Course details

Overview ?

Introduction

This seminar brings together the key strategic leadership skills of strategic planning, negotiation and conflict management required to succeed in today’s complex and challenging business environment.

'Strategy' is as it says in the classic text 'the art of war', complex yet when understood very simple, those who have a successful strategy are in control of the upcoming events.

The implementation of strategies often requires the ability to exert influence and negotiate effectively. Negotiation is not litigation, neither is it war. Negotiation is not about obtaining total victory. Total victory by one party tends to be short lived. Negotiation and conflict management are key strategic management and leadership skills and are probably the single most used skills in business today.

This seminar will enable you to:

Challenge your preconceptions about strategic planning, negotiation and conflict management;
Understand the content of strategy - unravelled, demystified and translated into everyday language;
Learn how to implement the strategic planning process and get real value out of the process,
Learn how to analyse the much-misunderstood concept of win-win negotiation;
Obtain the essential tools and practical skills for the planning and management of the negotiation and conflict process, thereby developing the ability to negotiate value-creating solutions.

The seminar is split into two modules:

MODULE I - Strategy and Strategic Planning

MODULE II - Negotiation and Conflict Management in Organisations

Each module is structured and can be taken as a stand-alone course; however, delegates will maximise their benefits by taking Module 1 and 2 back-to-back as a two-week seminar.

Objectives

By the end of this programme you will be able to:

Learn the key stages in the entire process, providing a takeaway toolkit for each key stage and each delegates
Apply to management issues, learn option generation, opportunity cost, choice and implementation phases of strategy
To understand the process of change, planning, organisational strategy and change
Identify the sources of conflict in the professional environment
Gain awareness of your own style in approaching conflict and negotiation
Learn how to achieve true win-win results & expand your range of negotiating skills
Be able to use a three-step planning guide to analyse and prepare for a negotiation

Training Methodologies

The training process is based on a carefully planned mix of succinct tutor input with the practical illustration of tools and concepts, group work on case studies (some are video based), role play exercises with feedback, self assessment questionnaires and group discussion to develop the themes around participants’ own experiences and needs. Team involvement and working enable a strategy to be created from start to finish.

This is a highly interactive seminar, using a mix of case studies, role play exercises, self assessment questionnaires, presentations and group discussion to develop the themes around participants’ own experiences and needs. It presents an opportunity for delegates to practice the skills taught using a variety of hands-on negotiation exercises that stress participation and that reinforce and build on the comprehensive course materials.

Organisational Impact

Improved planning, implementation, results and strategic leadership
Integration of strategy, finance, and operations
Much better decision-taking and time and resource allocation - leading to better organisational and individual performance
Use of a well proven planning process & more effective implementation
Learn to develop the range of skills and competencies required to manage conflict and negotiate effectively.
Gain the knowledge and confidence to tackle negotiations in a collaborative and constructive manner that produces added value outcomes

Personal Impact

As a direct result of attending this course you will:

Develop new skills and thinking processes for you and the organisation
Increasing behavioural flexibility and career flexibility (vertically and horizontally)
Accelerated thinking speed and problem resolution for all difficult dilemmas
Far greater motivation and proactivity
Provide a deep understanding of personal conflict resolution style
Develop the confidence and ability to influence others and obtain better results through an understanding of how to deal with difficult situations and tough negotiations

SEMINAR OUTLINE

Module I

Strategy and Strategic Planning

DAY 1 : 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 backwards from the customer”
Mini-case on importance of external analysis

DAY 2 : 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
Fusion of analyses into strategic choices - SWOT and the strategy matrix
Case examples of strategic choice
Mini-case on importance of internal analysis

DAY 3 : 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
Introduction and briefing for the main case study
First-phase group work on the main case study

DAY 4 : Global strategy, teambuilding and the management of internal communication

The essence of globalization and global strategy
Globalization – the strategic dimension
Globalization – the organizational dimension
Globalization – the 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
Second-phase work on the main case study

DAY 5 : 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

DAY 6 : 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 organisation
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

DAY 7 : Practical Negotiation Strategies

Strategic and tactical negotiation approaches to negotiation
Value claiming distributive negotiation strategies
BATNA, Reserve point, 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

DAY 8 : 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

DAY 9 : Mediation skills – a powerful negotiation tool

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