Strategic manager exercises are suitable for use with managers seeking a move to a Strategic level position.

These exercises can be used separately, or as an entire set (written exercise, one to one roleplay and multiple roleplay).

The pen portraits included here will provide a brief overview of the exercise content.

Written Exercise

Community Renew Trust

This toolkit is set in a fictitious organisation.

Overview

This toolkit is set in a fictitious organisation, ‘Community Renew Trust’. The CRT is one of several independent UK Charitable Trusts which work in partnership with Landfill Operators (LO) to improve the lives and environments of communities living near a UK landfill site. The 7 pages of background information include details on regulation, funding, values, objectives, organisational chart and summary data.

The candidate assumes the role of Strategic Operations Director. In this task they must draft their observations from the data supplied to inform next month’s first ‘Change Agenda’ management team meeting. Requirements are to provide an evaluation of strengths, risks, compliance issues, opportunities, trends or predictions, performance gaps and proposals, plans or solutions.

Camsford Water

This toolkit is set in a fictitious organisation.

Overview

This toolkit is set in a fictitious organisation, ‘Camsford Water’. Camsford Water is one of the leading providers of clean and waste water services in the UK. It has 1500 staff serving the needs of around 800 thousand industrial, commercial and domestic customers in Eastern Scotland. The 5 pages of background information includes values and performance data.

The candidate is Director of Camsford water and must prepare a draft strategic direction paper considering the organisation’s priorities, risks and opportunities and strategy for meeting organisational objectives.

One to One Roleplay

Community Renew Trust

This toolkit is set in a fictitious organisation.

Overview

This toolkit is set in a fictitious organisation, ‘Community Renew Trust’. The CRT is one of several independent UK Charitable Trusts which work in partnership with Landfill Operators (LO) to improve the lives and environments of communities living near a UK landfill site. The 7 pages of background information include details on regulation, funding, values, objectives, organisational chart and summary data.

As a new in post Strategic Operations Manager at CRT the candidate must address under-performance in their team and any wider impacts which may have been the result.

A concern has been raised regarding a co-worker by one of the members of their team. The meeting with the individual is not a formal fact finding investigation, but the candidate does need to establish the facts, explore wider implications, address the issues presented and discuss proposals for longer term improvements.

Camsford Water

This toolkit is set in a fictitious organisation.

Overview

This toolkit is set in a fictitious organisation, ‘Camsford Water’. Camsford Water is one of the leading providers of clean and waste water services in the UK. It has 1500 staff serving the needs of around 800 thousand industrial, commercial and domestic customers in Eastern Scotland. The 5 pages of background information includes values and performance data.

As a new in post Director at Camsford Water the candidate must address issues related to organisational under-performance. In this scenario, a safety concern has impacted service delivery, which has had an impact on legislative and regulatory standards. Media interest and wider political questions have been raised, and the candidate must meet with the responsible officer on duty during this incident and deal with the issue.

Multiple Roleplay

Community Renew Trust

This toolkit is set in a fictitious organisation.

Overview

This toolkit is set in a fictitious organisation, ‘Community Renew Trust’. The CRT is one of several independent UK Charitable Trusts which work in partnership with Landfill Operators (LO) to improve the lives and environments of communities living near a UK landfill site. The 7 pages of background information include details on regulation, funding, values, objectives, organisational chart and summary data.

The candidate as Strategic Operations Director with CRT will meet with the Director of Community and Public Liaison with Panador International and the ‘Communities’ department manager from Western Scotland Council to discuss an issue related to public relations management, negative media attention and wider political issues related to budgetary concerns. The candidate will need to determine differing agendas, explore potential for change; promote CRT’s position; identify common ground and opportunities and make decisions to secure best outcomes for the CRT and partner agencies.

Camsford Water

This toolkit is set in a fictitious organisation.

Overview

This toolkit is set in a fictitious organisation, ‘Camsford Water’. Camsford Water is one of the leading providers of clean and waste water services in the UK. It has 1500 staff serving the needs of around 800 thousand industrial, commercial and domestic customers in Eastern Scotland. The 5 pages of background information includes values and performance data.

As a Director with Camsford Water the candidate has been asked to meet with three individuals representing different organisations. You need to negotiate an issue regarding piping to a new housing estate which has controversially has been built very close to a local conservation site. There are conflicting agendas and wider implications of the results of this meeting. The 1500 homes development has received a great deal of local media attention and has been the focus of much political debate around the need for an increase in low cost housing and environmental implic