Day One

The Decision Making Process and Skills

• Programme introduction and objectives
• The management decision  process
• Creative thinking and problem solving
• Forms and forums for decision making
• Synergy and group think in decision making
• De  Bono’s ‘Thinking Hats’ and the decision making process

Day Two

Managing Information/ Writing Reports and Proposals

• Information  management – what decision makers need
• Principles of information management – filtering, scheduling and condensing
• Sources and types of information – quantitative and qualitative
• Features of effective reports and proposals
• The writing process – using time efficiently
• Clarifying objectives and decision makers needs
• Determining relevance – what to put in and what to leave out
• Structuring a report
• Developing logical sequencing
• Use of appendices, tables, diagrams and figures

Day Three

Writing Reports and Proposals (cont)/Making Presentations for Decision Making

• Improving readability and fog factor analysis
• Sentence and paragraph structure
• Grammar and punctuation
• Getting the best from spell and grammar checks
• Proofreading
• Principles of effective presentations
• Handling nerves and using notes
• Content and structure

Day Four

Making Presentation for Decision Making (Cont)

• Body language and voice
• Using visual aids and stage management
• Designing effective and impactful slides with  PowerPoint
• Choosing words with impact – using rhetorical devices
• Making team presentations
• Participants’ presentations and feedback session (1)

Day Five

Committee Reporting and Decision Making

• Participants’ presentations and feedback session (2)
• Questioning and question handling skills
• Building  support for ideas
• Influencing skills and ‘political’ dimensions
• Implementing and monitoring decisions
• Programme review