Washington University in St. Louis
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MGT652: Executing Strategy at the Front Line

Advanced Technical Leadership Certificate
Course summary:
To achieve their business strategies, organizations count on leaders at the frontline to understand and execute the top priorities for their team. Participants learn how to focus on the few most critical priorities, to measure progress toward the accomplishment of these priorities, and to hold themselves and their team members accountable for the metrics.
 
Course experience:
In this course, leaders will learn the three critical elements of executing strategy at the front line-Focus, Measurement, and Accountability. They learn how to focus on the few most critical priorities, to measure progress toward the accomplishment of these priorities, and to hold themselves and their team members accountable for the metrics. Participants will also explore best practices for accountability, such as determining and communicating accountability—including consequences. The Strategy Execution Tool helps leaders capture in one place their top priorities, progress and outcome measures, and those accountable for achieving the priorities. Using the three elements of execution ensures that leaders and their teams get the right things done, in spite of daily distractions.
 
Who should take this course?
Technical professionals wishing to earn Washington University's Advanced Technical Leadership Certificate. This course is designed to teach participants ways to increase their effectiveness with teams, in meetings and in individual discussion with peers, managers, vendors and customers.
 

Course outline:

  • Pinpointing Priorities: A senior leader highlights the importance of achieving top business priorities and introduces the three elements of execution: Focus, Measurement, and Accountability. Using their course prep, learners discuss with a partner their top priorities and how they align with business goals. Leaders complete a brief self-assessment related to the elements of execution. Groups identify challenges related to their assigned portion and share the top two with the larger group.
  • Maintaining Focus: Learners look at how they spend their time and determine whether these activities support their top priorities. Facilitator assigns three challenges of keeping focus, and small groups brainstorm solutions to these problems. The Strategy Execution Tool is introduced, and learners identify which of their three priorities they will focus on for the rest of the session.
  • Measuring Progress and Outcomes: A video illustrates the relationship between progress and outcome measures. Learners participate in an engaging Cart Sort activity, determining if a measure is progress or outcome measure. In small groups, learners look at their departments and determine the measurements that they use. The Strategy Execution Tool is revisited with learners noting the steps that are used with their chosen priority, and to what degree the priority is on track.
  • Ensuring Accountability: In a large group, leaders discuss how they hold their team accountable. Facilitator introduces four best practices, highlighting the importance of consequences and the problem with joint accountability. Learners work in small groups to analyze scenarios and determine how to apply the accountability best practices. After identifying who is accountable for the priority on their Strategy Execution Tool, leaders work with a partner to discuss how to address responsibility and get the measure back on track.
  • Putting Elements into Practice: Learners regroup to brainstorm solutions to the challenges that they identified at the beginning of the session. Participants spend time on their Reflections page and define what they want to discuss most with their manager and teams back on the job.
Type:
Virtual Classroom
 
Instructor:
Gretchen Pettet
 
Day & Time:
Thursday | Nov 7, 2024
4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
 
Enrollment Deadline:
Oct 31, 2024
 
Location:
Zoom
 
Course Fee(s):
$595
 
CEUs:
0.4
 
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Enrollment Deadline is Oct 31, 2024 at 5 PM CST. Beyond this date, please call 314-935-4444 to register.

CANCELLATION POLICY
A full refund will be given when a registrant cancels more than five (5) business days prior to the start of the class. Cancellations received within 5 business days of the start of the class and no-shows will be billed in full. Another person may be substituted at any time at no additional charge.

A request to transfer a class to a future date can only occur if the request is more than 5 business days prior to the start of class.  Otherwise, the request will be considered a cancellation and the policy will apply.
Type:
Virtual Classroom
 
Instructor:
Derba Lassman
 
Day & Time:
Wednesday | May 28, 2025
3:00 - 7:00 PM
 
Enrollment Deadline:
May 21, 2025
 
Location:
Zoom
 
Course Fee(s):
$595
 
CEUs:
0.4
 
add2cart
 

Enrollment Deadline is May 21, 2025 at 5 PM CST. Beyond this date, please call 314-935-4444 to register.

CANCELLATION POLICY
A full refund will be given when a registrant cancels more than five (5) business days prior to the start of the class. Cancellations received within 5 business days of the start of the class and no-shows will be billed in full. Another person may be substituted at any time at no additional charge.

A request to transfer a class to a future date can only occur if the request is more than 5 business days prior to the start of class.  Otherwise, the request will be considered a cancellation and the policy will apply.
Type:
Virtual Classroom
 
Instructor:
Gretchen Pettet
 
Day & Time:
Thursday | Nov 6, 2025
4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
 
Enrollment Deadline:
Oct 30, 2025
 
Location:
Zoom
 
Course Fee(s):
$595
 
CEUs:
0.4
 
add2cart-1
 

Enrollment Deadline is Oct 30, 2025 at 5 PM CST. Beyond this date, please call 314-935-4444 to register.

CANCELLATION POLICY
A full refund will be given when a registrant cancels more than five (5) business days prior to the start of the class. Cancellations received within 5 business days of the start of the class and no-shows will be billed in full. Another person may be substituted at any time at no additional charge.

A request to transfer a class to a future date can only occur if the request is more than 5 business days prior to the start of class.  Otherwise, the request will be considered a cancellation and the policy will apply.

Learning outcomes:

  • Maintain focus on important work in the midst of the daily pressure of business
  • Explain the importance of critical work to their team and others
  • Track progress and outcomes against relevant measures to ensure successful execution
  • Communicate accountabilities so that team members understand the importance, impact, and expectations regarding priority work

Accrediting Associations:

Applies toward the following certificates:

advanced technical leadership certificate
change management certificate
Have questions?
Contact us if you would like to speak with a program director or visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.
 

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(The most important thing I learned was... ) "That I need to spend more time on my own priorities. I'm spending too much time on non-priority work." MGT652: Executing Strategy at the Front Line