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Strategic Thinking and Business Acumen

  • Human Resource
  • Innovation & Business Improvement
Next Intake: 25 Sep 2025 (Thu)
  • Basic
  • SkillsFuture
  • Short Courses
  • This module is part of Industry Graduate Diploma in Coaching
Next course starts on
25 Sep 2025 (Thu) See Full Schedule
Fee
SGD2,180* (as low as SGD254 after maximum funding) Learn More
Duration

2 Days

Level
Basic

Who Should Attend

- Business leaders and HR business partners/professionals who need to apply strategic thinking and demonstrate business acumen in their line of work;

- with a diploma / degree.

Overview

In today’s VUCA environment, strategic thinking and business acumen are essential competencies that business leaders must possess to see the big picture and to understand the impact of the external environment and internal functional interdependencies to act on opportunities for business growth.

This 2-day program aims to equip business and HR leaders to:

  • Understand organizations’ competitive advantages and strategies in relation to the external environment
  • Analyze an organization’s current and future core capabilities required to deliver on the business strategies
  • Develop an appropriate people agenda/strategy that  have high impact on current and future business performance
  • Align work plans/operations to organization strategy to realize tangible results
  • Provide senior leaders and stakeholders with strategic insights that would facilitate agile responses to the changing business environment and opportunities and challenges

Topic/Structure

Topics

  • What is Strategy? What is not strategy?
  • External environment analysis
  • Internal analysis
  • Business-level strategy
  • Corporate-level strategy
  • Putting people at the heart of all strategies
  • Generating & implementing new ideas/initiatives

Assessment

Participants have to meet a minimum attendance rate of 75% and have to complete all assessment(s) required by the course. Only upon meeting the minimum attendance and passing the assessment will participants be issued a Certificate of Completion.

Participants who fail the assessment will be given a chance for re-assessment at a fee of SGD100.00 (excluding prevailing GST). Each participant is allowed 1 re-assessment. The re-assessment has to be taken within 7 calendar days from the end of the course date.  It will be held on a weekday specified by SMU Academy and conducted during office hours. Please note that re-assessment fees are not supported by SSG Funding.

Participants who meet the minimum attendance rate but do not achieve a pass for the assessment will be issued a Certificate of Participation.

Participants are required to bring their laptop to access the course materials, class exercises and individual assessment(s). 

Calculate Programme Fee

Click here for more information about SkillsFuture Credits (Not applicable for Company-sponsored participants)
For PSEA - Available only for Singapore Citizen below 31 (Not applicable for Company-sponsored participants)

Total Program Fee: SGD0.00

Fee Table

COMPANY-SPONSORED

PARTICIPANT PROFILE

SELF-SPONSORED

SME

NON-SME

Singapore Citizen < 40 years old

Permanent Resident

LTVP+

$654

(After SSG Funding 70%)

$254

(After SSG Funding 70%
+ ETSS Funding 20%)

$654

(After SSG Funding 70%)

Singapore Citizen ≥ 40 years old

$254

(After SSG Funding 70%
+ MCES Funding 20%)

$254

(After SSG Funding 70%
+ ETSS Funding 20%)

$254

(After SSG Funding 70%
+ MCES Funding 20%)

International Participant

$2,180

(No Funding)

$2,180

(No Funding)

$2,180

(No Funding)

All prices include 9% GST

Please note that the programme fees are subject to change without prior notice.

Post Secondary Education Account (PSEA)
PSEA can be utilised for subsidised programmes eligible for SkillsFuture Credit support. Click here to find out more.

Self Sponsored

SkillsFuture Credit

Singapore Citizens aged 25 and above may use their SkillsFuture Credits to pay for the course fees. The credits may be used on top of existing course fee funding.

This is only applicable to self-sponsored participants. Application to utilise SkillsFuture Credits can be submitted when making payment for the course via the SMU Academy TMS Portal, and can only be made within 60 days of course start date.

Please click here for more information on the SkillsFuture Credit. For help in submitting an SFC claim, you may wish to refer to our step-by-step guide on claiming SkillsFuture Credits (Individual).

Workfare Skills Support Scheme

From 1 July 2023, the Workfare Skills Support (WSS) scheme has been enhanced. Please click here for more details.

Company Sponsored

Enhanced Training Support for SMEs (ETSS)

  • Organisation must be registered or incorporated in Singapore
  • Employment size of not more than 200 or with annual sales turnover of not more than $100 million
  • Trainees must be hired in accordance with the Employment Act and fully sponsored by their employers for the course
  • Trainees must be Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents
  • Trainees must not be a full-time national serviceman
  • Trainees are eligible for ETSS funding only if their company's SME status is approved prior to the course commencement date. To verify your SME's status, please click here. 

Please click here for more information on ETSS.

Absentee Payroll

Companies who sponsor their employees for the course may apply for Absentee Payroll here. For more information, please refer to:

AP Guide (Non-SME Companies)
Declaration Guide (SME Companies)

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Trainers

DAVID GOMULYA
Associate Professor
SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business
DAVID GOMULYA
Associate Professor
SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business
David is an Associate Professor and Academic Director at Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB). Previously at Nanyang Business School, he brings over seven years of industry experience across energy, shipping, semiconductor, and healthcare sectors. As a management trainee, he engaged with top management, gaining insights into strategic management and supply chain. He also served as Assistant Regional Controller in the US, honing his finance skills. With startup experience, he understands company management deeply. David collaborates with industry partners and has taught executive programs for leading companies globally. Recognized with prestigious awards, his research is published in top journals and has received notable recognition. He teaches postgraduates in various programmes across Singapore and the US.

Testimonials

The course provides a concise and well-organized snapshot into available methodologies for business strategies. Especially useful for non-commercial background business managers.

Tanya Nguyen
Business Development Manager
Pantheryx

It was a very informative course and more like a refresher to me. I will be able to apply this to my work in the future.

James Wong
Director
Maxiwood International

The trainer's engaging delivery made the course very enjoyable. The interaction and sharing between course mates allowed me to understand different views and gain knowledge. I definitely enjoyed this course and would recommend it to my colleagues and friends.

Neo Hui Peng
Scientist
Agilent Technologies Singapore (Sales) Pte Ltd
The trainer demonstrates business concepts very well during the training and course assistants are very helpful and supportive.
Tham WenYong
Hunter Ops Lead, Mobility Systems Division
ST Engineering Land Systems Ltd.

Additional Details

​​Certified Professional Business Manager (CPBM)

This programme is part of Certified Professional Business Manager. Participants who successfully complete 6 courses/modules with a minimum of 15 training days, from a list of qualifying programmes (terms and conditions apply) within 5 years will receive the Certified Professional Business Manager (CPBM). For example:

Please click here for CPBM details and list of qualifying programmes.

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