Leadership and strategic thinking

Programme clarifies what ‘being strategic’ means in practice and will develop tools and techniques to lead strategic thinking in an organisational context.

Level 

Programme is appropriate for learners at entry, intermediate and advanced levels.

Objectives 

  • To clarify and demystify what we mean by strategy
  • To share experiences in applying strategic thinking in practice
  • To develop capability in applying a range of strategic thinking tools
  • To practice strategic thinking with case studies and simulations

Process 

Your Experiences – Learners to share examples of strategic thinking. What works / does not work. Identify key themes / insights.

What is Strategy? – Background and definitions. Strategy as ‘being strategic’. Practice of strategic thinking. Organisational context and changing markets. Danger of analysis and planning in isolation. Strategy vs. tactics. Strategy in the context of organisational vision and objectives. Importance of strategic thinking. Strategy – traditional vs. emerging paradigms.

Case Studies – Working in pairs – to review case studies of strategic issues facing well-known brands. Feedback and discussion.

Strategic Thinking – Challenge of creative thinking. Convergent vs. divergent thinking. Accessing creativity and innovation. Different thinking styles – 6 thinking hats (de Bono) – factual, emotional, pessimistic, optimistic, growth, blue-sky. Self-assess own preference. Implications for application. Systemic thinking.

Experiential Exercise – Working in small groups – groups to choose a real strategic issue and practice the various thinking styles to more fully understand and expand on the strategic issue. Discipline of divergent thinking as opposed to convergent thinking. Feedback and discussion.

Strategy as Seeing – Introduce Mintzberg’s model of strategic thinking – seeing ahead / behind, seeing above / below, seeing beyond / beside and seeing it through. Demonstrate with a case study. Implications for application in practice.

Scenario Planning – Understanding scenario planning. Key steps in the scenario planning process. Envisioning alternative future states. Potential traps with scenarios. Demonstrate with a case study. Implications for application.

Micro-Strategy – Importance of micro-strategy. Three steps – imagination, abstract simulation and dialogue. Practical example. Implications for application in practice.

Experiential Exercise – Working in above groups – apply 1 of the above 3 strategic thinking tools to the strategic issue worked on previously, demonstrating understanding of the use of the tool. Feedback and discussion.

Leading Strategy – Six leadership styles – directive, visionary, affiliative, collaborative, pace setting and coaching (Goleman). Self-assessment. Implications for leading strategy in practice.

Tools & Techniques – Range of strategic thinking tools and techniques – SWOT, EPIC, PESTLE, McKinsey 7S, BCG Matrix, future visioning, etc.

Experiential Exercise – Stable Platforms – fun, interactive exercise in creative thinking and problem-solving.

Communicating Strategy – Getting people involved throughout – consultative / collaborative thinking. Developing real dialogue. Keeping it simple. Consistency – telling them again and again.

Options 

This programme can be adapted as a 1 or 2 day workshop – approx. 8 – 10 learners.