Module 1 – Day 1
Exploring Business Partnering
This section introduces the mindset, role, and responsibilities of an effective strategic business partner.
Topics include:
- The strategic business partnering mindset
- Moving from functional contribution to strategic partnership
- Aligning activity with organisational goals
- Building collaboration around shared outcomes
- Creating value through the partnering role
Stakeholder Engagement
This section focuses on identifying the right stakeholders and establishing effective engagement strategies.
Topics include:
- Identifying key stakeholders
- Stakeholder mapping
- Understanding stakeholder expectations and priorities
- Building engagement
- Establishing trust
- Developing appropriate approaches for different stakeholder groups
Building Relationships and Influence
Participants explore how credibility and influence can be developed across teams and stakeholder groups.
Topics include:
- Building professional credibility
- Relationship management
- Developing empathy
- Personal branding
- Influencing without formal authority
- Working effectively with different teams and personalities
Empathy-Driven Communication
This section focuses on adapting communication to better reflect stakeholder needs.
Topics include:
- Understanding stakeholder perspectives
- Active listening
- Applying empathy
- Adapting communication styles
- Increasing collaboration and buy-in
- Creating shared understanding
Action Planning and Review
At the end of Day 1, participants reflect on their learning and begin identifying how the techniques can be applied in their own professional environment.
Activities include:
- Reviewing key learning points
- Identifying personal development opportunities
- Creating initial actions for immediate workplace application
Module 2 – Day 2
Recap and Review
Day 2 begins with a structured review of the key concepts covered during the first day.
The purpose is to:
- Reinforce important learning points
- Maintain continuity between the two days
- Build a shared understanding across the group
Driving Solutions: Decisions and Change
This section focuses on producing practical solutions in complex organisational situations.
Topics include:
- Problem-solving approaches
- Decision-making frameworks
- Change management techniques
- Preparing stakeholders for change
- Managing resistance
- Aligning different perspectives around common objectives
- Developing actionable solutions
Managing and Sustaining Partnerships
Participants explore how to maintain productive partnerships over time.
Topics include:
- Building accountability
- Maintaining focus on shared objectives
- Recognising challenges early
- Addressing relationship issues
- Developing resilience
- Sharing resources and responsibilities
- Sustaining long-term collaboration
Measuring and Sharing Success
This section examines how business partnering outcomes can be measured and communicated.
Topics include:
- Defining measures of success
- Setting progress indicators
- Tracking outcomes
- Developing data-driven insight
- Communicating results to stakeholders
- Using storytelling to bring data to life
Closing the Partnership Loop
This section considers how partnerships should be concluded or transitioned when circumstances change.
Topics include:
- Developing exit strategies
- Creating legacy plans
- Preserving positive relationships
- Capturing lessons learned
- Transferring knowledge and experience
- Supporting future collaboration
Final Action Planning and Review
At the end of the programme, participants create a personal business partnering impact plan for use in their professional environment.
This includes:
- Setting priority goals
- Identifying development areas
- Defining next steps
- Planning how business partnering behaviours and tools will be applied in day-to-day work