Description
Description
Business Acumen is a topic all about our ability to understand the ‘bigger picture’ – i.e. regarding our role in the business and how we can enhance the performance and returns that we are in control of. It also relates to our quickness and keenness in understanding and dealing with a business ‘situation’ (i.e. risks and opportunities) in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome.
Training Objectives
- Business Acumen is a topic all about our ability to understand the ‘bigger picture’ – i.e. regarding our role in the business and how we can enhance the performance and returns that we are in control of.
- It also relates to our quickness and keenness in understanding and dealing with a business ‘situation’ (i.e. risks and opportunities) in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome.
Course Outline
- The Challenge of Industry and Competition<br />
- • Overview of your business sector and understanding your competitive position<br />
- • The importance of strategy – and how it relates to departments within<br />
- your business<br />
- • Competitive advantage and Unique Selling Propositions (U.S.P’s)<br />
- • Developing a business / commercial mindset<
- Analysing our Environment<br />
- • Macro level analysis – e.g. P.E.S.T.L.E tool, B.C.G matrix and Ansoff matrix<br />
- • How and when to use models for business challenges<br />
- • Conducting an organisational S.W.O.T. analysis<
- Understanding & Developing Capability<br />
- • Analysing and leveraging our learning styles<br />
- • Consideration of whole brain thinking<br />
- • Use of styles to build robust teams for addressing / solving challenges<br />
- • Building business acumen into daily work routines<
- Viewing Problems<br />
- • Pause don’t rush; examination of how we analyse<br />
- • Taking a birds eye view – using a problem scoping tool<br />
- • Whole brain model and thinking styles – your preference<br />
- • Appreciating others thinking styles – re. problem solving<
- Divergent & Convergent Thinking & Analytical Processes<br />
- • How to use divergent / convergent thinking and mind mapping<br />
- • Use of analytical models to assess the situation<br />
- • Use a decision-making process to make effective choices<br />
- • Establish and factor in the constraints<br />
- • Establishing objectives for a decision<br />
- • Probable cause and Fishbone analysis<
- Facilitating The Team for Engagement<br />
- • Creating a team approach to opportunities and risks<br />
- • Demonstrating tools and models that can be used<br />
- • Harnessing personal and team motivation as a factor to drive for change<
- Personal Action Planning<br />
- • Crafting your personal approach to management<br />
- • Identifying your start points for personal development<br />
- • Discussion on group next steps and planning



