Strategic Development: Thinking, Planning, Management and Leadership Training Course

Session 1: Strategic Thinking

• Definition of strategic concepts
• Three fundamental dimensions of organizational strategy
• Interplay of process, content, and context
• Mechanisms linking the core strategic dimensions

Session 2: Leadership Challenges

• Distinctions between management and leadership
• Overview of leadership theories
• Expectations placed on leaders and their personnel
• Identification of essential leadership attributes
• Characteristics of effective leadership
• The role of inspiration, influence, and charisma compared to isolated decision-making
• Principles of transformational leadership

Case Study and Exercise

Session 3: Establishing a Vision

• Distinction between mission statements and organizational vision
• Common causes of strategic plan failure and mitigation strategies for government entities
• Developing a robust and actionable vision
• Importance of clarity and measurable outcomes
• Securing stakeholder commitment to the vision

Case Study and Exercise

Session 4: Developing Strategic Capability

• Fundamentals of strategic planning and analytical thinking
• Techniques for cultivating strategic foresight
• Strategic communication protocols
• Identification of critical competencies required for success

Case Study and Exercise

Comprehensive Case Study Workshop: Participants will work in small groups to develop a strategic plan for launching a new initiative or business unit. This process requires analyzing the current operational environment and external influences. The resulting plan must evaluate available resources against the established vision, ensuring alignment with public sector objectives where appropriate for government operations.

Session 5: Analyzing the Operational Environment and External Influences

• Overview of external operational environments
• Components of the general macro-environment
• Key factors impacting organizational performance
• Lifecycle management of products or services
• Stakeholder and customer analysis methods

Case Study and Exercise

Session 6: Resource Analysis

Evaluating Organizational Capabilities

• Holistic assessment approaches
• Addressing siloed operational issues
• Cross-departmental evaluation techniques
• Assessment criteria:
  • Financial, human capital, operations, systems, and administrative styles

Case Study and Exercise

Session 7: Motivation and Change Management

• Theoretical frameworks for motivation
• Practical applications of motivational strategies
• The role of compensation as a motivator
• Identifying and utilizing change agents
• Understanding and addressing resistance to change
• The DREC curve in change management
• Established approaches to managing organizational change

Case Study and Exercise

Session 8: Strategy Formulation and Execution

• Translating vision into actionable reality
• Building momentum for strategic initiatives
• Development of strategic alternatives
• Strategic implications and risk assessment:
  1. Identification of key stakeholders
  2. Securing cross-departmental support
  3. Anticipating potential conflict areas
  4. Strategies for addressing objections

Case Study and Exercise

Session 9: Project Management and Success Metrics

• Distinguishing between new projects and routine operations
• The necessity of Key Performance Measures (KPMs)
• Methodologies for performance measurement
• Application of balanced scorecard approaches
• Identification of key business drivers and traceability mechanisms
• Differentiating between quantitative and qualitative measures
• Establishing a comprehensive metrics framework for government programs
• Project tracking protocols
• Risk reporting standards

Case Study and Exercise

Session 10: Implementation Processes

• Resource allocation, strategic planning, and control mechanisms
• Utilization of planning tools
• Setting organizational objectives
• Defining specific tasks
• Communication strategies during implementation
• Optimizing resource allocation
• Evaluating resource characteristics and availability
• Team construction and development
• Distinguishing between project work and routine operations

Case Study and Exercise

Session 11: Managing Strategic Change and Conflict

• The functional role of conflict in organizational development
• Viewing conflict as an operational challenge
• Root causes of workplace conflict
• Strategies for managing, mitigating, or avoiding conflict
• Assessing the impact of change and managing downstream effects
• Communicating the benefits of change to stakeholders
• Minimizing negative outcomes associated with change
• Maintaining strategic plan adherence

Case Study and Exercise

Session 12: Team Assessment Procedures

• Preparatory assessment work
• Review of personnel records
• Analysis of work performance records
• Feedback from peers and colleagues
• Evaluation during team meetings
• Inputs from discussion groups and forums

Case Study and Exercise: Participants will role-play a manager-team member interaction during an initial encounter. The group will conduct a constructive debriefing and discussion.

Session 13: Interpersonal Management

• Analysis of management styles
• Identification of behavioral styles
• Institutional and cultural style factors
• Alignment with institutional and management policy standards
• Personal leadership style assessment
• Effective meeting conduct
• Managing one-on-one interactions
• Strategies for overcoming resistance
• Managing upward relationships with superiors
• Communicating challenges and priorities to the team

Case Study and Exercise: You are directed by your supervisor to reassign responsibilities. The affected staff members are apprehensive about the change. What is your approach to managing this situation?

Session 14: Communication Competencies

• Variations in communication styles
• Corporate and management communication standards
• Channels: oral, written, and electronic communications
• Facilitating two-way dialogue
• Fostering organizational cohesion and esprit de corps
• Utilizing directive communication channels effectively
• Managing resistance through communication

Case Study and Exercise: Your predecessor delegated chairing of weekly team meetings to a senior employee. Do you support this practice? Would you implement changes? If so, what modifications would you make?

Session 15: Management Styles in Practice

• Theoretical definitions of management styles
• Personal leadership preferences
• Institutional and superiors’ preferred styles
• Optimal approaches for specific departments
• Strategies that best support team dynamics

Case Study and Exercise: Is the collaborative management style, often recommended by leadership experts, the most effective approach for public sector contexts?

Session 16: The Manager’s Role

• Transitioning from team member to supervisor
• Ensuring the team achieves established objectives
• Driving continuous improvement within the team
• Comprehensive role management: time allocation and effective goal setting
• Cultivating leadership presence and professional demeanor
• Impact of supervisor behavior on team dynamics and individual performance
• Priorities for an effective supervisor in government operations

Case Study: You have been promoted ahead of a colleague who is also a friend and appears disappointed. How should you manage this professional relationship?

Session 17: Problem Resolution

• Informal, semi-formal, and formal resolution procedures
• Systematic problem-solving methods
• Seeking guidance and support resources
• Finalizing resolutions
• Referral processes for complex issues

Case Study and Exercise: Your team’s performance is hindered by excessive workload. Your supervisor disagrees and instructs you to manage the situation. How do you address this apparent contradiction?

Session 18: Motivational Strategies

• Fundamental factors influencing motivation
• Creating a supportive work environment
• Reward and correction approaches
• Staff development and nurturing techniques
• The role of patronage in public sector management

Case Study and Exercise: How would you encourage your team to work on a weekend without offering additional compensation?

Session 19: Delegation Techniques

• Principles of effective delegation
• Timing and criteria for delegation
• Supervisory responsibilities during delegated tasks
• Avoiding micromanagement
• Monitoring progress and outcomes
• Understanding trade finance principles relevant to procurement

Case Study: You have assigned your deputy to prepare the preliminary budget for your department. How do you monitor the process without overstepping? At what point would you intervene, and how would you manage this situation?

Session 20: Conflict Management and Resolution

• Primary causes of workplace conflict
• Methods for resolving disputes
• Engaging management in conflict resolution
• Addressing challenges to managerial authority
• Adherence to formal grievance procedures

Case Study: You assign a task to a junior staff member who claims to be too busy. You insist, and the employee publicly refuses. How should you handle this direct challenge to your authority?

Session 21: Performance Appraisals

• Importance of performance evaluations
• Objectives of the appraisal process
• Considerations for compensation and rewards
• Conducting the appraisal review
• Providing encouragement and developmental guidance
• Addressing performance weaknesses

Case Study: You are tasked with selecting one candidate for promotion from two applicants and must inform both of the outcome. How do you manage the communication with the unsuccessful candidate?