study?: using “rich pictures” (visual strategies) and creativity checklists to design a new product, to assess its potential, and to influence key stakeholders
• Exercise on one’s own influencing skills
• Using strategic project management to turn a strategic plan into reality

• Business plans, business cases and putting a value on strategy - the business value system and value and cost drivers
• Exercise in the football industry to develop and put a value on options for a major football club - with simulated meeting with its Chief Executive (influencing skills practice)
• Strategic options in your own career
• Action planning: translating these ideas into future practice through projects, through everyday work, and through process handover.

Oxford Management Centre
John Eccles House
Robert Robinson Ave
Oxford Science Park
Oxford
OX4 4GP
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 1865 338088

Fax: +44 1865 338100

email info@oxford-management.com