Your Course of Study
Designed to generate entrepreneurial thinking and innovation in large organizations, this HBS Executive Education program will help you successfully launch and grow a new business within an existing organization. The program begins with an introduction to the renowned HBS case method, which helps you become adept at analyzing issues, exercising judgment, and making decisions through the exploration of real-life business challenges. In a carefully selected set of cases, dynamic lectures, and lively peer discussion, you will examine topics central to the growth of startups in a corporate setting, including:
Building a Portfolio
- Balancing maturing business lines, growing enterprises, and emerging businesses
- Identifying and analyzing new opportunities at every phase
- Understanding the role of innovation at each phase of the business
- Creating an ambidextrous organization by developing leadership capabilities for all stages
- Executing disruptive versus incremental change within your organization
- Managing simultaneously for both the long and the short term
- Recognizing and managing risk during the business-building process
Moving from Idea to Execution
- Understanding the intersection of strategy and execution for new businesses
- Aligning key organizational elements to ensure successful execution
- Developing support within a larger organization
- Exploring the techniques that are essential to execution
- Identifying worthy ideas and closing faltering projects
- Building a reward system based on achieving key milestones
- Increasing the scale of a corporate startup
- Driving change in a larger organization when necessary
Governing Internal Startups
- Using corporate infrastructure and resources to build a new business more efficiently
- Protecting the startup from legacy corporate issues that threaten progress
Knowledge in Action
This program is designed to bring classroom lessons into focus. During two special hands-on sessions, you will apply the strategies introduced during the program to your own initiatives. In addition, you will have the opportunity to work with faculty to identify and address gaps in your organization's ability to execute.
The program also includes a panel discussion featuring executives who've built new businesses within established organizations. You not only hear about their challenges, approaches, and results, but also have the opportunity to pose your own questions to the panel.
"This was by far the best classroom training I have ever experienced. My objective was to understand how to lower the internal barriers for our newly created business unit, as there are always issues surrounding resources, funding, compensation, and alignment. After this course, I was able to meet with our senior management and successfully articulated my position on the challenges that we face in creating a joint venture to develop an innovative product offering."
Hemant Jain [Director, Energy Solutions Operations], Hess Corporation, U.S.