Strategy Execution
Breaking the Paradigm of Getting Things Done
Today’s business leaders face increasing levels of complexity and uncertainty; rapid rates of change, short-term performance versus long-term viability – the task of executing strategies and major projects in today’s business environment is substantial.
Within this environment, the needs of diverse stakeholder groups – owners, customers, suppliers, employees and communities all have to be accommodated in major projects and change initiatives.
How will you be evaluated as a manager and a business leader? It is unlikely that it will be solely through the quality of your thinking or the analysis that you will bring to bear on problems and opportunities. While these elements of a manager’s toolkit are important, it is almost certain that your evaluation will be based on results, goals achieved, significant initiatives executed, and how well you make change happen. In the end, this is what your customers are paying for.
Join us for a free, 60-minute webinar dedicated to the essentials of managing change and ‘getting things done’.
What will you learn? We review three key areas:
- Aligning strategy to focus on the customer and the creation of value
- Building execution systems to manage human capital, operational excellence, strategic planning, and performance management.
- Leadership’s role, and building a culture of execution
Following the presentation will be time dedicated to Q&A with our speakers, aiding in the application of theoretical concepts to your real-world situations.
Session Participants
Barry Cross
Barry Cross is an expert and thought leader in innovation, execution and operations strategy. He joined Smith School of Business after nearly 20 years in the automotive and manufacturing sectors with Magna Autosystems and DuPont, where he led many key strategic initiatives, including nearly 30 program launches in North America, Asia, Latin America and Europe. Barry speaks and consults widely in the areas of Lean Innovation, Strategy, Projects and Execution, enabling organizations to create sustainable value for their customers. He is the bestselling author of three books, including Simple: Killing Complexity for a Lean and Agile Organization.
Dr. Kathryn Brohman
Kathryn Brohman is an associate professor at Smith School of Business and an expert on digital transformation and strategy execution. She has co-authored several books including, SHIFT: A New Mindset for Sustainable Execution, which presents results from her work with over 750 organizations and tackles the classic tension between innovation and lights-on, doors-open organizational practices. She has pioneered programs in strategy execution and digital transformation across MBA and Executive programs.
Dr. Peter Richardson
Peter Richardson has been a faculty member of the School of Business for 37 years. He teaches both introductory and advanced strategy courses in the School of Business on the Executive MBA programs and on a number of the School’s one and three week Continuing Education programs.
Together with Elspeth Murray, Peter has authored a book, entitled Fast Forward: Organizational Change in 100 Days, published by the Oxford University Press in 2002. An accompanying Guide was published early in 2003. Through his research and associated consulting activities, he has developed a unique concept of Strategy as Action, and has written several papers on this topic. During his 30-plus years at Queen’s University, Peter has authored over 90 papers and case studies on strategic management. In his previous book, Cost Containment: The Ultimate Strategic Advantage, one of the few books written on cost improvement, Peter described a novel strategic approach to cost improvement that has been adopted in many organizations in both the public and private sectors. At present, Peter is exploring the impact of the increasing demand for speed in business, which he believes has profound implications for organization change, strategy implementation, risk management and organization processes.
Peter consults widely with both public and private sector organizations, working closely for extended periods with senior executives on strategy development and deployment. Corporate clients have included Codelco, Vale, Anglo-American Corporation, Alcoa, BHP Billiton, Barrick Gold, Bell Canada, CIBC, CIBC-Mellon, De Beers Canada, Ivanhoe Mines, Ivanplats, Redpath Mining, Quadra Chemicals, Gibson Energy, and Xerox. In the Public Sector, clients have included the Supreme Court of Canada, The Office of the Auditor General for Canada, The Surveyor General of Canada, Health Canada, Natural Resources Canada and Health Canada. He has also been retained as a consultant on more than 20 major international mining projects including the successful development and construction of the Collahuasi copper mine in Chile which is to-date the world’s largest and highest single mining project, and the Victor Diamond Mine in Canada – designated globally as the ‘Mine of the Year in 2009’.
Peter has also carried out strategic planning assignments for a number of Associations including the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO), the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors, The Consejo Minero de Chile, the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada, the Zinc Association, and the Mining Association of Canada.