Behavioural Leadership.

Humanised.
BUSINESS
ACUMEN
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01
 6 SEGMENTS
90 minutes each
WHAT is BUSINESS ACUMEN?
Business Acumen has a wide variety of definitions; our take on the above
question is as follows: it is the ability to deeply understand the business
consequence decisions as they are taken. It is the aptitude to predict with
Solution Description
great accuracy the outcomes of business decisions.
HOW to build BUSINESS ACUMEN
One is said to possess a high level of business acumen when he or she in your Workforce?
foresees the different forces (internal and external) that will influence the
end result of taking the hard calls.
Business issues often cannot be resolved by knowledge only. They
require insight and the ability to translate knowledge into solutions
and solutions into operational tactics and actions.

The transfer of learning to the work environment is therefore

WHY is it important? crucial and the simulation allows for this to happen before the
participant returns to his or her normal activities.
Two of the main characteristics in today’s business environment are
change and volatility. We have seen in recent years a great surge in the The business acumen simulation allows participants to discover in
efforts from multinational and global firms to streamline business a practical manner how decisions in all functional areas of an
processes. We have also seen a mass migration from a bureaucratic style to organisation influence each other and impact on the overall
lighter, more flexible and faster organisations. What is all this shifting really profitability of the organisation.
about is:
This reinforces the understanding of the key drivers for business
- Survival success and the importance of cross-functional cooperation.
- Effectiveness
- Efficiency Integrated into the simulation is the Herrmann Whole Brain
- Profitability Thinking Technology® (HBDI) toolset. The HBDI® is the world's
original and leading thinking styles assessment process that
Leaders need to develop the skills of Business Acumen in order to achieve identifies one’s instinctive and preferred mode of thinking and
their goals. One of the key outtakes of this programme is the capability to learning.
make fast decisions based on a 360°-degree vision of the value chain or the
organisation. This capability will allow you to get where you want to be in This knowledge translates into an unthreatening and pragmatic
terms of bottom-line results and organisational excellence. understanding of the power of diversity and the utilisation of this
knowledge in creating high performance teams as part of the
business management process.
02
 03
How We Do It?
Duration and Schedule - a total of 6-12 Interactive Digital Segments of 90 min each
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6

20 min 20 min 20 min 20 min e-certificate

break break break break

Max Segments / day Max Segments / day

Macro Learning Micro Learning Recommended Tool

Intervention Options Intervention Options
Learning Process 1:1 &/Or Group Coaching LMS – Mobile App. Access to Victim Cycle Self-Examination
Micro Content
Self Driven Intense Reading
Videos – Audio Learning Shots
Social Learning
(Digital Passports and Gamification and A.I.
Learning Partner Agreements) Based Learning

Digital Practicum- Articles, Tips, Do’s / Don’ts

Assignments – ALP’s Digital Cards
 Key functional business areas are
comprehensively dealt from a
6 SEGMENTS
systems approach:
90 minutes each

Solution Description
BUSINESS ACUMEN keywords and
PROGRAMME overview:
The business acumen solution mimics the perfect environment that
allows members of different departments to experience each others'
areas of expertise.

All this is done in a safe virtual environment whereby mistakes are

allowed thus ensuring maximum return on learning. 04

Furthermore, the business acumen simulation is intended for

participants to experience the ill effects of the silo culture. By this
methodology, the learning is deeply anchored.
BUSINESS RESULTS
The instructional design principles
underscoring the simulation process
identifies clearly defined learning objectives
The business acumen simulation is an advanced business skills
in each module, the flow of which is linked
intervention that uniquely integrates hard business skills with in a progressive manner to the overall
interpersonal and leadership skills. Using experiential learning as a programme objectives, work experience of
learning methodology the business acumen simulation was designed participants and organisational
to provide participants with hands-on experience about management requirements.
of a business unit.
 05

The Simulation Process

The business management simulation process follows a well
researched, logical flow in the decision-making process of
managing a business. This not only resembles real-life situations
but also allows for participants to draw on their own personal
experience as well as learning interventions undertaken earlier.

Note that participants work in small groups reflecting a

management team (with specific responsibilities) as well as
interaction with facilitators through role-play. This ensures a
serious learning environment rather than “just playing a game”.

The Business Acumen experiential learning process takes

participants beyond knowledge and into performance. It allows
them to interact with the problems, investigate options, consider
possible outcomes and of course implement solutions and evaluate
the actual outcomes.
The process was designed around a carefully planned set of
interactive sub-processes that vary between balancing
This process includes the practical utilisation of appropriate
"hard" business issues, performance requirements, and the interpersonal and leadership skills that will typically be required
interpersonal and leadership requirements for successful (i.e. negotiating budgets, setting and contracting performance
achievement of the company philosophy. standards, optimising team performance, motivation and
leadership).

The programme structure is such that it leads from one learning

area to another, always building on previous learning experiences.
 Key Learning Outcomes Key Benefits For Participants
Developing business strategies and consequences of active
Business Acumen workshops are high level learning
implementation. experiences that are not only practical, but also deliver
tangible results:
Assessing decisions in respect to being customer and market
driven. Focus on experiential learning. All learning is focused on achieving the
required learning outcomes with continuous feedback loops by
Understanding demanding market environments (adaptable to experienced faculty.
major markets and customer requirements). Highly flexible simulation software that can be adjusted w.r.t. complexity
and relevancy for target groups. (The simulation complexity level is fully
The importance of decision-making and dealing with scalable – this ensures that the appropriate learning is delivered for
organisational and customer diversity. whatever level of participants in question. This can range from middle
managers to senior managers to executive managers, from MBA level
academic integration of the various MBA modules to advanced business
Understanding organisational interrelationships and dynamics.
analysis concepts such as balanced scorecard, etc.)
Flexibility in presentation formats to deal with specific issues. We can
06 Cultivating a cross-functional approach to optimising results.
accommodate previous learning, tactical aspects, as well as strategic
Understanding what builds value in an organisation and the key issues of clients.
drivers for business success. Building powerful teams. The “small team” concept is not only powerful in
team building, but entrenches the principle of building small, powerful
Understanding financial and performance measurement, teams in the workplace.
performance management at all levels. High level of customisation for clients, by integrating strategic issues
(industry and internally) as well as company specific issues into the
Utilising performance management (including the Scorecard simulation. The flexibility of the software allows for most customisation to
principles) as a management tool rather than just 'performance be normally done free of charge (except if software changes are required).
measurement’. Excellent return on investment (ROI). The business acumen simulation
reduces out of office time and provides high levels of intensive learning.
Linking “hard” business skills with “soft” issues, i.e. Interpersonal The programme can also be designed to accommodate external material
skills and leadership. or programme reference, allowing customers to align and integrate the
learning process with their suppliers of choice.
Developing an entrepreneurship orientation and taking ownership A focused approach towards whatever sector you operate in, either this is
of business units. pharma healthcare, technology, banking, FMCG, services or aviation, just
to name a few. A wide array of sectors have successfully utilised the
experiential learning gained from the business acumen simulation to drive
the improvement of business operations and fundamentally improve the
way departments and organisations operate.
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