Strategy Execution

Professor Steven E. Phelan, PhD

Today's Agenda

• Course Overview• Concept Presentations• Hightower DVD• Action Method• Guest Speaker:

• Mr. David Chavez, CPA (Assured Strategies)

Course Overview

• About me…• What is ‘strategy execution’ and

why is it important?• Assessment:

• Concept Presentation (20%)• Strategy Audit (20%)• Movies Review (20%)• Case Presentation (20%)• Simulation Game (20%)

Useful Links

• http://faculty.unlv.edu/phelan• http://www.bsg-online.com• http://www.actionmethod.com• http://openproj.org/• http://webcampus.unlv.edu

Concept Presentations

• Papers– Group A: Integrating Strategy and Operational Execution– Group B: Closing the Gap between Strategy and Execution– Group C: The Secrets to Successful Strategy Execution– Group D: Transforming Corner Office Strategy into Frontline Execution– Group E: Why Change Programs Don't Produce Change– Group F: Tipping Point Leadership

• Case– Walt Disney’s Dennis Hightower: Taking Charge

• The TaskYou are required to: • Present a summary of the assigned article to the class• Compare and contrast it with one other article in the first six readings • Evaluate the practical effectiveness of the article’s recommendations • Use the concepts in the assigned article to recommend how Hightower should solve his problem

at Disney.

Action Method

• Came across a book in the iBooks store called “Making Ideas Happen”• Targeted at “creatives” who often

have more ideas than outcomes• Methodology rooted in a web-based

service called Action Method

Methodology

• All of life can be divided into "projects" - the categories we use in our minds to separate and make sense of what we need to accomplish (e.g. "the party I'm planning," "client X," "event Y," "finances").

• The Action Method helps you manage your projects starting with the most basic elements - always with an emphasis on action.

Basic Elements

• Action Steps• Action Steps are tasks that need to

be completed. Each Action Step should start with a verb: "Call Y," "Follow up with X," "Buy a gift for Z."

• References• References are notes, links, files,

sketches - any information related to a project that gives context to your Action Steps.

Elements ctd

• Backburners• Backburners are the brilliant ideas

that you want to come back to later, but are not yet actionable.

• Discussions• Discussions enable you to manage

ongoing conversations across all of your projects with anyone that works with you.

Elements ctd.

• Events• Events are the key

occasions/meetings/milestones/etc toward which you (and your team) are working. Events can be used to coordinate deadlines for Action Steps, aiding project management.

Design Features

• Web, paper or iPhone• Action Steps are more important

than anything else, and the system is organized around them.

• They believe that success comes down to identifying what needs to get done, who needs to do it, and then making it happen

Features ctd

• You only share what is relevant• Action are only “delegated” if they

are accepted• “Nag” and “Appreciation” functions• http://actionmethod.com/Tour

DAVID CHAVEZ, CPAGUEST SPEAKER