Ashridge to help Saudi leaders explore and implement strategies for growth

Ashridge Executive Education, with over 20 years of experience in training regional business leaders, is focusing on helping Saudi businesses to effectively execute their strategy for growth. As companies in Saudi Arabia face the challenges of digital disruption, a relatively young workforce, and changing customer demands, it is imperative to turn strategies into actions that will generate results. 

To help senior managers formulate plans to effectively implement them, Ashridge is delivering a three-day executive program on Translating Strategy into Action for Saudi business leaders from 1st to 3rd May at the Hult campus in Dubai Internet City. Ashridge faculty can also conduct the programme at the premises of any company in Saudi. 

Translating strategy into action requires managers to devise a framework of objectives: participants will be introduced to techniques that draw on the pyramid principle used by consultants. A model will be presented to help participants ensure that the scope of their strategies covers every facet of the organization. This will be applied to a custom-made case before participants look at their own strategy challenge. A practical tool called Strategy Briefing will be introduced to help people practically develop the ‘translated goals’ into a set of actions for themselves and their team. Participants will work in groups to develop clear, incisive goal-setting for one member of their group. This exercise is done for the real work situation that the person is facing. Under the management process referred to as ‘translation’, senior managers will learn the particular skills needed to become the 30% that actually drive strategic plans all the way through to completion.  The course will also equip them with a set of practical, simple, but powerful tools and organizing frameworks to turn strategy into action and get results in an increasingly unpredictable world. 

“Translating strategies into action is the way for businesses to survive in today’s complicated economy. Research indicates that 70% of strategic plans fail at execution phase and commonly dissolve away due to cultural blocks in the company, lack of vigorous execution plans, and lack of managerial experience,” says Rory Hendrikz, Managing Director of Ashridge Middle East. “We aim to equip senior managers in Saudi Arabia with a set of practical tools and framework to advance their businesses by understanding how to transform ideas into tangible results.”

The programme is designed for senior managers who are responsible for influencing and implementing strategies, both for their own teams and for the wider organization. It will help them to improve their ability to turn abstract strategy into an actionable plan that yields solid results. 

Participants will have time to work in small groups, pairs or alone with the help of a tutor. They will develop their analysis of their implementation challenge and devise realistic plans for making progress back at work. To stimulate the action-planning, the group will conclude with an engaging video case of a complex and demanding change process. It will bring together what has been learned during the three days and give participants the opportunity to apply some of the tools and concepts to a real situation as it unfolds.