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Learn Business Strategy Planning For Competitive Advantage

Name: Learn Business Strategy Planning For Competitive Advantage
Rating: 3.7 (121 reviews)

How to develop a successful business strategy - analysis, planning, business fundamentals & strategy implementation

Created byPeter Alkema, James Robertson

Last updated 1/2022

English

What you'll learn

Definition of strategy, the fundamental essence of why and how an organisation thrives
Strategy is not a forecast or an objective, you need a strategic plan for the trajectory of change
The Gillette Case Study From "Good To Great" illustrates the exponential growth curve
An engineering approach to strategy and how engineers don't design a bridge to stand up, they design it not to fall down
Meticulous design and attention to detail with high professional standards and legal accountability for executives
The value of technology is determined by the person using it, such as a stethoscope or machine gun
90% of strategic plans fail to deliver, 70% of business process investments fail to deliver
The critical factors causing strategy implementation success and failure
Three alternative system value scenarios unlocking the true potential of technology investment
Strategic engineered precision configuration with clever customisation achieved competitive advantage at Dior
The importance of CEO executive custody, top down transformational leadership and how to achieve it
Determining the essence of the business and how it thrives through question based analysis
The core objective of strategy implementation is to create competitive advantage through differentiation
How global differentiators have changed in the last six decades
Critical differentiators; management of human resource, market focus, strategic capability
Essential business knowledge; economic drivers, core customer, market and users, core technologies and systems
The beneficial business impact; what should a solution deliver; problems, design and outcomes
Requirements for a successful strategic analysis and design outcome
How to go about developing a robust strategic design; gap analysis, action plan and continuous improvement
Examples of strategic and essence orientated focus questions
Analysis of the strategic environment; envisioning a future state and how to get there
Introduction to the toolset and method for strategic planning method; StratSnap, StratGap, StratAction
Weight determination, scoring, gap analysis and the development of the strategic programme implementation plan
Development of critical competencies and the management and measurement of strategically aligned Key Performance Metrics

Course content

16 sections • 51 lectures • 1h 27m total length

Introduction3:52
In this introduction lesson you will learn whats coming up in the course. Get an introduction to some of the key concepts and get a preview of some of the material that will be presented by Dr Robertson. Digital disruption and the 4th industrial revolution and have turned entire industries upside down. Small and new organisations with clever technology can deliver customer value quicker and cheaper than large organisations and developing the right strategy continues to be the key to unlocking true value for your customer and delivering sustainable shareholder returns.
Let's Celebrate Your Progress In This Course: 25% > 50% > 75% > 100%!!1:20
Throughout this course we will celebrate your progress at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. I really want you to succeed but you need to take action and keep going so look forward to these milestones of progress. I will see you there and cheer you on as you keep going from one milestone to the next >>
Who Is Dr James Robertson: Strategic Planning Thought Leader & Strategy Doctor0:58
In this lesson Dr James Robertson introduces his vast experience as a strategic thinker with decades of experience in helping organisations achieve strategic objectives. Dr James Robertson is an engineer with a grounding in economics as well as military strategic training.
Whiteboard Overview Of Key Concepts In Business Strategy Planning12:20
In this whiteboard lesson you will get a "mind map" overview of all the key concepts presented in this course. Starting with the definition of strategy, all the way through success / failure critical factors and the importance of executive custody you will get a landscape view of the whole course so you can dive in with confidence, and context.
Introduce Yourself To Your Fellow Students And Tell Everyone What Are Your Goals0:17
This is your opportunity to share something about yourself with the rest of the students in this course. Tell us all about your goals and what you want to achieve. You can come back to this board and add more thoughts as you go through the course and achieve your goals. Seeing all the other students in the course will also motivate you and keep you going as you participate in this community of learning.
Definition Of Strategy2:34
In this lesson you will learn how strategic thinking requires an understanding of the difference between tactics (doing things right) and strategy (doing the right things). Achieving your organisation's strategic objectives requires a structured and systematic way of analysing your environment.

The Time Dependency Of Strategy1:35
A strategy is not a forecast or an objective, it is your organisation's path to competitive advantage. It is also a realistic trajectory of continuous improvement within business constraints.
The Exponential Growth Curve Of Strategy - The Gillette Case Study1:23
Learn about the successful Gillette strategy and how it follows the exponential growth curve as defined in the time dependency of strategy lesson.

An Engineering Approach To Strategy1:07
Engineers do not design bridges to stand up, the design them not to fall down. These fundamental differences are important to understand in order to develop successful strategic thinking. If you want your strategic plan to succeed you must design it not to fail.
What Does The Engineering Approach Entail In Business Strategy0:25
Engineering approach in strategic thinking requires meticulous attention to detail, multi-disciplinary teams, high professional standards and legal accountability for executives. Engineers know the limitations of their expertise and when to call in specialists; strategic thinking executives must apply the same principles.
The Value Of Technology is Determined By The Person Using It0:36

Some Harsh Facts About The Failure Rates Of Strategic Organisational Projects0:59
70% of IT investments fail totally, 19 out of 20 ERP implementations "do not deliver what was promised". 90% of strategic plans fail to deliver - learn about these harsh facts and the importance of getting strategic thinking right.
You've Achieved 25% >> Let's Celebrate Your Progress And Keep Going To 50% >>0:24
Throughout this course we will celebrate your progress at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. I really want you to succeed but you need to take action and keep going so look forward to these milestones of progress. I will see you there and cheer you on as you keep going from one milestone to the next >>
What Is Not An Engineering Approach To Strategic Thinking1:24
Proper strategic planning is not just drawing pictures, just because you can visualise what you want, it doesn't mean that you can achieve it.
Critical Factors And Critical Factor Synthesis And Determination2:41
Learn what critical factors are, why 7 is the magic number and how to synthesis inputs to develop a consolidated list of prioritised critical factors.
What Are The Critical Factors Causing Strategy Implementation Failure0:46
Learn about what causes a strategy implementation to fail and the weightings of each factor.

The Benefits Of Strategic Thinking - An Illustration1:19
Learn three alternative system value scenarios for unlocking the true potential of strategic thinking in an organisation. Value creation can be 10, 100 or 1000 times.
Case Study - Dior Strategy Using Strategic Precision With Clever Customisation1:30
Understand how dramatic improvements in competitiveness, growth and productivity can be achieved through strategic initiatives. Learn about a strategic turnaround at Dior despite a failed ERP implementation. Successful strategic turnarounds require significant focus on the right things (when viewed from the customer's perspective).
Critical Factors For Strategy Implementation Success0:41
Learn the critical factors for successful implementation of strategy: Effective Executive Custody, Effective Change Facilitation, Strategy Alignment & Architecture and more.

Governance - How I Learned That CEO Executive Custody Was Critical1:20
Based on numerous strategic interventions at clients, it has become clear that executive sponsorship is the most important ingredient to strategic thinking and success.
Critical Focus Areas Of Executive Custody - What Executives Should Focus On1:05
Top Down Strategic Led Transformation Versus Bottom Up Process Driven Change2:48
Strategically focused problem solving always starts with the CEO at the top of the organisation and works its way down the organisation. Bottom-up process driven change creates mountains of documentation without a singular, clearly defined outcome. Learn about the failed ERP implementation in which this principle became a brutal and costly truth.
Determining The Essence Of The Business And How It Thrives1:02
An experienced facilitator must ask focused questions to key executives in interviews and then synthesize the essence of the business imperatives into a single sentence. New executives that have just arrived in the business can be dramatically misguided and this must be identified and managed by the facilitator.

Governance - The Second Most Important Critical Factor Causing Failure1:31
You've Achieved 50% >> Let's Celebrate Your Progress And Keep Going To 75% >>0:29
Throughout this course we will celebrate your progress at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. I really want you to succeed but you need to take action and keep going so look forward to these milestones of progress. I will see you there and cheer you on as you keep going from one milestone to the next >>
Governance - How Do You Go About Achieving Executive Custody Of Strategy2:45
A CEO is there to give clear direction to strategic thinking and strategy formulation. Learn how to get the executive custody you need to drive strategic implementation.
Governance - Role Of Executive Custody in Formulating And Implementing Strategy0:48
A corporate strategic planning workshop without the CEO present is not a strategic event. You also need a strategic and senior facilitator who has direct access to the CEO.

The Core Objective Of Strategy Implementation Is Differentiation1:24
Create competitive advantage by getting the right information to the right people, at the right time, and in the right place, in order to make the right decision. Learn the historical global differentiators in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 200s and since 2010 and 2020.
Learn the Critical Differentiators For The Successful Implementation Of Strategy1:07
Learn critical differentiators such as the management of human resource, market focus, strategic decision making and the overall strategy capability.
Business Is Inherently Complex But There Are Ways Of Measuring Value0:35
Your business plans must cater for inherent business complexity as well as the measurement of value. Selecting the right critical success factors will greatly enhance your degree of success.

Essential Business Knowledge - The Essential Components Of Strategy0:55
Learn what are the core drivers and essential reasons for the organisation to exist, thrive and pursue strategic objectives.
Beneficial Business Impact - What Should A Solution Deliver0:30
Learn what a strategic solution should deliver; increased competitiveness, market share, profit margin, shareholder value etc.
Developing an IT Strategy2:08

Requirements

Knowledge and understanding of the organisational requirement for strategic success

Description

"A wonderful course on a practical approach to strategy specifically focused on execution. You learn a lot of practical tips based on years of experience on strategy development and execution." - Robert H.

"I really enjoyed the course. Wish it was longer!!!! The delivery was great. The content is educational. I really learned a lot as I've been working on learning about the development of data strategies this course on strategy was a welcome surprise. Been through a few courses and books on strategy and none come close. Thank you" - Thabiso M.

“James, you really know what strategy is, and what work you have to do, to do it.” – Michael Utvich (Automotive Industry Strategy Consultant)

“Your process has been quite amazing. And as everybody has said, your approach and your tools have actually assisted us to arrive at this point in time so quickly.” – Tina E (Group Managing Director)

“I came away from it with a much clearer vision, new feasible and achievable objectives and in particular what was on the hearts of my staff in these most difficult of times.” – Louis Fourie (OHS Consultancy)

“I found this exceptionally valuable.” – Gerhard S (Group Executive)

What is the value of an actionable strategic plan, effectively executed? What percentage increase in revenue/market share/EBITDA do you want to achieve over 3 years? What value would you attach to a method, training and tools that enabled you to achieve this?

In this online course learn about what strategic thinking really is and how you should approach strategic initiatives in your organisation. Dr Roberston draws on his economics, engineering and military experience to present a very structured and systematic strategic mindset.

Learn and apply the concepts that will help you quickly and accurately analyze your strategic environment. Learn how to approach the development of a detailed, prioritized strategic action plan that will guide your organization in delivering the value you know is there.

In this course you will get:

Lessons about strategy in a micro-learning format; each lesson presents 3-5 executive learning outcomes that you can immediately apply and take advantage of in your business
A systematic and structured approach to the development of strategic plans; a no-nonsense direct message that cuts through the hype of strategic consulting
An overview of the strategic planning process; the tools and method, governance, focus questions, strategic map, how to approach brainstorming, synthesis of critical factors and the right mindset for converting critical factors into an implementation plan
A full understanding of what strategy is, what it is not and how it actually drives business success
Case studies that help you understand the essence of strategic thinking so that you have practical reference points for the concepts and definitions that are taught in this course
Brutal and honest truths about the strategic consulting industry and the actual state of success of strategic initiatives in most organisations

Enrol today and learn the essence of true strategy for fundamental and long lasting transformational change in your organisation. Take advantage of Dr James Roberston's decades of experience and straight talking teaching.

Who this course is for:

Business people involved in analysing and developing strategy
Anyone who is looking for a structured and systematic approach to successful strategic thinking
Executives and leaders who need to create a clear path to competitive advantage for their organisation

Learn Business Strategy Planning For Competitive Advantage

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction6 lectures • 21min

Learn More About Strategy - Your Organisation's Path To Competitive Advantage2 lectures • 3min

Engineering Approach To Strategy & The Value Of Technology3 lectures • 2min

Strategic Failure - Harsh Realities, Factors Causing Failure Lack Of Engineering5 lectures • 6min

Strategic Benefits, Metrics And Factors Causing Successful Implementation3 lectures • 4min

Strategy Requires Executive Sponsorship & Top Down Leadership: How To Achieve It4 lectures • 6min

Strategic Governance Is A Critical Success Factor; How To Achieve and Enable It4 lectures • 6min

Strategic Objectives, Differentiators & The True Nature Of Business Complexity3 lectures • 3min

Essential Business Knowledge & The Beneficial Business impact3 lectures • 4min

Learn How To Achieve A Successful Strategic Analysis & Robust Strategic Design2 lectures • 2min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: