Strategy Playbook Act One: Building Blocks of 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.