Strategy Playbook Act One: Building Blocks of Strategy

Managers at all levels who are looking to develop an intelligent and practical approach towards strategic situations. Participants are not expected to have any previous experience with strategy.

• Appreciate the world of strategy and the many types of strategies that are possible 
• Learn the fundamental building blocks of strategic planning 
• Use best practice strategic thinking to analyze the patterns affecting your organization
• Think more strategically at your personal level, and relate strategy to your daily decisions
• Develop your skill set in applying strategic tools and processes 
• Define your strategic options and select the right ones 
• Ignite creativity when considering possible future strategic directions and their consequences

Strategic Understanding and Analysis

• How do different companies compete, and what are the high-level options for strategy
• Analyzing your company’s activities at the highest level
• Developing the vision/mission/goals/strategies and tactics in for-profit and not-for-profit businesses
• Key tools and concepts for framing strategy (including PEST Analysis, Strategic Group Mapping, Industry Life-Cycles, Key Success Factors, Forecasting, etc.)  
• Segmenting your customers and products/services to discover what business you are really in, and how you fit in with the rest of the industry
• Applying the 5-Forces Analysis to understand industry trends and competitiveness 
• Using the 7-step Strategic Analysis framework to garner a comprehensive overview of the industry

Strategic Application

• Learning how to think, speak and act more strategically at an individual level
• Building a Strategy Canvas to understand how you and others are differentiated, and to explore future options and their implications 
• Identifying any company’s true competitive advantage, and how this is used in a variety of circumstances
• Developing a strategy statement that includes the logic, scope and long-term goals to succeed
• Applying all frameworks to foster realistic solutions to strategic challenges 

Special features

You will complete either a strategic plan for your own organization, or one of three scenarios reflecting your interests (Public Sector, Private Sector, Not-For-Profit) and present it to the group for constructive feedback. You will also receive written feedback on your plan from the program leader. 

For financial assistance opportunities, please refer to Financial Assistance, Scholarships and Team Rates .