Thinking Strategically for Finance Professionals

Strategy and you

• What is strategy?
• Why is strategy important?
• How is strategy different from planning?
• What is strategic thinking?
• Who needs to think strategically?
• How will thinking strategically improve my performance?
• When should I think strategically?
• Can thinking strategically be a bad thing?

Thinking differently

• How is thinking strategically different to what I do the rest of the time?
• What skills do I need to be able to think strategically?
• What is creative thinking?
• How do I research and analyse information?
• How do I make decisions?
• How do I communicate strategy?
• How do I handle uncertainty and change?
• Where can I find inspiration?

Theory and process

• What is the right way to do strategy?
• What strategic theory should I be aware of?
• What processes do organisations typically go through to develop strategy?
• What processes do organisations typically go through to implement strategy?
• How do I keep up with new developments?

Tools and techniques

• Why should I use strategic tools?
• How do I create a SWOT analysis?
• What internal factors should I consider?
• What external factors should I consider?
• How do I plan for the future?
• How can I measure success?
• What other tools might I need to know about?

Making it happen

• How does theory work in practice?
• How do I fit into the strategic process?
• How can I contribute to my organisation’s strategy?
• What makes a good strategy work?
• How do I monitor and evaluate what I’ve been doing?
• What other factors do I need to take into account?
• What do I do if I don’t agree with the strategy?
• When should strategy change?