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Introduction to the course
As your leadership responsibilities expand, so does your need to understand the impact of every decision on the strategic and financial goals of your organization. That's why business acumen—an intuitive sense of how the moving parts of a company work together to create profit — is indispensable.
This KC Academy course on Strategic Awareness and Business Acumen will improve your understanding of how operations, finance, marketing, and other functions must work together to create and execute a successful business strategy. It also provides the opportunity to polish your financial literacy and leadership skills and become more business savvy.
This KC Academy training seminar will highlight:
- A review of the business and economic context for your business
- Tools and techniques used in strategy development
- Use of strategic thinking: innovation approaches
- Business Acumen and Strategy Development
- Leadership qualities needed to inspire, motivate and engage with Staff
Course details
At the end of this KC Academy course, you will learn to:
- Examine the external environment affecting your company’s ability to succeed
- Analyze your key competitors and what the future will look like
- Measure performance using standards that are highly correlated with value creation
- Integrate your competitive analysis to improve your business decision making
- Create a business strategy and a complete strategy implementation map
Developing stronger strategic awareness and business acumen means a more thoughtful analysis, clearer logic underlying business decisions, closer attention to key dimensions of implementation and operation, and more disciplined performance management. This “executive mentality” means greater strategic implementation and consequent success.
- See the “big picture” of their organization—how the key drivers of their business
- Work together to produce profitable growth
- Understand important company communications and data, including financial statements
- Use their wider knowledge to make better decisions
- Understand how actions and decisions impact key company measures and objectives
- Effectively communicate ideas to other employees, managers, and the public
Individuals with business acumen:
- Have an acute perception of the dimensions of business issues
- Can make sense out of complexity and an uncertain future
- Are mindful of the implications of a choice for all the affected parties
- Are decisive
- Are flexible if further change is warranted in the future
- Achieve successful strategic implementation
Managers who have responsibilities to support their departments and the organization as a whole. Also, individuals are responsible for Strategy Implementation and Communication Planning.
This KC Academy training course is suitable for a wide range of professionals but will greatly benefit:
- Those wishing to sharpen their analytical skills and Business Savvy
- Supervisors taking on additional strategic responsibilities
- Managers taking on a more senior and strategic role in their organisation
- Managers seeking innovative approaches to business development
- Managers wanting to refresh their business acumen and strategic management tools
Daily Agenda
DAY 1: The “Business” Process:
- 21st Century Changes and Challenges
- Psychological Aspects of Decision Making
- Strategic Thinking – Who, How, When & Why
- Examples of Strategy Success and Failure
- Business Savvy and Business Sense
- Financial Literacy
- Business Management and Leadership
DAY 2: Strategic Management Skills:
- Leadership Theories & Styles
- Attributes of Successful Leaders
- Strategic Skills: Traits or Contextual
- Visioning, Communicating & Framing
- Team and Organisation Perspectives on Implementing Strategies
- Leading others through the Strategic Process
DAY 3: The Strategic Process:
- Impact of External Change: Competitive Positioning, Technology, Regulation
- Innovation: Blue vs. Red Ocean Strategies
- The Strategy Hierarchy
- Realizing the Strategies: Making them happen
- Recognizing & Reacting to Disruptive Competition
- Competitive Positioning
DAY 4: Business Acumen:
- The Dimensions of Business Issues
- Business Complexity and Uncertainty
- Mindfulness, Sense-making and Resilience
- Financial Understanding and Interpretation
- Key Stakeholder Analysis
- Competitive Strategies required for Success
- Problem Solving and Decision Making
- Avoid Common Planning Traps and Pitfalls by conducting a Business Strategy Review
DAY 5: Strategy Implementation and Communication Plan:
- Challenges of Mergers & Acquisitions
- Test Strategic and Business Models
- Explore the Essential Elements needed to implement a Strategic Plan
- Develop Profit Improvement Strategies and Planning for Growth
- Strategic Execution: Budgeting, Forecasting & Adjusting to Reality
- Communicating and Aligning Corporate to Individual Objectives
Professional certificate & Accreditation
A study from the Economist Intelligence Unit reports that two-thirds of corporate executives believe a lack of business skills or business acumen inhibits their company from meeting strategic priorities. In an organization of high business acumen, individuals can expect to see leaders with a heightened perspective that translates into an ability to inspire and excite the organization to achieve its full strategic potential.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are no prerequisites. Our courses are open to students of all backgrounds who are 18 years of age and older. All courses are conducted in English. Video lectures include English subtitles and the option to slow-down, pause, or replay lectures for better retention. Discussion boards are a critical component of each of our courses; therefore, we suggest students have a conversational knowledge of English when pursuing a Certificate of Completion. For any of the art writing courses, students need to be 100% proficient in written English.
You should have an up-to-date web browser such as: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Internet Explorer. For more detailed information, please see the guides for supported browsers and basic computer specifications. Our Online Courses can be accessed on a mobile or tablet device, although we strongly encourage you to have access to a desktop or laptop computer and reliable internet connection for certain course components. Former students have told us it is easiest to read discussion threads and complete written assignments on a laptop or desktop computer.
Registration is available on our website. Just follow these simple steps: Click the “Apply Now” button in the top right corner of your screen. Select “Online Courses.” Choose your course(s). You will be asked for basic contact information and your credit card payment. We require full payment at the time of registration and all tuition is billed in US dollars. Be sure to check with your bank or credit card company, as your financial institution may charge a foreign transaction fee.
Our classes are kept small, at no more than 30 students, to better facilitate and encourage personalized interaction with the instructor and fellow participants. Your classmates come from all over the globe and contribute their global perspectives and experience. Some are currently working within the arts while others are just beginning. All classmates share in their passion for the art world.
It is recommended that you begin your course promptly. If you do need to start the course a few days late, contact your instructor as soon as possible after the course has opened to discuss your options. Registration closes on the Friday after the course begins.
Enroll now
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Course customization available
Course customization available
This training course is available to be conducted at your own pace & at your own time. Request for a quotation now and our training advisor will contact you shortly
