The SA, PA & EA Workshops (Basic Intermediate & Advanced)

Background

Perhaps more than ever before, there have been increased demand on the executive assistants of Directors and top officials of organisations to demonstrate specialised skills in creating and adding value as they discharge their responsibility of supporting the C-Suite Executives to enhance the success of their organisations. In this category of vital support staff are Special Assistants, Executive Assistants and Personal Assistants, amongst others.

In performing their support roles, they are expected to be on top of the pace of change in the modern workplace, think and act proactively, communicate professionally and demonstrate mastery in managing self, boss and the stakeholders. Their effectiveness is measured by the extent to which they serve as the backbone of the C-Suite office, while facilitating and impacting Executives’ functions seamlessly.

The course is packaged to acquaint the participants with critical competencies necessary to achieve their enormous tasks. It is an exceptional response of IoD Nigeria to the demands of its members who have requested the intervention of the Institute in training their support staff, having observed the correlation between the capacity of support staff and the efficiency as well as the effectiveness of a director.

Target Participants

Special Assistants, Executive Assistants, Personal Assistants, Personal Secretaries, Team Secretaries, Project Secretaries, Administrative & Office Managers, Help Desk Administrators, Office Administrators & Supervisors and all who support the C-Suite Executives.

Objectives

At the completion of the two-module course, participants should be able to:

• Discuss the importance of their role to the achievement of ethical and corporate governance practice in the executive level environments, which set the tone.
• Explain their role in the context of executive support as aligned to the corporate objectives of the organisation
• Emplace strong teams that will facilitate executive level operations and assignments
• Manage self, boss, staff and stakeholders more effectively
• Skilfully use emotions to influence people even without authority over them.
• Apply project management techniques to deliver more effectively and efficiently on their assignments.
• Demonstrate improved communications skills, including listening, questioning and being more assertive.
• Write effective reports
• Use best practice model in handling ‘crisis’ situations, as well as getting work done with less stress.

Modular Package in Stages

Due to the intensive nature of the programme, it has been reviewed to run in three stages as follows:

Day 1 (The C-Suite, Corporate Governance and Corporate Strategy)

Contents

• Overview of the Role of the EAs, PAs & SAs in Corporate Governance
• Understanding the Nexus between Role & Corporate Strategy
• How to Build & Lead Effective Teams around the C-Suite
• Effective Relationship/Stakeholders Management around the C-Suite

Day 2 (Building Skills & Competences for Executive Assistants)

Contents

• Project & Event Management Techniques
• Sharpening your Communication Skills: Verbal, Non-Verbal, Business Writing etc.
• Strategies for Handling Conflicts & Crisis Situations
• Managing Workplace Pressure, Stress & Work-Life Balance.

Day 1 (Managing Self, Time & Boss)

Contents

• Mastering Tools for Office Organisation, Task & Time Management
• Emotional Intelligence for Excellent Performance
• How to Manage your Boss
• Etiquettes, Dress Sense & Personal Grooming

Day 2 (Building Skills & Competences for Executive Assistants)

Contents

• Financial Planning, Budgeting & Cost control I
• Financial Planning, Budgeting & Cost Control II
• Organising Meetings & Effective Minutes Taking
• Techniques for Report Writing

Day 1 (Visioning the C-Suite Transformation)

Contents

•  
• The Primacy of Ethics & Confidentiality
• Leading from the Rear: The Imperatives
• Leading the C-Suite Transformation

Day 2 (Building Skills & Competences for Executive Assistants)

Contents

• Negotiation Skills for Support Executives
• Essentials for Managing Risks in the C-Suite
• Career Planning & Self Development
• The Habits & the Future of Highly Effective Support Executives: Experience Sharing by a CEO

Date

Basic Module - May 10, 2023

Intermediate Module - May 11, 2023

Advanced Module - June 27, 2023

Venue: - Online (Virtual)

Course Fee:

N80,000 per module

N150,000 per two

modulesN200,000 for the  three modules, if payment  is made once.

Background

Competencies comprise experience, knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and beliefs of an individual. To be accepted as ‘fit and proper’ within a Board, a director is expected to possess applicable industry, technical and behavioural competencies to fill particular gaps on the board. While the top management team may possess varying degree of competencies, the convention is to build them towards board level roles by grooming them in such specific or generic competencies that add value in the boardroom.

The programme is specially designed to build the competencies of top management staff for the boardroom.

Target Participants

All who fall into the senior or top level management of organisations, those who are being prepared for the director grade in the near term, all who are on the next line of leadership after the board  and CEOs of young or subsidiary organisations.

Objectives

At the end of the course, participants should be able to:

* Outline specific roles and responsibilities of the Board

* Explain how the top management drives corporate governance

* Discuss in details the competencies directors bring on the table in the boardroom

* Identify choices available to the individual and organisations in building board level competencies

 

Contents

* The Board’s Roles and Responsibilities

* Pipeline Management Staff as Drivers of Corporate Governance Implementation

* Core Competencies for Board Level functions, with Behavioural Indicators

* Strategic Options for Building Internal Capacity for the Boardroom

Date: September 19 2023

Venue: Online

Members: N150,000.00; Non-Members N170,000.00

Background

As part of its governance oversight responsibilities, the Board of Directors is required to set the tone at the top for inter­nal control, ethical values, culture of integrity, transparency and accountability. They are not only perceived as being obligated to oversee the development and implementation of adequate internal control systems, they should be seen to demonstrate it through standard conducts, while the executive team is to establish and maintain adequate and effective system of internal controls. To be able to discharge this corporate responsibility in a most professional manner, the Director ought to deepen his understanding of the control systems in the organisation.

This course is specially packaged to broaden the knowledge of participantson the system of internal control of the organisation and how their functions shape it.

Target Participants                                                                                       

* Chairmen, Directors, Audit Committee Members, CEOs, Executive and non-executive Directors, CFOs and top management executives whose functions revolve around control and compliance

Objectives

At the end of the course, participants should be able to:

* Relate board responsibilities to the control environment

* Identify the key players in the control environment and their functions

* Describe the Board’s vehicles and approaches to overseeing the organisation’s internal control

* Highlight regulatory policies that impact on the control function of the Board

 

Contents

* The Control Environment, Internal Controls and Board responsibilities

* Understanding the Contributions of the following to Corporate Governance

    Chief Inspector
    Internal Audit
    External Audit
    Chief Compliance Officer
    The Composition, Roles and Duties of Audit Committees

Whistleblowing and other Regulatory Interventions in Controls

Date: November 28 2023

Venue: Online (Zoom Platform)

Members: N150,000.00; Non-Members N170,000.00

Background

Risk Management and Governance (RMG) is a unified approach to volatility across all segments of the enterprise. It involves managing all key risks and making risk-reward decisions enterprise-wide. Cutting edge organisations are adopting Risk Management and Governance to enhance strategic planning, better prioritise risk efforts, toughen risk governance and sustain their competitive advantage. It is incumbent on the Board that has oversight of risks to equip self with necessary tools needed to effectively deploy ERM framework and strategy so as to create value for their stakeholders.

This one-day programme is intended to provide the participating directors with the tools needed for effective risk oversight of boards. 

Target Participants

CEOs, CFOs, Corporate Secretaries, Senior Accountants, Top Executives saddled with risk-related responsibilities, and regulators from Central Bank of Nigeria, Securities Exchange Commission, Nigeria Stock Exchange and other supervisory and regulatory authorities 

Objectives

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Relate ERM to making risk-reward decisions

• Discuss the legal and regulatory frameworks on risk

• Describe risk management requirements, with ability to determine risk appetite and tolerance

• Review and set the tone for improved risk culture at the board level

Contents

• Value based ERM-Making Better Risk Reward Decisions

• Government frameworks and Regulatory Compliance

• Risk Management, Risk Appetite and Risk Tolerance

• Risk Culture, Board Leadership and Assurance

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Date: November 14 2023

Course Fee:  N150,000 (Member) 

- N170,000 (Non-Member)

Background

How may boards of diverse minds, different personalities and seemingly opposing perspectives build timely consensus and speak with one voice on a good direction that organisations should take per time? The answer lies in directors’ disposition, conduct, their respect for boardroom protocols and individual’s sense of emotional intelligence. Boards that pay little attention to these are known by their litany of squabbles, unhealthy camaraderie and, at best, constantly long argumentative meetings that yield little or no productive decisions. In the final analysis, the performance of such boards is weak, if not poor, and the organisation pays dearly for it. To avert this pitfall, perceptive organisations go beyond the teaming nuggets- probably given during board inductions- by exposing their directors to structured capacity enhancement training on improved etiquette and emotional intelligence on the board.    

This programme is specially packaged to acquaint participants with a high standard of conduct that their role on the board calls for, in addition to established legal and ethical principles. Among other things, participants will enhance learning on etiquette for board meetings, deepening mutual trust and respect for the board protocol, as well as for one another, how to participate in discussion, contribute to debate, and disagree with opinions in a constructive manner, as well as apply stronger emotional intelligence to manage self and others on the board. 

Target Participants

Chairmen, Managing Directors, CEOs, Executive Directors, Non-Executive Directors, Board Members of Private and Public Sector Organisations, Company Secretaries, Board Advisors, Top government functionaries: Ministers, Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries, officials in the Director Cadre, Chairmen and members of Boards of government Parastatals and Agencies. 

Date: August 15, 2023

Course Fee : - N150,000 (Member) 

- N170,000 (Non-Member)

PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

Over the last one year, the world’s understanding of crisis and emergencies have been further enriched by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has literally upset global health, businesses and socio-economic lives. 

Sequel to this, boards have come under intense pressures to scale up their oversight responsibilities beyond fostering innovation, tackling technological disruptions, containing cyber breaches, driving revenue, and gaining market share to navigating health and safety concerns, reworking business continuity plans, retooling supply chains, changing business models, controlling costs, maintaining liquidity, preventing insolvency and re- to stay afloat and or take advantage of emerging opportunities.  Undoubtedly, only boards and business leaders that are nimble and dexterous enough to adapt the right techniques will succeed in steering their organisations out of the obvious turbulence of these times. The programme is aimed at acquainting participants with the requisite techniques to keep abreast of the emerging challenges of business crisis and economic emergencies across the world.

PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES

At the end of this programme, participants should be able to:

• Discuss the increased tasking of boards’ skills and oversight responsibilities in light of the VUCA features of the world of business, COVID-19 pandemic disruptions, insecurity etc.

• Discuss the new thinking in strategic oversight that delivers short and long term values

• Explain the techniques for risk oversight in these times of global emergencies
  

PROGRAMME CONTENTS

• Corporate Navigation of the VUCA World, COVID-19 Pandemic Phase etc.: What Roles, Skills & Traits of Effective Boards? 

• Techniques for Strategy Oversight in times of Global Emergencies

• Techniques for Risk Oversight in times of Global Emergencies

• Case Studies, Breakout Sessions and Group Discussions
  

EXPECTED PARTICIPANTS

• CEOs, Executive Directors, Non-Executive Directors, Chairmen, Members of Boards, COOs, CFOs, General Managers with cognate status policy recommendations, legal advisers and company secretaries;

• Top government functionaries at the state or federal level: Ministers, Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries, officials in the director cadre, Chairmen and members of Boards of government Parastatals and Agencies. 

• Board advisors, shareholders and investors in businesses, entrepreneurs etc. 
  

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Date: October 12, 2023

Course Fee:    N150,000 (Member) 

- N170,000 (Non-Member)

Background

Strong board leadership can create credible value for organisations. On the contrary, weak board leadership can decimate value, destroy performance and checkmate organisational sustainability. In view of this, critical stakeholders are now more interested in the quality of leadership provided by directors on the boards of their organisations, having known that ‘leadership is everything’. This is more so as directors are expected to demonstrate superior leadership skills in today’s VUCA business environment. That is, an environment that is ‘volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous’. 

The course is designed to enhance the board-level competencies of the participants, as well as deepen their understanding on the mechanics of leading with bird’s-eye view from the boardroom.


Target Participants

Chairmen, Managing Directors, Executive and Non-Executive Directors, Board members of public and private sector organisations and institutions, members of Governing Councils of strategic organisations, Company Secretaries, Managing Consultants/Principal Partners in professional services firms and Executives holding board level responsibilities.  

Objectives

• At the end of the course, participants should be able to:

• Explain the relationship between the current business world and the director’s role  

• Re-define the competencies, skills, values, and personal qualities that today’s directors need to bring on board to add the required leadership value

• Discuss the leadership relationships between the Board and the executive management, especially as it relates to shared and unshared responsibilities

• Scope the dimensions of directors leadership roles within and outside the organisation

• 
  

Contents

• Understanding Directors’ Leadership Role in the VUCA World

• Leadership Competencies for Directors in the Contemporary Business Environment 

• Directors’ Leadership and the Executive Management Team

• Providing Leadership with the Birds’-Eye View: Strategy, Control, Entrepreneurship, Business Development, Stakeholder Management etc. 

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Date: September 14, 2023

Course Fee:  N150,000 (Member) 

- N170,000 (Non-Member)

Background

Of the C-Suite executives, the prime place of the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Finance Officer (CFO) of an organisation is well acknowledged. This is because they bring to bear immense technical input in boards and management decision making process. In addition, they facilitate seamless implementation of strategic and operational action plans.

However, beyond this, the changing business times and paradigms is making demand on their ability to lead and operate in diverse, challenging and undefined roles. They now need to help in shaping overall strategy and direction, partnering and supporting other parts of the business to boost performance. In his type of situation, only the COO or CFO that excels in knowledge and competences will be able to add optimal value to an organisation.

It is in appreciation of this reality that IoD Nigeria has specifically designed this programme to horn the skills and competencies of participants so they may become more impactful and high performing in their organisations. The course will offer great insights into the complexities and leadership challenges that today’s COOs and CFOs face, while helping to develop the knowledge and skills required to be effective in service.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• ∙Discuss the COO’s and CFO’s role in contributing significantly to profitability through value chain innovation, cost and operational risk management

• ∙Contribute to building organisational culture that facilitate operational effectiveness

• ∙ Discuss the content of COOs & CFOs as leaders of the organisation and as strategic achievers that add value to the board and other critical stakeholders

• ∙ Explain contemporary challenges in global business environment and how they impact the COOs and CFOs functions

TARGET PARTICIPANTS

• ∙         Existing and aspiring COOs and CFOs, as well as their immediate direct reports, Directors of Operation, of Finance or those who act in that capacity; Senior and Principal Managers being prepared for the role in the near term.

• ∙         Heads of Operations; Control; Sales, Marketing and Business Development; Change Management; Strategic Management; IT and Information Management /Chief Information Officers; Risk Management/Chief Risk Officers,

• ∙         Heads of Research & Strategy, analysts, treasurers, controllers, and those in financial planning and analysis; Direct supervisors of CFOs such as the CEO or DMD who needs to know the intricacies to supervise and top management staff whose functions revolve around financial metrics, competitive analysis and financial as well as business restructuring.

CONTENTS

• ∙         COOs & CFOs Role in Achieving Profitability through Cost Effectiveness, Operational Risk Management and Value Chain Innovation

• ∙         Contemporary Business Challenges & How COOs & CFOs may Manage them Building Culture for Operational Effectiveness: Steps for COOs & CFOs

• ∙         The COO and CFO as Leaders & Strategists

• ∙         Contemporary Business Challenges & How COOs & CFOs may Manage them

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Date: August 29, 2023

Course Fee:  N150,000 (Member) 

- N170,000 (Non-Member)

Introduction :

In recent years, there have been increasing instances of companies underperforming, failing to meet their obligations and eventually going bankrupt. This worrisome development is perhaps more aggravated by the VUCA business environment and the dizzying pace of business disruptions globally. It, therefore, becomes imperative for business leaders to enhance competencies in business resilience and, where applicable, re-engineer businesses for turnaround in order to avoid insolvency. 

The Institute of Directors (IoD) Nigeria has carefully packaged this programme to acquaint the participants with the mechanics of turning around businesses for resilience, while proactively managing insolvency risk. 

Target Participants 

Chairmen, Managing Directors, Executive and Non-Executive Directors, Board members of public and private sector organizations and institutions, members of Governing Councils of strategic organizations, Company Secretaries, CFOs, COOs, CROs, Managing Consultants/Principal Partners in professional service firms and Executives holding board level responsibilities.

Objectives

At the end of the course, participants are expected to be able to: 

• Explain how business resilience and turnaround have been used to tackle the challenges of the VUCA business environment

• Discuss the shared and distinct roles of the Board and top management in achieving business turnaround

• Differentiate between the financial signals of business decline as opposed to the non-financials, as well as discuss the two

• Identify and dimension the tested strategies for avoiding or managing bankruptcy risk

• 
  

Content

• Business Resilience, Change and Turnaround as Model Responses to the Challenges of the 21st Century

• Board & Management Roles in Corporate Turnaround

• Taming the Financial & Non-Financial Signals of Business Decline and Insolvency

• Proven Strategies for Managing Insolvency Risk

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Training Methodology

The program is structured as a 2-day course with 2 sessions per day. Each session has been meticulously planned to keep participants engaged with the emphasis on a highly practical and interactive approach to learning. Some of the specific methodologies that will be employed include presentations, group discussions, assignments, case studies, breakout sessions, brainstorming, etc.

Date: October 24, 2023

Course Fee :  N150,000 (Member) 

- N170,000 (Non-Member) 

Delivery options

• Online- online participation option, which involves participants connecting from their location through Zoom or any other platform as maybe provided by IoD Nigeria. This is the current very feasible option.

• Hybrid- hybrid participation involves the integration of online and the physical participation. This option may be arranged only for in-plant programmes

• Face-to-face Instructor Led Onsite Session- participants come to an agreed venue to participate in the programme. (This option is not guaranteed for now due to the need to keep strictly to the prescribed COVID-19 restriction protocols)