As a product manager in today's intensely competitive technology industry, Mustafa Firik of Nuance Communications understands the importance of forward-thinking strategy. In recent years, he has attended several Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education programs—Program for Leadership Development, Leading Product Innovation, and Strategy: Building and Sustaining Competitive Advantage—to enhance his strategic skills and improve his company's performance. Adding to his education portfolio, he recently attended the new Reimagining Strategy program. In this interview, he shares a few thoughts about his latest learning experience.
As a product manager, I continuously look for innovation opportunities that can either support or fine-tune my organization's strategy and positioning relative to our competitors, and I use my own framework for structuring and analyzing potential innovation. My objective for this program was to improve my framework by exploring other ways to think innovatively. I found exactly what I was looking for. In Reimagining Strategy, we discussed real-world business decisions and explored analytical techniques for combining the art and science of value creation.
The simulation exercise was very insightful. Simulations I've done in the past were mostly results-oriented, but this one focused on internal interactions within a team during a problem-solving scenario. This program also provided several eye-opening "how-to's" and "how-not-to's" that I added to my toolkit.
As I expected, the in-class case discussions and living group interactions helped me discern the learning objectives easily. The participants represented a diverse mix of geographies and industries. Observing and interacting with this group gave me access to a wide range of perspectives, motivations, and insights. Overall, I found the classrooms, food, and accommodations to be first class.
Although the programs I have taken have been closely related to each other, each one has provided significant additional knowledge. In fact, doing the same business case for a second time with a different professor actually provided new insights.
Our business unit is facing fierce competition from two separate groups: technology giants with deep pockets and complementary services, and local competitors with cheaper offerings. We’re continuously adapting our strategy, and we need to innovate rapidly to stay relevant to our customers’ needs. To stay ahead of this challenge, I've taken several programs at HBS Executive Education that have focused on strategy and innovation. Those experiences have helped me acquire the skills my organization needs.
Reimagining Strategy increases innovative-thinking prowess while also expediting the identification of potential enhancements to an existing strategy. The program would be especially beneficial to executives who are in—or work closely with—product management.
