Effective strategic planning is essential to the future success of any organization. However, most strategic planning is lacking in vision. It is merely a straight-line extrapolation of the past into the future. In a world where the pace of change is greater than ever before this is at best shortsighted and at worst a prescription for disaster. Real strategic planning is about positioning the organization for a future which will be different from the past. This new seminar will focus on strategic planning as the essential management system guiding the organization into the future by setting focused goals that will establish and enhance competitiveness. Highlights of the seminar are as follows.

• Presentation of the concept and significance of strategy and strategic planning
• Introduction to the main approaches to strategy formulation and goal setting
• Case examples of organizations formulating strategic plans
• Group work on specific cases and problems
• Extensive use of practical examples in which the course leader has been personally involved

By the end of this seminar you will be able to:

• Understand how to design visionary strategic plans
• Work out how to translate strategic plans into action plans
• Examine a model for organizational and individual assessment
• Provide insights into strategic planning problems to avoid
• Identify and learn from examples of strategic success and failure
• Understand the nature of the organisational life cycle
• Provide insights into productive contingency planning

The most up to date training methods are used to present this seminar. The seminar is carefully designed to address all styles of learning and to engage participants fully. Formal presentations and discussions are supplemented by group exercises. These exercises provide opportunities for personal participation in real situations. During these exercises you discover how to apply what you are learning. This process makes the learning process enjoyable, fast-paced, challenging and empowering.

How does the organization benefit by sending employees to this seminar?

• Employees are better able to relate their functional work to the overall direction of the organization
• There will be greater flexibility within the organization
• Employees’ capability in analyzing and building creative solutions will be enhanced
• Employees will have more confidence in setting and aiming for ambitious targets
• Employees will be better placed to cope with organizational change
• Employees will think more rigorously about creating tomorrow’s organization out of today’s organization

As a result of attending this seminar individual delegates will gain the following benefits

• Will learn how to combine visionary, analytical and creative thinking
• Will have a better understanding of the global business environment of the 21st century
• Will learn how to make choices in making best use of finite resources
• Will develop improved preparedness to deal with contingencies
• Will learn how to set challenging, realistic and achievable targets
• Will learn how to measure performance and manage progress

DAY 1 : The Strategic Planning process 

• Introduction to the seminar – structure and content
• Strategy - concept and significance
• “Competitive Positioning” versus “Blue Sky” approaches
• Achieving competitive advantage through flexibility and agility
• The interaction of strategy, structure and business processes
• Gathering information and intelligence for the SWOT analysis
• Mini-cases and group discussion – “Cost versus Differentiation”
• Review of Day One

DAY 2 : The Strategic Planning process 

• Vision and mission statements - preparing for the future
• Business analysis and contingency planning
• Strategic choice
• Converting the SWOT analysis into the “Strategy Matrix”
• Strategy formulation – programmes, projects, policies
• Transforming the organization - strategy implementation and managing change
• Mini-case and group discussion – major strategic re-orientation
• Review of Day Two

DAY 3 : Assessing current state of the organization

• Leadership and management in relation to strategy
• Customer and market focus
• Human resources and knowledge management
• Building a strategic planning team
• Effective process management to achieve business results
• Monitoring and measuring business performance
• Mini-case and group discussion - a market entry problem
• Review of Day Three

DAY 4 : Avoiding the pitfalls of strategic planning

• The strategy life-cycle and the problem of strategic drift
• Getting innovative thinking into the organization
• The potentially negative dimensions of success
• How to avoid “paralysis by analysis”
• Overcoming inability to evaluate fresh ideas, denying the truth and thinking inside the box
• The critical importance of teambuilding and teamwork
• Mini-case and group discussion - how and why a good organization can go bad
• Review of Day Four

DAY 5 : Personal strategic planning

• Applying strategic tools and techniques to the individual
• Personal goal setting, creating a personal strategic plan
• Implementing change – achieving progress as a strategic manager
• The mix of competencies and personal skills required in 21st century business
• Executing strategy – how to break it down and get it done
• Developing inspiration and gathering support
• Overcoming adversity by leveraging your skills and building on success
• Conclusion – a personal role in the strategic planning and goal setting processes