The Director's Role in Leading the Organisation (Certificate Programme)

Learning objectives

On completion of this module delegates will understand how:

• Corporate strategy drives organisational structure and resource requirements, which the Board must monitor and review
• The Board must demonstrate the importance of organisational development by adopting the principles of the Learning Board
• Successful Strategic Change initiatives require Board level sponsorship, ongoing direction and tenacious leadership
• Organisational performance measures should be aligned to strategic objectives and to corporate culture

Module Syllabus

Section 1 - Role of the Board in setting objectives, culture & values

• Developing business plans, objectives & targets
• Understanding Corporate Culture & communicating and championing corporate values and behaviours. Creating a Learning Culture for the organisation
• Defining Corporate Culture
• Reviewing & refreshing corporate values
• Linking Employee Values, behaviours & organisational culture to mission, vision & values
• Creating a culture of engagement

Business Ethics

• The nature & importance of ethics, defining your ethical position & dealing with ethical dilemmas
• The link between organisational culture and ethical leadership models

Section 2 - The Techniques, Tools & Resources needed to deliver the Corporate Strategy

• Determining capacity and capability of the Organisation to deliver the strategic objectives
• Assessing implications of strategy implementation on Organisational design and resources
• Decisions required to implement strategy
• Implications of deciding to embark on a growth strategy through mergers or acquisitions or seeking to develop a strategic alliance or business partnership
• Implications of outsourcing or sub contracting activities
• Identifying high performers plus those with leadership potential
• Succession Planning to maintain organisational capability & ensure the future survival of the company
• Developing Reward Strategies to incentivise performance and behaviour
• Endorsing appropriate procedures for the organisation to maintain compliance with relevant national employment legislation. Promoting diversity and equality of opportunity throughout the organisation, (including around the Board Table)

Section 3 - The individual director’s role as a Board member and as a corporate leader, especially driving strategic change

• Board Structure and Composition
• Programme and Project Leadership
• Risk Assessment & Management
• Delegating to Senior Management
• Directing & Reviewing Senior Management Performance
• Communicating & Leading
• Managing tensions and conflicts including Board dysfunction
• Roles and responsibilities in leading strategic change and assessing inherent risks
• Recognising the range of potential change triggers, internally and externally and reacting to them in a timely way
• Assessing the impact of technology and using technology as an enabler of change
• Key change processes (Models and drivers)
• Recognition and management of reactions to change
• Measuring impact & evaluating success of change interventions

Section 4 - Information, communication and reporting – the feedback loop

• Corporate Performance Management – Tools and techniques
• In order to review progress towards the achievement of the selected strategies the Board must commission timely, accurate and appropriate information
• Setting & Reviewing Performance Criteria
• Aligning Performance targets both to organisational values as well as strategic objectives
• Overseeing and approving the business targets which are set and benchmarking against the competition
• Determining appropriate criteria against which to evaluate the performance of the Board
• As a result of monitoring progress and reviewing performance, driving continuous improvement and creating a climate for ideas generation, creativity and innovation
• Use of information systems to provide meaningful statistics and data
• Managing knowledge as a strategic asset which can be leveraged by the business
• Communication of business results, new project objectives, change initiatives etc