Strategy for internal consultants

Consider this comment from Johnson and Scholes, authors of one of the leading books on strategy:

"Strategic management is the responsibility of all managers, and what is more, a responsibility that is becoming more and more important. It is not sufficient for a manager to think of management in some operational or functional context, simply to know his piece of the jigsaw well and trust that others know theirs equally as well. The very least that a manager requires is to understand how his bit of the jigsaw fits into the rest in the context of the strategic problems and direction of the organisation."

strategy If strategic understanding is important for managers, then it is critical for consultants - particularly where their project spans several functions, departments or businesses. Any consulting solution or recommendation needs to be set within the overall strategic context - how does it help to achieve or maintain sustainable competitive advantage.

This course will provide you with:

strategic perspective that enables you to recognise opportunities and threats and how they impact your project
a framework for strategic thinking
an insight into what really matters - the critical success factors in your organisation’s strategy
the ability to explain your thinking and decisions within a strategic context and to relate them to core competencies

Course Content

what is strategy
overview of the strategic process
identifying opportunities and threats:
macro-environment
creating ‘future memory’
competitor analysis
the value chain

core competencies - ‘gateways to the future’
market analysis
selecting a viable strategy
generating options
cost leadership
differentiation
focus
causal mapping
drivers and KPIs
the strategic staircase
strategic implementation
culture and leadership
the Balanced Scorecard

Approach

Learning will primarily be through illustrated examples and short case studies. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to raise real-world issues that you are currently facing. We will consider how the principles apply at both the strategic and day-to-day level, introducing a number of practical activities and tools that you can use within your own organisation.