Converting Strategy Into Action (CSIA)
Get a fascinating introduction to the full range of approaches and emerging concepts for aligning project initiatives with strategic objectives
Converting Strategy Into Action (CSIA) is the foundation course in the Stanford Advanced Project Management curriculum, and introduces a framework for aligning your organization's project and program initiatives with its strategic objectives by treating strategic execution as an overall system.
You'll learn strategic management concepts, techniques, and tools for building a strong and effective organization. You'll see why it's imperative that your organization's strategy, structure, and culture all align; what the payoffs can be; and how to get there. You'll explore the central imperative of portfolio management, what alignment really means, and the social dynamics of work, as well as the knowing-doing gap, including its lessons, causes, and remedies. And you'll discover how to get immediate results by applying an organizational mastery model that helps organizations embrace a more comprehensive view of strategic execution.
Developed by IPS and the Stanford Center for Professional Development at Stanford University, Converting Strategy Into Action teaches strategic management concepts, techniques, and tools for building a strong and effective project-based organization. The concepts presented are reinforced through case study analysis, videos, demonstrations, and structured group exercises.
Converting Strategy Into Action can be taken on campus at Stanford University, onsite at your organization, through synchronous live virtual advanced project management courses, or via streaming video in our online Stanford Advanced Project Management program.
Benefits to the Organization
As a result of Converting Strategy Into Action, your organization will benefit from:
- Successful projects that effectively execute business strategies
- Faster project completion, with more efficient resource deployment
- A stronger and more productive project-based matrix organization
- An organization capable of consistently high performance
Learning Objectives
After attending Converting Strategy Into Action, you will be able to:
- Appreciate organizational complexity and the challenges of strategy execution
- Analyze strategy execution through the use of a systems model: The Strategic Execution Framework (SEF)
- Apply SEF concepts to pinpoint and address your organizational execution challenges
- Determine approaches to improve organizational alignment
- Develop action plans for achieving improved organizational performance
Target Audience
Converting Strategy Into Action is designed to benefit executives, senior managers, and functional managers seeking to leverage their organization’s managerial and technical expertise to the greatest strategic advantage through a project-centric perspective. It is also very beneficial for experienced project managers and project support function (project management office) personnel who are in search of current, powerful approaches for advancing their own expertise and/or the practice of project management throughout their organization.
Prerequisites. Project managers who participate in the course are expected to have significant experience in that role. This may include formal training and education in project management.
Course Topics
Introduction and Discovery Map
- Introductions
- What is “Advanced Project Management”?
- Challenges to executing strategy
The Strategic Execution Framework
- The Strategy-Implementation-Operations model (S-I-O model)
- The Integrated Project System
- The project ecosystem
- The Strategic Execution Framework (SEF)
What is Strategy?
- Three approaches to strategy
- Strategy and the organizational goal
Strategy and Culture
- How organizational culture influences strategy
- Four types of organizational culture
- Four value disciplines
Aligning Strategy and Culture
- Contingency theory of organizational structure
- Structural options for your organization
- Weak matrix vs. strong matrix: Pros and cons
Deep Dive
- “Deep Dive”: Exploring the culture of IDEO
- Application exercise: Applying principles to your organization
Project Management Portfolio
- What is portfolio management?
- The portfolio management process
- Establish the environment
- Prioritize the project work
- Determine the resource capacity
- Optimize the project portfolio
- Manage the project portfolio
The Knowing-Doing Gap
- What is the knowing-doing gap?
- Three big lessons
- Five causes of the knowing-doing gap
- Remedies for the knowing-doing gap
The Strategic Execution Framework in Action
- Applying the Strategic Execution Framework case study
Mastering the Project Organization
- The world of fractals
- The Strategic Execution Framework (SEF) revisited
- SEF domains
The Knowing-Doing Café
- Review of key course concepts
- Best practices sharing
Read more about how to get started with the Stanford Advanced Project Management program for an individual, or bring Converting Strategy Into Action, as well as any of our corporate learning solutions, to your organization. Please contact us today to learn more.
