About this course: Avoid the pitfalls of strategy planning and execution with the tools and skills from this course. You'll learn the pillars of strategy execution--analysis, formulation, and implementation--and how to use the 4A model to effectively approach strategy execution. Finally, a panel of leaders from entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and industry, share their expertise gleaned from years of successful strategy planning and execution.
Created by: University of Virginia
Taught by: Michael Lenox, Senior Associate Dean and Chief Strategy Officer
Darden School of Business
Taught by: Jared Harris, Samuel L. Slover Research Chair in Business Administration
Darden School of Business
Taught by: Scott Snell, E. Thayer Bigelow Research Professor in Business Administration
Darden School of Business
| Basic Info | Course 4 of 5 in the Business Strategy Specialization |
| Commitment | 4 weeks of study, 2-5 hours/week |
| Language | English, Subtitles: Vietnamese |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Strategy Analysis
This week, you'll connect strategic analysis to strategy execution. You'll walk through a series of questions to frame your analysis and ground your approach using the strategist's toolkit--and you'll learn a new tool, Hypothesis Testing, to unearth key assumptions related to choosing a strategy and assessing the validity of those assumptions. You'll also review data sources and how to "make the data speak" to guide your strategy decisions.
8 videos, 3 readings
- Reading: Course Overview & Requirements
- Reading: Get to Know Your Classmates in Discussion Forums
- Video: Strategic Analysis
- Video: Strategic Analysis: Steps 1-3
- Video: Strategic Analysis: Step 4
- Video: Strategist'sToolkit: Hypothesis Testing
- Video: Strategy Research
- Video: Strategy Analytics
- Video: Module Lessons
- Reading: Week 1 Slides
Graded: Strategy Analysis
WEEK 2
Strategy Formulation
This week you'll learn about how strategy gets set and implemented in organizations. You'll discuss factors key to effective strategy formulation--and common challenges and pitfalls of strategy execution. You'll explore four different approaches to strategy formulation and how governance ties into effective strategy formulation.
11 videos, 1 reading
- Video: Strategy in Organizations
- Video: Strategy Formulation: The Strategic War Room
- Video: Strategy Formulation: Rapid Prototyping
- Video: Strategy Formulation: Design Thinking
- Video: Strategy Formulation: Business Model Canvas
- Discussion Prompt: Strategy Formulation
- Video: Corporate Governance
- Video: The Human Factor
- Video: Common Strategy Execution Mistakes
- Video: Key Strategy Execution Questions
- Video: Module Lessons
- Reading: Week 2 Slides
Graded: Strategy Formulation
WEEK 3
Strategy Implementation
We welcome Professor Scott Snell to the course this week! He's a global specialist in strategy execution, and he shares his 4A Model for effective strategy execution: alignment, ability, agility, and architecture. This framework will help you ensure the human and organizational resources are in place to effectively execute your strategy.
13 videos, 1 reading
- Video: The 4A Model of Strategy Execution
- Video: Introduction to Alignment
- Video: Achieving Alignment
- Video: Introduction to Ability
- Video: Investing in Talent
- Video: Introduction to Architecture
- Video: How Architecture Drives Performance
- Video: Architecture Best Practices
- Video: Introduction to Agility
- Video: Agility through Organizational Learning
- Video: Agility through Unity and Fluidity
- Video: Module Lessons
- Discussion Prompt: Investing in Talent
- Reading: Week 3 Slides
Graded: Strategy Implementation
WEEK 4
Practical Perspectives
This week we welcome guest speakers from a range of industries, from startups to nonprofits, to share their expertise from years of successful strategy development and execution. They'll communicate their best tips to help you develop your strategist's toolkit. We're also fortunate to be joined by Darden's Dean Scott Beardsley, whose 26 years with McKinsey informs the concrete tips he shares to improve strategy development and execution.
14 videos
- Video: Shannon Smith, CEO Abundant Power
- Video: Byrne Murphy, DigiPlex
- Video: Carolyn Miles, Save the Children
- Video: Rick Edmunds, Strategy& PwC
- Video: Bob Hugin, Celgene
- Video: Rick Paschal, Darden '89
- Video: Sunil Ghatnekar, The Coca-Cola Company
- Video: Jerry Peng, Tranlin, Inc.
- Discussion Prompt: Key Takeaways
- Video: Dean Scott Beardsley: Background
- Video: Dean Scott Beardsley: Perspective
- Video: Dean Scott Beardsley: Process
- Video: Dean Scott Beardsley: Advice
- Video: Conclusion
Graded: Strategy Execution Plan
FAQs
How It Works
Coursework
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
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Creators
University of Virginia
A premier institution of higher education, The University of Virginia offers outstanding academics, world-class faculty, and an inspiring, supportive environment. Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, the University is guided by his vision of discovery, innovation, and development of the full potential of students from all walks of life. Through these courses, global learners have an opportunity to study with renowned scholars and thought leaders.
Pricing
| Purchase Course | |
|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Available |
| Receive a final grade | Available |
| Earn a shareable Course Certificate | Available |
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