Sharpening Strategic Skills
Schedule
Thu Oct 24 2024 at 08:30 am to Fri Oct 25 2024 at 06:00 pm
UTC+02:00Location
Schaffhauserstrasse 78, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland | Zurich, ZH
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Objective: Strategic-Leadership for structured big-picture thinking to become a strategic partner to senior executivesTarget: Mid-level Managers, Program Leads, Senior Consultants
Format: 2.5 days - 2 full days of training and a half-day of case study presentations. After two days of the program, participants will work in short groups on a case study.
According to an HBR study, around 97% of Senior Executives choose strategic skills as a key attribute. What does that even mean? The word strategy comes from the Greek word "strategos "meaning "to spread and lead. " In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was mostly used in the military context to deploy military means for a successful result. Even beyond the military context, strategic skills involve looking at the bigger picture, structuring different pieces of information, and determining the course of action.
Aided with tools like SCQ (Situation-Complication-Question), MECE (Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive), Pyramid Principle, and Logic trees, the program is based on the works of Barbara Minto from McKinsey.
It takes the methodological approach of:
- Problem-solving by determining the right problem, structuring the solutions, and prioritizing the key actions.
- Structuring Strategic projects that bridge vision with the desired results within a specific time frame
- Strategic Communication by identifying the essential and eliminating the rest to be more productive, e.g., in time management and written communication
- Storyboarding Strategic Presentations by developing a convincing storyline tailored to the audience utilizing purpose, plot, and slides
Lernziele
Day 1: Problem-Solving & Structuring Projects
Module 1: Solve Problems Methodically: 9.00-12:30
- Determine the right problem: Most of the solutions fail because we don't spend enough time identifying the correct problem. Using tools like SCQ, we can determine the right issues we want to address and align them with our stakeholders.
- Structure the solutions: Each problem can be solved using bottom-up data collection or top-down big picture thinking. We can incorporate both using tools like Pyramid Principle and Logic Trees.
- Prioritize potential actions: Strategic skills are about identifying what to do and what not to do. Prioritization using tools like the impact-feasibility matrix supports in making the right move.
Module 2: Structure Strategic Projects: 14-17:30
- Structuring Problem: Focus on the right question from the start is key to any successful project using e.g., SCQ approach
- Structuring Process: Design the high-level approach and develop a strategic stakeholder map
- Effective Tracking: Set up the effective project impact or status tracking mechanism
Case Study Overview: 17.30-18.00
Day 2: Strategic Communication & Storyboarding
Module 3: Strategic Communication: 9.00-12:30
- Start with Why!: Explaining why a topic is relevant through connecting to a bigger picture and having a shared alignment. Often, leaders start with "How" rather than "Why" and lose an opportunity to make a deeper connection.
- Message Pyramidically: Using Barbara Minto's Pyramid Principle, we learn to communicate key messages first backed by arguments and data
Module 4: Storyboard Strategic Presentations: 14.00-17:30
- Identifying Purpose: Understanding the overall objective and sensing the audience provides the purpose of the presentation and defines the storyboard's starting point.
- Building a Convincing Storyboard: Disney designed a logic of storyboarding in the 1930s for their animation pictures. Strategists are using the same logic worldwide to plot a storyboard for communication to senior management. It involves structuring key messages and providing logic and simplicity using e.g. Mickey Mouse Storyboard method.
- Creating Meaningful Slides: Slide creation is like painting a blank canvas. Each slide has a 5-point acid test which decides whether it is a good or a bad slide.
Wrap-up: 17.30-18.00
Half Day (Case Study Presentations)
Case Study Presentations: 14.00-17:30
The modules are conducted in English and are limited to 20 participants to facilitate interactions and connections. Please note that other participants can join for specific modules of the program.
At the end of the program, you will be provided a "Foundational Strategic Thinking Certificate" by MQ Learning.
MQ Learning is EduQua certified educational institute. EduQua is an accreditation body recognized and supported by the Swiss Confederate Government; it’s the first quality certification for public and private educational institutions in Switzerland. EduQua is the premier quality assurance body accreditation scheme for continuing education.
Benefits of the program include:
- Solving problems methodically using e.g., SCQ model and Pyramid Principal
- Storyboarding strategic presentations in a simple & structured way to become a strategic partner of senior management using e.g,, Mickey Mouse Storyboarding and MECE
- Communicating key messages succinctly
- Structuring strategic projects to link vision with delivery
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Where is it happening?
Schaffhauserstrasse 78, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland, Schaffhauserstrasse 78, 8057 Zürich, Schweiz,Zürich, Switzerland, ZurichEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
