Online Course in Business Strategy

        
                                "The program follows a very practical and structured approach, which helped me analyze my business problem and develop my strategic concept step by step. I acquired a new tool set. For executives, who look for learning opportunities to complement their skills, while staying full speed on their jobs, this program may have the answer."
                                "For executives, who look for learning opportunities to complement their skills, while staying full speed on their jobs, this program may have the answer."
                            
                                Susann Bhatti
Business Manager/Chief of Staff, Wealth Management Europe International, UBS AG
                                Susann Bhatti
Business Manager/Chief of Staff, Wealth Management Europe International, UBS AG

Strategic Thinking - Your Learning Journey

The program is structured into eight weeks, covering the following topics:

Week 1: Introduction to the program, platform and participants

Understand main program themes
Create personal learning objectives
Meet all participants

Week 2: Diagnostics - strengths and weaknesses

Conduct an internal strategic analysis
Gain varied industry, geographic and functional perspectives via group work
Consider challenges created by a technological revolution

Week 3: Diagnostics - opportunities and threats

Conduct an external strategic analysis
Use two frameworks to analyze threats and opportunities
Work in pairs on an organizational case study

Week 4: Alternatives - performance moves

Assess alternatives for performance improvement
Understand how internal and external forces for change affect strategic moves
Focus on the future and the need for top-line or bottom-line moves

Week 5: Alternatives - outpacing business models

Assess alternatives to understand your competitive position
Find out how to catch and outpace your competitors
Study disruptive innovation, industry evolution, and incremental breakpoints

Week 6: Alternatives - strategic innovation domains

Identify, evaluate and choose between strategic experiments
Study innovation as it relates to value delivery and value proposition
Learn how strategic innovation helps organizations outpace competitors

Week 7: Choice - capability and resource gaps

Conduct a gap analysis
Identify how to close gaps
Select options to support strategic realization

Week 8: Choice - smart focus

Take a holistic approach to strategic focus
Test value creation potential and execution risk
Identify which strategic initiatives should
be pursued

Articles by Paul Strebel

Outpacing opportunities

Business model evolution

This background note describes industry evolution as a sequence of business models that leading players often use to dominate the industry at different stages in its development.

A turning point for real change?

The BlackRock letter

Although greenwashing is far too common, recently there have been two powerful “green shots,” which show that business is finally taking sustainability a lot more seriously.

Designing a credible CSR strategy

Why nobody takes corporate social responsibility seriously

Why the cynicism? Consider this real setting: About 25 owners and top executives of medium-sized companies have come together to discuss sustainability.

Diagnostics, alternatives and choice

Strategy is dead? Long live strategic thinking!

The world is moving too fast for strategy. Industry boundaries are blurring, new entrants and technologies are emerging in unexpected places.

Disclaimer

IMD complies with applicable laws and regulations, including with respect to international sanctions that may be imposed on individuals and countries. This policy applies to all applications for IMD programs from individuals or organizations, and any commercial or non-commercial partnerships.

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