Module I: Strategy and Strategic Planning

Strategic Thinking and Business Analysis

• What are strategy and strategic planning?
• Why are strategy and strategic planning important?
• What are the main conceptual frameworks?
• External analysis - understanding and analyzing business attractiveness - macroenvironmental factors, growth drivers, competitive forces, market dynamics
• Benchmarking your own strategic position/competitor analysis
• Analyzing customers
• “Thinking backward from the customer”

Internal Analysis and fusion of analyses into strategic options

• The interface of external and internal analysis
• Internal analysis: financial
• Internal analysis; non-financial
• The concept and practicalities of the “balanced scorecard”
• Diagnosing strategic problems and opportunities
• A fusion of analyses into strategic choices - SWOT and the strategy matrix
• Case examples of strategic choice

Strategic plans and the relevance of alliances and joint ventures

• Review of the tools used so far
• The content of a strategy: avoiding “paralysis by analysis”
• Putting a strategic plan together – the 5-page framework
• A real-life example of a business strategy/strategic plan
• Strategies for alliances and joint ventures
• Example of best practice in alliances and joint ventures

Global strategy, teambuilding and the management of internal communication

• The essence of globalization and global strategy
• Globalization: Strategic dimension, Organizational dimension, Human dimension
• How to build and manage a strategic planning team
• Communicating strategy through the organization
• Gaining your team’s commitment and buy-in to the strategy

Strategic implementation and getting the value out of strategy

• Final-phase work on the main case study
• Group presentations of the main case study
• Effective execution - converting strategic analysis and planning into action
• Linking strategy with operational objectives
• Implementation – getting practical things done
• Strategic planning of your own career
• Creating tomorrow’s organization out of today’s organization
• Conclusion - the corporate and individual value of strategic thinking

Module II: Negotiation and Conflict Management in Organisations 

Negotiation and Conflict Management

• Negotiation theory and practice – negotiation defined
• Power and society – the rise of negotiation and conflict management
• The sources of conflict in the organization
• Conflict escalation and steps to prevent it
• Conflict management strategies
• The two distinct approaches to negotiation
• Understanding your own negotiation style
• Negotiation as a mixed-motive process

Practical Negotiation Strategies

• Strategic and tactical negotiation approaches to negotiation
• Value claiming distributive negotiation strategies
• BATNA, Reserve point, a Target point
• Opening offers, Anchors, Concessions
• Value creating Integrative negotiation strategies
• Sharing information, diagnostic questions & unbundling issues
• Package deals, multiple offers, and post-settlement settlements
• The four possible outcomes of a negotiation

Negotiation Planning, Preparing, and Power

• Wants and needs – distinguishing between interests and positions
• A three-step model for negotiation preparation
• Your position, their position, and the situation assessment
• Understanding the sources of negotiating power
• Altering the balance of power
• The power of body language
• Understanding thoughts from body language
• Dealing with confrontational negotiators

Mediation skills – a powerful negotiation tool

• Communication and questioning
• Active listening in negotiation
• ADR processes – putting negotiation in the context
• Negotiation, Mediation, Arbitration, and Litigation
• Mediation is a facilitated negotiation
• Techniques of the mediator - practical mediation skills to help resolve disputes
• Working in negotiation teams
• Mediation in practice – mediation exercise

International and Cross-Cultural Negotiations

• International and cross-cultural negotiations
• Cultural Values and Negotiation Norms
• Advice for cross-cultural negotiators
• Putting together a deal
• Team international negotiation exercise
• Applying learning to a range of organizational situations