Strategy Execution
Professor Steven E. Phelan, PhD
Today's Agenda
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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:
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Concept Presentation (20%)
Strategy Audit (20%)
Movies Review (20%)
Case Presentation (20%)
Simulation Game (20%)
Useful Links
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http://faculty.unlv.edu/phelan
http://www.bsg-online.com
http://www.actionmethod.com
http://openproj.org/
http://webcampus.unlv.edu
Concept Presentations
• Papers
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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 Task
You are required to:
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Present a summary of the assigned article to the class
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Compare and contrast it with one other article in the first six readings
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Evaluate the practical effectiveness of the article’s recommendations
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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