Strategic Planning, Management Control and Effective Budgeting Course

Introduction

Developing Strategies, Risk Analysis, Negotiating, Budgeting and Cost Control are the essential skills for those who are dedicated to maximizing their performance and value-added contribution - and that of the people who work for them. As the business environment becomes ever more uncertain and turbulent, the requirement for professional leadership and management throughout organizations is at a premium. Hence, these skills learned in this 10 day course provide a structured and coherent framework for addressing the challenges which professionals face in respect of both their day-to-day and longer-term responsibilities.

This course will feature:

• Identifying Effective and Proven Strategies
• Managing Strategic and Financial Risks 
• Win-Win Negotiating Skills & Strategies
• Financial Analysis
• Budgeting and Cost Control

Objectives

• Develop an appreciation & understanding of each of the elements of the course.
• Understand how skills interact creating a systemic approach to mastering the essential tasks of any leader.
• Develop the skills and applications needed to master and integrate each individual element
• Utilize the elements in achieving individual, team and high organizational results
• Identify priorities for continued professional development

Contents

Module 1: Strategy, Risks, Negotiation & Leadership Day One

Strategy

• Introduction to strategy - background, historical developments, major theories
• Strategic Management – a practical approach for every leader
• A consistent methodology for strategy development
• The relationships between vision, mission and strategy
• The steps involved in developing a strategy

Day Two

Risks

• The meaning and nature of risk
• Identifying the risks in a given strategy
• Prioritizing risks
• Contingency planning
• Risk mitigation strategies

Day Three

Negotiation

• The everyday role and attitude of ‘Win-Win’ negotiating
• Power - gaining a superior position
• Strategy and Tactics in negotiating
• Understanding your opponents negotiating style and tactics
• Negotiating Countermeasures

Day Four

Leadership

• The strategic role and nature of effective leadership
• Charisma and how to earn it and use it effectively
• The role of the modern leader and how leadership has changed
• Innovative Leadership skills
• Maximizing the performance of each team member
• Motivating the 'average' employee

Day Five

Strategic Leadership Workshop

• Intrapersonal style and skills
• Interpersonal and leadership communication skills
• Leadership and The Challenge of Change
• Strategic leadership for team development
• Developing a personal action plan for further self-development

Module 2: Effective Budgeting & Operational Cost Control Day Six

Introduction: Building a Common Financial Language

• The key role of budgeting and cost control in contemporary organizations
• The 21st century business imperative: delivering value added (but to whom?)
• Financial vs. Managerial accounting (for decision making)
• Understand your processes: integrating financial and non-financial aspects
• The budgeting process
• Examples & Discussion

Day Seven

The Budgeting Process

• The key features of budgeting
• Advantages and concerns with budgeting
• Accountability and centers of responsibility
• Zero-based budgeting
• Budgeting and cost control
• Examples & Discussion

Day Eight

Cost Analysis

• Different costs for different purposes
• Fixed vs. Variable costs
• The Cost-Volume-Profit analysis model
• Contribution Margin analysis
• Examples & Discussion

Day Nine

Traditional vs. Advanced Techniques in Cost-Control

• Under-costing and over-costing: the consequences for profitability
• Indirect (OH) vs. Direct costs:
• Traditional Cost Allocations systems vs. Activity-Based Costing (ABC)
• Linking resources, activities and management
• Variance analysis
• Video, Case Study and Examples

Day Ten

Beyond the Budgets: Balanced scorecards and Six-sigma

• Broadening performance measurement systems
• Beyond budgeting: integrating financial and non-financial issues
• Introducing the Balanced Scorecard
• Introducing the Strategy maps
• Introducing Six-sigma
• Video, Case Study and examples