Strategy Execution University

The first module covers the basics. You’ll start by taking a closer look at what strategy execution is all about. Next, you’ll learn about ‘The 8’, the strategy execution process building blocks and ‘The Bad Guys’, the human dynamics we need to conquer on the execution road.

• Welcome
• What is Strategy Execution?
• The 8 – a Process View on Strategy Execution
• The Bad Guys – a People View on Strategy Execution
• Key Learnings Module 1, The Strategy Execution Canvas

A sound strategy is the starting point for each strategy execution journey. In the second module, you learn what a good strategy is all about and how to clarify the existing one. We also explain the first two canvas exercises: List of Noes and Set your Finish Line.

• What is Strategy?
• Canvas Exercise #1: List of Noes
• Canvas Exercise #2: Set your Finish Line
• Key Learnings Module 2, Test your Strategy

Research from The Performance Factory shows that most companies struggle with getting the strategy message across. In fact, it’s the weak spot in most organizations’ strategy execution process. In this module, you will learn why strategy communication is so difficult and how you can make a Head Heart Hand connection to drastically improve communication success. You will also meet the first bad guy, The Curse of Knowledge, and learn how to outwit him

• Communicate Your Strategy
• Combat The Curse of Knowledge
• Canvas Exercise #3: The H3 Communicator
• Key Learnings Module 3, Communicate Your Strategy

Thanks to the Balanced Scorecard, Strategy Cascade is probably the best-known strategy execution process building block. According to Bain Research, the Balanced Scorecard is the #6 most-used management instrument in the world.
In this module, you take a closer look at the cascading part of the Balanced Scorecard (the measuring part is covered separately). You will also meet the second bad guy, Message Distortion.

• Cascade Your Strategy
• Canvas Exercise #4: Balanced Scorecard Perspectives
• Combat Message Distortion
• Key Learnings Module 4, Cascade Your Strategy

Initiative management is all about selecting, prioritizing, and executing the right strategic initiatives. It’s the activity in which your dreams run up against reality, where your strategy meets operations, and where resources are added to the strategy formula. It’s one of the most difficult strategy execution steps and therefore the spot where implementation often goes wrong.
In this module, you will be challenged to take a closer look at your current ‘Must-win’ projects and learn what you can do to guarantee success. You will also meet the next bad guy, CO2mplexity

• Initiative Management
• Canvas Exercise #5: Must-win Projects
• Combat CO2mplexity
• Key Learnings Module 5, Deliver Your Strategic Projects

A finish line tells us when our strategy journey is successfully completed. It tells us when we won. An inspiring finish line, such as JFK’s ‘man on the moon by the end of the century’, gives everyone involved purpose. It motivates us to win.
But a finish line doesn’t tell us how to complete the journey successfully. It doesn’t tell us how to win. Therefore, we need a second item to complete our measuring mechanism. We need a set of signposts that point us towards the finish line.
This module teaches you how to select and track the right KPI’s, the signposts that will point your team to the finish line. The bad guy you face this time is called Mitigated Speech.

• Measure Your Strategy Progress
• Canvas Exercise #x: Signposts
• Combat Mitigated Speech
• Key Learnings Module 6, Measure Your Strategy Progress

In this module, you will learn why setting individual objectives is one of the best things you can do to improve performance. And you will learn how to do it best. The bad guy that will challenge you is Decision Paralysis.

• Set Great Objectives
• Canvas Exercise #7
• Combat Decision Paralysis
• Key Learnings Module 7, Set Great Objectives

We all know that habits are powerful. This module shows you how the right habits help you succeed and how you can get rid of bad habits. The objective: beat the villain Willpower Depletion.

• Willpower Depletion
• Develop Awesome Habits
• Canvas Exercise #8: +2/-2 Team Habits
• Key Learnings Module 8, Develop Awesome Habits

The last module provides practical tips to become a better coach. You will also learn how to anchor habits into your agenda and meet the bad guy, The Pygmalion Effect.

• Be a Great Coach
• Canvas Exercise #9: Strategy Anchors
• Combat The Pygmalion Effect
• Become an Ambassador
• Key Learnings Module 9, Motivate People to Reach the Finish Line