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Strategic Planning and Execution

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Strategic Planning and Execution

This course is part of Business Strategy Specialization

Instructors: Michael Lenox

73,723 already enrolled

Included with

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

898 reviews

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

96%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

898 reviews

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

96%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

How to connect strategic analysis to strategy execution using hypothesis testing to unearth key assumptions and assess their validity
Four different approaches to strategy formulation and how governance ties into effective strategy formulation
Use the 4A Model for effective strategy execution to ensure appropriate human and organizational resources are in place
Tips from industry experts for successful strategy development and execution

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

3 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer

Taught in English

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This course is part of the Business Strategy Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

Avoid the pitfalls of strategy planning and execution with the tools and skills from this course. In this course, developed at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and taught by top-ranked faculty, 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.

Module details

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.

What's included

8 videos2 readings1 assignment

8 videosTotal 40 minutes

Introduction to Strategic Execution4 minutes
Strategic Analysis4 minutes
Strategic Analysis: Steps 1-35 minutes
Strategic Analysis: Step 46 minutes
Strategist'sToolkit: Hypothesis Testing4 minutes
Strategy Research8 minutes
Strategy Analytics8 minutes
Module Lessons2 minutes

2 readingsTotal 20 minutes

Course Overview & Requirements10 minutes
Get to Know Your Classmates in Discussion Forums10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 40 minutes

Strategy Analysis40 minutes

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.

What's included

11 videos1 assignment1 discussion prompt

11 videosTotal 71 minutes

Pillars of Strategy Execution3 minutes
Strategy in Organizations7 minutes
Strategy Formulation: The Strategic War Room7 minutes
Strategy Formulation: Rapid Prototyping4 minutes
Strategy Formulation: Design Thinking7 minutes
Strategy Formulation: Business Model Canvas8 minutes
Corporate Governance8 minutes
The Human Factor10 minutes
Common Strategy Execution Mistakes8 minutes
Key Strategy Execution Questions5 minutes
Module Lessons4 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 40 minutes

Strategy Formulation40 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

Strategy Formulation10 minutes

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.

What's included

13 videos1 assignment1 discussion prompt

13 videosTotal 88 minutes

The Importance of Strategy Execution6 minutes
The 4A Model of Strategy Execution7 minutes
Introduction to Alignment7 minutes
Achieving Alignment9 minutes
Introduction to Ability9 minutes
Investing in Talent10 minutes
Introduction to Architecture7 minutes
How Architecture Drives Performance8 minutes
Architecture Best Practices5 minutes
Introduction to Agility6 minutes
Agility through Organizational Learning7 minutes
Agility through Unity and Fluidity5 minutes
Module Lessons3 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 40 minutes

Strategy Implementation40 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

Investing in Talent10 minutes

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.

What's included

14 videos1 peer review1 discussion prompt

14 videosTotal 87 minutes

Welcome to Our Guest Speakers1 minute
Shannon Smith, CEO Abundant Power3 minutes
Byrne Murphy, DigiPlex10 minutes
Carolyn Miles, Save the Children8 minutes
Rick Edmunds, Strategy& PwC11 minutes
Bob Hugin, Celgene7 minutes
Rick Paschal, Darden '895 minutes
Sunil Ghatnekar, The Coca-Cola Company3 minutes
Jerry Peng, Tranlin, Inc.10 minutes
Dean Scott Beardsley: Background3 minutes
Dean Scott Beardsley: Perspective14 minutes
Dean Scott Beardsley: Process6 minutes
Dean Scott Beardsley: Advice5 minutes
Conclusion1 minute

1 peer reviewTotal 180 minutes

Strategy Execution Plan180 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

Key Takeaways10 minutes

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Instructors

Instructor ratings

(205 ratings)

Michael Lenox

University of Virginia

24 Courses625,292 learners

Offered by

University of Virginia

Learner reviews

5 stars
80.11%
4 stars
15.44%
3 stars
3%
2 stars
0.66%
1 star
0.77%

Showing 3 of 898

Reviewed on Jan 29, 2026

This is one of the best courses in the specialization so far. I especially enjoyed hearing from the industry experts.

Reviewed on Jun 15, 2025

Good to know how to define the strategy : analysis, formulation, and implementation create a complete path to show things root cause, gap and how to grow.

Reviewed on Sep 29, 2025

This course takes the knowledge that you already know about strategy and goes a little deeper thereby offering a deeper understanding on how strategy planning and execution has somewhat eveolved

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