Welcome to the Business Execution course. This course includes the following sections: Understanding the Fundamentals, Crafting a Business Strategy that Execute, Linking Strategy to People and Operations and Monitoring and Evaluating.

Understanding the Fundamentals

There is a substantial difference between strategy planning and execution. Creating strategy is a lot easier than executing it. You'll learn about the cornerstones of effective business strategy execution – correct leadership behavior, having people in the right roles, and creating a culture of execution.

You'll begin by reviewing the reasons why executing business strategy is difficult. First, you'll become familiar with the drivers to strategy execution. Then you'll review some common barriers to strategy execution.

You'll also learn to recognize leadership behavior that's conducive to delivering results. And you'll determine if an organization – leaders, middle management, and the workforce – is displaying characteristics that support strategy execution and has people in the right roles.

Then you'll learn what a culture of execution entails and the four steps to create a culture that promotes business execution. With this knowledge, you'll be able to determine if your company meets the conditions that facilitate strategy execution.

Crafting a Business Strategy that Execute

The process used to execute strategy links strategy formulation and planning with operational execution.

First, you define and develop the strategy. Next, you align people and operations with the strategy. And finally, you monitor and revise the strategy. This course focuses on the first stage – defining and developing executable strategic plans.

This course will give you the tools you need to define and develop strategy that executes. You'll learn how to define the strategy by clarifying the mission, vision, and values.

You'll explore how to review the current situation and create strategy direction statements. Then you'll find out how to select strategic initiatives based on themes and assign accountability to those initiatives.

Finally, you'll learn how to translate initiatives into strategic targets and allocate resources to initiatives.

Linking Strategy to People and Operations

Without a focused plan, a business strategy will remain a vision. But by clearly defining what you want to achieve and developing strategically executable initiatives, you can bridge the gap between vision and execution.

In this course, you'll learn the principles for communicating your organization's strategy to help get your employees' buy-in. You'll also find out how to align people and work processes throughout your organization by translating high-level strategies into individual tasks.

Finally, you'll discover how to analyze and develop the critical competencies that your employees need to execute your organization's strategy. Following the guidelines in this course can help your organization communicate its strategy and get the support of its employees.

And by linking strategy to people and operations in your organization, you can improve your business execution to ensure your plan succeeds.

Monitoring and Evaluating

Monitoring and evaluating are not the same thing. Monitoring measures progress, checking whether the implementation is on track and aligns with your objectives. Evaluating your execution is about measuring success.

It allows you to adjust your plans and improve performance. Even the best- designed and best-implemented strategies can sometimes become obsolete as business circumstances change. It is essential, therefore, that strategy is systematically monitored and evaluated – and revised if required.

This course takes you through the steps involved in monitoring execution of your strategy. It then outlines the process for evaluating the results of your execution. Finally, you will learn how to effectively revise strategy once you have determined that change is needed.

That’s it! Now go ahead and push that “Take this course” button and see you inside the course!