Course information

In this strategic planning and management course, you will learn the strategic thinking concepts, skills and tools required to define the corporate strategy for an organisation and manage a corporate strategy planning process. You will learn how to make the critical decisions required to establish the strategic objectives and set the strategic direction for your organisation. Real life case studies and group work will further develop your strategic thinking capability.

We will also show you how to engage others through the strategy development process to ensure that the strategy results in achievable and realistic implementation plans that achieve the organisations goals. We will discuss the importance of culture in strategy development and the crucial role that values and behaviours play in strategy development and business success.

We will use a systematic approach to understand where the organisation is now, where the organisation wants to be and why, and how to successfully get from the present to the future.

Aims

The aim of this course is to help you play a pivotal role in organisational strategy development by exposing you to a range of strategy design tools and important case studies. You will develop your strategic thinking and planning abilities so that you can contribute to the development of a clear, compelling and robust organisational strategy.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• create an effective vision and mission statement
• follow a structured process to create an effective, compelling and agreed strategy
• analyse the environment your organisation operates in
• exercise critical decision-making to maximise opportunities and mitigate risks
• develop sound strategic goals
• develop a clear, realistic and implementable strategy.

Content

Strategic thinking and planning

• What is strategic planning?
• The importance of strategic planning
• Good and bad strategy

The strategic planning process

• The steps involved in creating an effective strategy
• Guiding senior stakeholders to enable strategic decisions
• Engaging organisational stakeholders, seeking agreement and creating a narrative

Mission, vision and values

• The importance of vision and mission
• Making vision and mission statements matter: thinking about culture

Strategic planning tools and frameworks

• Macro trends
• Business model analysis
• Stakeholder analysis
• Customer segmentation and journeys
• SWOT analysis
• PESTEL analysis
• Ansoff matrix
• Porters five competitive forces
• Benchmarking
• Hypothesis development
• Scenario planning
• Risk strategy framework
• Schein’s culture framework

Developing the strategy

• Differentiation and competitive advantage
• Market analysis – markets, customers, products/services, strategic partners
• Establishing strategic goals, key result areas and measurable outcomes
• Developing strategic initiatives
• Outlining key assumptions and constraints
• Redefining the organisation – process, capability, technology, culture and governance
• The balanced scorecard
• Risk strategy
• Developing a roadmap for change including critical success factors, resourcing and budgeting
• Monitoring, adjusting and evaluating

Case studies

• Innovation and change as a requirement for survival
• The criticality of organisational culture

Intended audience

Designed to suit those who are part of a strategy team, or relatively new to the ‘strategic planning’ arena. It will also benefit anyone who is involved with strategic planning and is seeking to improve their strategic thinking and planning skills. This course applies across sectors including private, public and not-for-profit.

Prerequisites

None

Delivery modes

• Face-to-face, presenter-taught workshop
• Online workshop via the platform Zoom

Delivery style

This course has been designed to actively involve the learner throughout the day. It includes:

• interactive presentations
• group work and discussion
• structured strategy development activities
• strategy based case studies allowing for problem solving and strategic thinking.

Materials

All course materials are provided electronically. Printing services are not provided.

Recommended reading

Atlassian 2023, Strategic plans and templates, viewed 26 November 2023. https://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence/templates/collections/strategic-planning

Bryson, JM and Farnum, KA 2011, Creating Your Strategic Plan: A Workbook for Public and Nonprofit Organizations, Third Edition, Wiley.

Hamel, G. 2012, What Matters Now: How to Win in a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious Competition and Unstoppable Innovation, Jossey-Bass.

Porter, ME 2008, Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analysing Industries and Competitors, Free Press.

Rumelt, R 2011, Good Strategy/Bad Strategy, Profile Books.

Course Brochure