Course Objectives

• Differentiate between strategic planning and long range planning
• Differentiate between strategic thinking and strategic management
• Define strategy and develop one
• Apply the basic steps of strategic planning process
• Understand the rule of innovation and creativity in the strategic planning process
• Translate the vision and strategy into operational reality
• Identify improvements that will impact corporate success.

Course outline

• Strategic planning - what is it?
  • Strategic planning versus long range planning
  • Strategic thinking and strategic management
  • What is a strategy and how do we develop one?
  • How to develop strategies
• Strategic planning process basic steps
  • Step one - Getting started
  • Step two - Articulating Mission, Vision, and Values
  • Step three - Assessing the Situation
  • Step four - Developing Strategies, Goals, and Objectives
  • Step five - Completing the Written Plan
  • Mission Statements
  • The Vision Statement
  • Key Definitions
• Situation assessment and the business process flow analysis
  • Gathering perceptions about the organization
  • Gathering management and staff perceptions of the organization
  • Gathering external customer perceptions
  • Evaluation of products, services and process
  • Cost / benefit analysis of process, products, or services
  • Business process flow analysis BPFA - an introduction

• A look at teams, leaders, and communication
  • Team member guidelines and contributing roles
  • Characteristics of effective and ineffective teams
  • Communicating in a team
  • Guidelines to questions which require:
  • Constructive Communication
  • Leadership: an Overview
  • What is leadership?
  • Styles of Leadership
  • Four leadership styles
  •  Defining Behavior
• Key concepts and innovations
  • Innovation and creativity in the strategic planning process
  •  Remaining healthy and profitable
  • Creativity and innovation
  • Divergent and convergent thinking
  • Plus-delta-plus process
  • Pitfalls which hinder innovation
• Tools and methods for problem solving and creative thinking
  • Assigning an effective facilitator
  • Adopting a parallel process
  • Defining the right problem
  • Pulling out ideas through brainstorming
• Tools and techniques to go beyond brainstorming
  • Exercise - The Nine Sticks
  • Brainstorming a beneficial technique
  • Four basic "triggers" to be used
  • When to use which
  • Issues of the working environments
  • The nine dimensions of the working environment
  • Building the creative culture
• Discover Your Strategic Styles