Course Syllabus
Strategic Planning for Leaders |
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| Semester & Location: |
Spring 2018 - DIS Copenhagen |
| Type & Credits: |
Elective Course - 3 credits |
| Major Disciplines: |
Business, Leadership Studies, Management |
| Faculty Member: |
Benjamin Holk Henriksen |
| Program Director: |
Susanne Goul Hovmand - sgh@dis.dk |
| Assistant Program Director: |
Anne Christine Nielsen - acn@dis.dk |
| Program Assistant: |
Adeline Reiser - are@dis.dk |
| Time & Place: |
Tuesdays & Fridays 10.05 - 11.25, V10-D11 |
Course Description:
No matter which pathway your professional and personal journeys follow, strategic planning will enhance your competence and productivity - it is an essential skill for 21st century leaders.
In this course, working together, we bring strategic planning to life by examining several models and mastering a set of well-established techniques. We conduct and critique actual strategic plans.
A distinctive feature of the course is your having several opportunities to work with a small team of classmates and meet with and interview persons involved with strategic planning in local Danish non-profit organizations. Your team will receive thorough advanced training in composing the interview protocol. Note: The course does not emphasize statistical applications.
While strategic planning tools crosscut all sectors (private, public, and non-profit), the non-profit sector is the primary context for our course.
Course Overview and Monocular Vision: Our course is collaborative, placing shared responsibility for learning upon all participants—students and instructor alike. Our course is interactive, featuring a variety of learning tools and approaches. Real work samples are introduced and multiple learning techniques employed. The course utilizes a well-respected, time tested strategic planning model and a hands-on approach to apply concrete, practical tools and techniques. Applications range from authoring a “Mission – Vision – Value Statement (MVV)” to conducting a full SWOT analysis. As noted, the course does not emphasize statistical or technological applications.
Learning objectives:
At the end of this course students should be able to:
- Effectively apply the steps of creating a strategic plan, including evaluating the utility of each step.
- Prepare, with content and format that are of professional caliber, strategic planning products (e.g., a Mission & Vision, value Statement, a Stakeholder Analysis, a SWOT etc.
- Understand and appreciate key similarities and differences between human services delivery systems in Denmark and in the United States.
- Appraise the efficacy of strategic planning, in particular, with non-profit human service entities.
- Conduct a strategic plan (organizational business plan) for a new non-existing organization.
Course Instructor: Benjamin Holk Henriksen
Master of Law from University of Copenhagen, MBA from California State University and a Certificate in Directing from UCLA. Co-owner of Holk & Lassenius and co-author and co-producer of the international leadership and marketing research project: ”The Mind of a Leader,” published as books and film series, including Philip Kotler, Anita Roddick, Philippe Starck, Michael Dukakis and many more. Experience as strategic planner at an advertising agency and Senior Trade Officer and head of trade section for the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Los Angeles and Singapore. With DIS since 2013.
DIS contacts:
Benjamin Holk Henriksen, Course Instructor, bhh@themindofaleader.com
Susanne Hovmand, Program Director, sgh@dis.dk, tel. +45 3376 5438
Adeline Reiser, Program Assistant, are@dis.dk, tel. +45 3376 5425
Readings & Videos:
Textbook:
Michael Allison & Jude Kaye, Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations: A Practical Guide for Dynamic Times, 3rd Ed., Wiley, 2015
Film: The Mind of a Leader film series will be presented in class.
Texts:
Ibsen, Bjarene and Habermann, Ulla, Defining the Nonprofit Sector: Denmark, Working paper of the Johns Hopkins Comparative Nonprofit Sector Project, The Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies, 2005, pp. 1 thru 9.
Senator Bernie Sanders, “What can We Learn from Denmark?” Blog May 6, 2013 (Source: Huff Post Politics).
Brief Case: Mission, Vision and Strategic Intent, Andrew Campbell and Sally Yeung.
The Institution-Based View as a Third Leg for a Strategy Tripod by Mike W. Peng, Sunny Li Sun, Brian Pinkham, and Hao Chen P. 63-72.
The application of PEST analysis based on EBRD AND IBRD METHODOLOGY, Halík, J.
Additional PP lectures presented in class:
The Communication Platform (Canvas PP lecture).
Stakeholder mgt. (Canvas PP lecture).
Target group (Canvas PP lecture).
Positioning (Canvas PP lecture).
Boston Consulting Group Matrix (Canvas PP lecture).
Michael Porters Five Forces (Canvas PP lecture)
Content and structure:
The course combines discussion-based class sessions, lectures, guest lectures, teamwork, team presentations and field studies. Over the semester we will learn the art and craft of strategic planning and students will present real-life strategic planning scenarios and current affairs.
The semester is divided into two parts and team presentations:
Part one: The art and craft of strategic planning
We will learn and discuss the basic models, methods and process for strategic planning. Class teams will conduct an interview with a real non-profit organization based on the required knowledge. The results of the interviews will be presented in class.
Part two: Conduct a strategic plan
Student teams will conduct and present their own strategic plan for a new non-existing organization.
Your learning process depends on your active participation in class as well as outside the classroom. During your stay in Denmark and travels around Europe you will have a unique chance to study differences across Europe. You are strongly encouraged to bring your observations into the classroom.
Grading elements
- Class Participation and short presentation of a case: 20%
- Team presentation A: 20%
- Team presentation B: 20%
- One In-Class Test: 20%
- One final test: 20%
**Note: To be eligible for a passing grade in this class, you must complete all of the assigned work.
Further explanation of grading elements
Class participation
You are expected to attend all parts of the course. Unauthorized absences and lack of preparation will have a negative influence on the grade. If you have an emergency that will prevent you from attending class, you should contact me beforehand. You will be evaluated on the following areas:
- Attendance: According to DIS policy, two consecutive unexcused absences will result in a report to the Academic Registrar. Three or more absences will have a negative effect for your academic standing at DIS, and your home university may be notified.
- Level of preparation and involvement in class and group discussions, i.e. the ability to apply insights and learning points from readings to class room discussions.
- Active participation in field studies and study tours.
Short oral presentation of a current case
In the beginning of each lesson 2 students will present a 5-10 min current case. This could be an article, webpage, video commercial, print ad or news story that relates to non-profit strategic topics discussed in class.
The presentation should include the following elements:
1) Summary: Present and explain the case.
2) Analysis: Explain why it is important form the perspective of strategic planning?
3) Take away points: Implications, overview, recommendations.
Presentation tools, such as PowerPoint, are not allowed for the above 5-10 min. short presentation.
Team presentation A: The art and craft of strategic planning
Teams are assigned the task of researching and conducting strategic planning in the light of a specific Danish non-profit organization. The findings constitute the basis for an interview with the organization in regards to strategic planning. The interview should uncover aspects such as: How do the organization conduct strategic planning, do the organization follow the same models and approach, what are the concerns, what is the relation between theory and practice.
Each team will present their findings in class. The presentation must be turned in in order to pass the course.
Team presentation B: Part two: Conduct a strategic plan
Teams will be assigned the task of conducting a strategic plan for a non-existing non-profit organization.
Steps and considerations may include:
Mission & Vision, history, traditions, philosophy and Values.
Considerations in regards to potential stakeholders (Stakeholder Analysis).
Primary and secondary target group (preferences, values, buying habits).
Theory change and program portfolio, incl. Positioning.
Environmental scan: Max. two of the following three: Porters Five Forces, PEST and SCA: Sustainable competitive advantage.
Business model (revenue sources) incl. the Boston Matrix.
Organization capacity.
Leadership.
The SWOT analysis: Use it to draw conclusions.
The strategic plan (business plan): Summary objective and strategy.
A creative brief incl. a communication platform.
One of the other class teams will serve as your board asking critical questions.
The presentation must be turned in in order to pass the course.
In-class test and final test
There will be an in-class test and a final test. You will be evaluated on your ability to demonstrate sufficient understanding of the course work and topics covered in class.
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org
Policies:
Laptop policy
As the class is meant to be interactive and hands on, laptops or electronic devices may not be used during regular class lessons. Laptops may however be used for group work activities.
Late Paper Policy
Late papers and presentations will be deducted a third of a grade point per day they are late. All work must be handed in in order to get a passing grade.
Course Plan
Subject to change with as much notice as possible to reflect the needs of the class.
Field studies
1) Wednesday, February 14, 08.30-12.30
2) Wednesday, April 25, 13.00-17.00
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
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