Your Course of Study
In this program, you will explore the fundamental conditions that prevent strategic change and identify ways to address them.
The course structure consists of:
- Case studies that allow you to work with other participants on building diagnosis and action skills
- Lectures that highlight the underlying theories and help point to best practices
- Small discussion groups that let you share experiences and perspectives with your peers
- Individual exercises that focus on how you can contribute to your own success and your company's greater success
You will develop skills in diagnosing your organization's responsiveness to change by studying the experiences of thriving companies in a number of sectors and the factors that drove their success. You will learn about once-prosperous companies that failed by rigidly adhering to inflexible strategies and structures, and troubled companies that learned from their mistakes, continued to evolve, and ultimately surpassed their rivals. Drawn from a wide range of industries, these case studies offer fresh perspectives on anticipating change, adapting to new realities, and thriving in the long term.
The program is composed of three complementary modules that present the essential elements for strategic change:
Smart Strategy—Overcoming Strategic Inertia
How can your company develop strategies that enhance its responsiveness to a fast-changing environment? You will explore the roles of explicit and shared models of past success, shared visions of the future, option generation, creativity, and choice, as well as the importance of strategic scorecards, constructive paranoia, and action-based learning.
Agile Structure—Designing Flexible Structures
Can you build capacity for change directly into the core of your organization? You will examine both formal and informal organizational structures, identifying levers for transforming traditional enterprises into more nimble companies. You will learn how to fundamentally alter the way business is done by applying Self-Organizing, Edge-Oriented Structures.
Smart Minds—Developing Human Capacity for Change and Learning
An organization's ability to change is ultimately limited by the capacity and willingness of its people to change. In this session, you will participate in group and individual exercises that will not only enhance your creativity, but also show you how natural ingenuity can be expanded and harnessed to strategic goals and nurtured throughout the firm.