Strategy Implementation

Even a thoroughly developed business strategy may fail if you don't pay enough attention to its implementation. This rings particularly true with strategies based on innovation or implemented in complex or fast-changing environments. In the 20th century successful implementation leveraged stability and typically proceeded through hierarchy and control. Today the key is to stay vibrant and able to quickly respond to trends in competition and technology while not losing sight of the strategic objective. In this course we'll build a toolbox of techniques to execute today's business strategies to help them succeed. After completing this course, you'll be able to: - Create objectives and goals to guide strategy implementation - Identify organizational structures that fit particular strategies - Understand how to leverage company culture in implementation - Describe how to communicate the strategy so that the organization "gets" it - Detect and mitigate risks to implementation

• Course Intro. Translating Strategy Into Goals and Metrics
• In this module we set the scene in strategy implementation and take a bird's-eye view of the course. We then dive into formulating actionable goals based on the strategy, good practices in creating metrics and setting objectives, and learn about two specific tools for deriving actionable, measurable goals from a strategy.
• Aligning Strategy and Organizational Structure
• The structure of your organization can be a good or poor fit to the strategy you are implementing. In this module we learn which choices of organizational structure are appropriate depending on your strategy.
• Communicating the Strategy within the Organization
• Getting communication right is crucial for successful implementation. In this module we find out how to communicate the strategy vertically, and how to facilitate collaboration and upward communication in the organization.
• Managing Resistance and Other Implementation Risks
• Strategy implementation is rarely an exercise in certainty. New strategies may cause concerns or resistance in the organization, or be vulnerable to other risks.
• Leveraging Organizational Culture
• Like structure, an organization's culture might be supportive or obstructive in implementation. In this module we define what culture is, learn how it can impact implementation, and explore when and how it can be changed.
• Power and Informal Networks. Course Ending
• The flatter the organization, the more likely are informal networks and power to matter in implementing a strategy. In this module we explore ways of using power and informal networks in the organization to facilitate strategy implementation. We then conclude the course and review the exam assignment.