Gender-Smart Exec's Program Curriculum
SG2X PLAYBOOK ACTIVITY
SG2X PLAYBOOK – GENDER SMART EXEC’S PROGRAM CURRICULUM | 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS THE THEORY IS SIMPLE…............................................................................................................................3 THE GENDER-SMART EXEC’S PROGRAM CURRICULUM.......................................................................4 Introduction to The Exec's Program & Habits of Executives 4 The Personal Habits of Top Performing Executives..............................................................................................................................5 Planning Part I: Long-term Planning 7 Strong Corporate Governance: The Board............................................................................................................................................ 10 Introduction to Execution Part I............................................................................................................................................................... 11 Introduction to Execution Part II and Management Teams 13 How to Run Effective and Inclusive Meetings......................................................................................................................................15 Executive Reporting 17 Introduction to Financial Management 19 Finance for Executives Part 1................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Finance for Executives Part 1I 21 Mastering Cash Flow 22 Strategy & Marketing Mastery................................................................................................................................................................ 23 Sales Mastery 24 Corporate Stewardship 25 The CEO........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 26 Final Exam and Presentations 27
THE GENDER-SMART EXEC’S PROGRAM
SG2X PLAYBOOK – GENDER SMART EXEC’S PROGRAM CURRICULUM | 3 THE THEORY IS SIMPLE…
With a little planning and disciplined execution, companies in East Africa can have a major competitive advantage in the market. Poor execution is why most companies fail. Poor execution is often the result of management lacking the systems and tools to effectively run their teams and departments. As a result, mistakes are made, balls are dropped, people leave the company and the owner, and the CEO is left feeling alone and burdened to do everything on their However,own. this does not have to be the story. Executives around the world - in Africa, Asia, Europe, Americas, everywhere - achieve far better results. Why? Why are some able to build, scale and lead companies, where others struggle?
The Exec’s Program explores the answer to this question and brings executives and managers through a practical, real-world training program to become world-class leaders. The Exec’s Program is unique from other business management training programs because we begin with positive habit formation that leads to business disciplines - starting with how top-performing CEOs start their day, then moving into the habits and disciplines that each department in your company should develop and implement. This course covers a limited amount of theory, and rather focuses on how to practically and effectively run a company. The program is led by seasoned executives in the field, investing, and building businesses in East Africa.
The program is offered to executives and managers of RENEW’s portfolio companies, and a select few non-portfolio companies that are admitted through an application process. Upon completion of the program, participants should know how to build a world-class company and feel confident that their vision is achievable with the consistent execution of core business Thedisciplines.purpose of the enhanced, gender-smart Exec’s Program and accompanying SG2X Playbook is not to re-create a gender lens investing tool; the purpose is to incorporate the critical few elements of a gender-smart SME growth strategy into the critical few SME growth strategies that together increase the chances that the SMEs will become gender-smart success stories. The messaging and tools provided to the companies should be simple, clear and repeated throughout the program, as we do with every recommendation presented in The Exec’s Program. The focus is on adoption not education. What we hope our training approach achieves is that companies will actually adopt and maintain gender-smart practices along with disciplined management practices required for growth. In doing so, we hope to see women rise up to new levels of leadership in growing companies, empowered as employees and entrepreneurs, and SME’s innovating products and services for the female market.
SG2X PLAYBOOK – GENDER SMART EXEC’S PROGRAM CURRICULUM | 4 THE GENDER-SMART EXEC’S PROGRAM CURRICULUM BUSINESS DISCIPLINES + DIVERSITY = SUPERIOR BUSINESS GROWTH
following curriculum outline is for internal purposes only.
The
SG2X PLAYBOOK – GENDER SMART EXEC’S PROGRAM CURRICULUM | 5 THE ENHANCED EXEC’S PROGRAM CURRICULUM NUMBERSESSION SESSION OUTLINE AND DESCRIPTION
Length: 2 hours. 90 minutes of lecture and 30 minutes of breakout group work
Format: Virtual using Zoom meeting, and shared with breakout rooms for a portion of the session Delivery Tool: PowerPoint
Purpose: To kick off The Exec’s Program Learning Objectives: Understand the purpose, objectives, format and curriculum of The Exec’s Program Understand what to expect Connect with participants and instructors
Session #0 INTRODUCTION TO THE EXEC'S PROGRAM & HABITS OF EXECUTIVES
Agenda: Opening; Panel Discussion with Exec’s Program Alumni; Exec’s Program Overview; Expert Opinions from RENEW; Breakout Session; Summary; Closing Description: During this session we kick-off The Exec’s Program. The session begins with Dagmawit Shiferaw, RENEW’s senior investment manager, welcoming members and providing a short overview of RENEW. Then, a panel of former graduates of The Exec’s Program is invited to share their experience with taking the program and implementing the habits and disciplines at their companies. The goal of the panel is to provide context for the new participants about the importance of implementation. The panel is made up of one male and two female CEOs. The CEOs are from Ethiopia, and in future cohorts the panel will have members from across East Africa. The panel is facilitated by RENEW’s managing partner Laura Davis. The session is then turned over to the lead instructor, Matthew Davis, who provides participants with background on why the program was started and what the objectives of the program are – to build disciplined, gender-smart, successful companies in East Africa. Matthew provides statistics about the challenges companies have with scaling and explains that weak management is the number one. In East Africa, the challenge is often because of a lack of exposure to what good management looks like.
Matthew uses the example of an executive being like an athlete that practices basic skills and routines until they become habitual. These same skills are shared by successful executives and those will be taught during the program.
Matthew then lays the foundation for the program by explaining what bad and good executives look like and how successful executives think about a business, i.e., that the business is the product. Matthew also describes the concept of the three personas of a successful entrepreneur and executive – the technician, the entrepreneur and the manager – and how the manager is often the weakest and most overlooked of the three. Matthew explains how the program focuses on building the manager muscle and finishes the intro with an overview of the personal habits that will be elaborated on in the first full session. The participants then break into groups to share their expectations for the program. The information shared in the breakout sessions is gathered by RENEW team members, and the breakout concludes with the sharing of feedback. Finally, the expectation for participation and a summary are provided, concluding with the introduction for the next session.