Strategy Execution Syllabus

Strategy Execution equips current and aspiring managers with the tools, skills, and frameworks to allocate resources, measure performance,
manage risk, and successfully implement strategy. This course features adaptations of award-winning, best-selling Harvard Business School
case studies, as well as opportunities to engage with peers in team discussions. Participants will explore common challenges that prevent or
derail execution and learn how to design systems and structures that meet their organization’s strategic objectives.

Modules Leaders Interviewed Takeaways Key Exercises

Managing • Meghna Modi, • Understand the various tensions managers • Analyze your organization’s approach to
Module 1

the Tensions Managing Director face as they implement strategy managing common organizational tensions
of Strategy at Go Mobile • Implement a framework for managing • Identify strengths and deltas in your
Execution those tensions effectively organization’s approach to executing strategy
• Denise Montgomery,
Mary Kay • Optimize the design of key jobs and align • Analyze a job using the Job Design
Module 2

Aligning Job Independent Sales them to strategy Optimization Tool (JDOT)

Design to Director
Strategy • Recommend a set of job design improvements

• Tom Polen, CEO

Energizing and President of • Apply techniques to spur high performance • Identify ways to dial up performance and
Module 3

Employees Becton Dickinson and creativity among employees increase innovation within your team
to Execute • Create core values that inspire and guide • Evaluate the effectiveness of your
Strategy • David Rodriguez, employees through difficult decisions organization’s core values
EVP and Global
Chief Human
Resources Officer • Create performance measurement • Analyze and improve your organization’s
systems that account for all dimensions approach to profit planning
at Marriott
of strategy execution while conserving
Module 4

Measuring and • Identify critical performance variables

scarce time and attention
Monitoring • Kasper Rorsted, and develop goals, measures, and targets
Performance CEO of Adidas corresponding to them
• Analyze a range of incentive types and identify
• Tom Siebel, the most useful ones for different contexts
Founder,
Chairman, and • Describe and identify common risks • Identify internal risk pressures using the Risk
Module 5

Identifying CEO of C3.ai businesses face Exposure Calculator

and Managing
Risks • Create systems for managing and • Propose solutions for a new conduct boundary
• Bruce Welty, CEO mitigating them at your organization
of Quiet Logistics
• Apply techniques to help your business • Identify which opportunities your organization
innovate and adapt to change while should and should not pursue
maintaining clear focus and retaining
• Propose a system you can use to focus
necessary controls
organizational attention on emerging threats
and uncertainties
Module 6

Balancing
Innovation • Apply course-wide knowledge by proposing
and Control a set of solutions to strategy execution
challenges at a growing consulting firm
• Capstone activity: develop an action plan for
implementing the levers of control at your or
another organization

Learning requirements: In order to earn a Certificate of Completion, participants must thoughtfully complete all 6 modules and exercises
therein (including a capstone activity) by stated deadlines.

For more information, visit online.hbs.edu or email us at hbsonline@hbs.edu

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