Strategy Execution: Getting It Done

Successfully executing strategic initiatives is notoriously challenging. New market entries, organizational repositioning, outsourcing decisions, and technology implementations frequently represent good intentions that never come to fruition. Research on executive leadership reveals a sobering statistic: approximately 65 percent of organizational leaders do not believe their own organizations effectively execute their strategic plans.

What you will cover:

• Employing Mind Mapping techniques to define and refine strategic initiatives
• Designing strategic execution goals that position your organization for success and measurable results
• Planning and launching strategic initiatives with clear vision and organizational energy
• Utilizing comprehensive planning, scheduling, budgeting, and monitoring systems to track strategic initiative progress
• Overcoming organizational resistance and unexpected obstacles through political acumen and strategic problem-solving

How this course will benefit you:

• Apply core strategy execution concepts to your own significant strategic initiative
• Identify factors that affect your organization's capacity to execute strategy effectively
• Decompose large, long-term strategic initiatives into smaller, achievable project milestones
• Map your strategic goals against critical success factors, potential failure points, and sources of organizational resistance
• Develop skills that enable you to build and maintain support for your initiatives across organizational silos
• Discover practical ways to better align your strategy with departmental and organizational objectives

Ideal participants: Experienced organizational leaders who must effectively execute significant, mission-critical strategic initiatives within their sphere of responsibility.

Course outline and learning objectives:

Strategy Execution Fundamentals

• Define what strategy execution means and explain why it is critical to your leadership role
• Understand the essential elements necessary for successful strategy execution
• Develop a comprehensive strategy, execution goal, and supporting plan
• Launch your strategic initiative and establish the infrastructure to drive it forward
• Keep your strategic initiative on track to achieve measurable results that can be replicated and celebrated

Understanding Strategy Execution

• Explain what strategy execution is and why it is fundamental to your success in leadership
• Apply Mind Mapping to define and refine your specific strategic initiative
• Develop a Fast Forward Project that advances your strategic initiative more rapidly

Preparing for Successful Outcomes

• Recognize why taking ownership of strategy execution is essential to your leadership responsibilities
• Create and document a strategic initiative charter with all key design elements
• Identify and diagnose the most effective approaches for engaging key stakeholders and building their support
• Assess your proposed strategy and make necessary adjustments based on stakeholder input
• Create a comprehensive map of all key players and their roles in your strategic initiative

Creating Infrastructure for Execution

• Design and lead an energizing launch event for your Fast Forward Project
• Establish plans, schedules, budgets, and control mechanisms to monitor Fast Forward Project progress
• Communicate expectations and define accountability throughout your project teams

Managing Change and Obstacles

• Apply political and interpersonal skills to win stakeholder support and overcome resistance to your strategic initiative
• Use creative problem-solving to address unforeseen risks, delays, and obstacles blocking your strategic initiative

Recognizing Results and Sustaining Momentum

• Navigate the intense final push to achieve your strategic initiative's ultimate goal
• Conduct a comprehensive post-execution analysis of your strategic initiative and document lessons learned
• Apply your learning to improve future strategic initiatives
• Recognize the importance of celebrating successful project completion and team contributions