Course Introduction:

Effective strategic analysis, strategic decision making and translating those decisions into a strategy that can be communicated and planned is essential to the future success of any organization.

In this programme you will learn how to:

Focus on core tools for strategic analysis and how to use them effectively to make strategic decisions

Develop a strategy that can guide your firm into the future.

Examine best practice models from other industries and also apply the techniques learned in their own industries

Who Should Attend?

Designed for employees in all industries who are involved with the strategic planning process for their unit or the whole organization, who want to improve their strategic analysis and decision making skills.

Objectives:

Understand and apply a range of tools available for strategic analysis

Analyse the competitive environment and your firm’s position in it

Understand the resources and competences involved in different bases of competitive advantage

Analyse the core competences and basis of competitive advantage of your firm

Understand and apply the tools available for developing strategic options

Understand the characteristics of good strategic decision making

Understand common traps involved in strategic decision making that lead to failure

Bring strategic analysis and decision making together into a strategy for your firm

Broaden strategic analysis and decision making skills through considering a range of case examples outside your industry and applying the concepts in your own firm.

CONTENTS:

Day 1 - Analysing the competitive environment and firm positioning

Introduction to environmental analysis tools – PESTLE, Five forces analysis, Industry life cycle analysis and Strategic group analysis

Identifying trends affecting an industry

Identifying the state of competition within an industry, the key competitors, and the key competitive positions

Identifying key success factors in an industry

Case study analysis applying these concepts

Applying these concepts to your firm

 Day 2 - Analysing the resources and competences underlying competitive advantage

Introduction to organizational analysis tools – Resource auditing,

Core competences, Value chain analysis

Mapping how organizational resources and competences strengthen or detract from a firm’s competitive position

Case analysis: Undertaking a resource, competence, and value chain analysis for firms in different competitive positions

Applying these concepts to your firm

 Day 3 - Developing strategic options

Introduction to tools for developing strategic options – Portfolio analysis, Product/Market analysis, Protecting current advantage

Developing a range of strategic options

Evaluating options and making strategic choices

Ensuring that strategic options fit the competitive environment, your firm’s competitive position and develop sustainable competitive advantage

Case analysis

 Day 4 - The strategic decision-making process

Understanding the key characteristics of effective strategic decision making

Understanding common traps in strategic decision making – hubris, over-reach, overly consensual

Introduction to a range of tools for improving strategic decision making – Dialectic inquiry, Devil’s advocacy, Scenario building techniques

Analysing the strategic decision-making process in your firm, business division, or work group

Developing a guideline for improving decision making in your firm, business division, or work group 

Day 5 - Pulling strategic analysis and decision-making together in a strategy

Identifying your core business proposition

Developing a vision and mission statement for your core business proposition

Identifying the key strategic priorities that your firm needs to meet

Developing strategic objectives