Leading strategic initiatives requires leadership skills like strategic thinking and change management. A strategic initiative aims to close performance gaps by executing a coordinated network of related projects, rather than individual projects. It aligns to organizational strategies and delivers broader benefits than individual projects. Successful strategic initiatives use both qualitative and quantitative metrics to show they have closed performance gaps and aligned to strategies.

1. Leading Strategic
Initiatives
by Oleg Mizov
mizovo@gmail.com

2. Legend
Leadership - is a courage to see a reality clearly and help others to do the same
Program Management is a group of related projects managed in a coordinated
way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them
individually.
Strategic Initiatives = Programs
Programs != Strategic Initiatives
Strategy - a tool to resolve an issue within the organization
Watch more Strategy Definition

3. Project vs Program Management
Project Management Program Management
Purpose
Provide deliverables by executing network
of tasks
Deliver benefits by executing network of
projects
Duration
Temporary: has a finite start and end Longer time frame.
Is terminated with decision to disinvest.
Success
Definition
Meet narrowly defined objectives
(time/scope/budget metrics)
Meet Broadly defined objectives
(benefits to different stakeholders)
Required
Competence
Management Skills Leadership skills
Alignment
TO specific functional or business level
requirements
TO functional or business strategies

4. Benefits vs Deliverables
More Reading : Manage Benefits not Deliverables
● A project deliverable is any unique and verifiable product, result or capability to perform a
service that is required to be produced to complete a process, phase or project.
● A project benefit, though, is an outcome of an action or decision that contributes toward
meeting one or more business objectives.
○ Tangible (Money saved, vacancies created) or intangible (reputational, risk tolerance)
○ Cash Quantifiable (cost optimization) and Not Quantifiable (Customer satisfaction)
Insight: Customers buy benefits, not features. A feature causes a benefit to happen

5. Introduction
Watch a video - Domino's® Pizza Turnaround - YouTube

6. What Things are in Common?
➔ Problem Identification and Analysis
➔ Solutio Definition
➔ Team Work
➔ Many Iterations (FailSafe)
➔ Innovative Promotion
➔ Delivery

7. Strategies Initiatives

8. Strategic Initiative
● Strategic initiatives are tools for closing performance gaps.
● As a leader, you need to help your organization “map the gap” and close the gap.

9. Program Leadership Roles
Watch more at Youtube - LIDS
Story Teller!
Chief Decision Maker
Chief Learning Officer
Chief Integrator Officer

10. Three Kinds of Strategy

11. Define a Strategy. Validation

12. Define a Strategy. Prioritization

13. Present a Strategy
● Elevator Speech
● Strategy as a Conversation
● The Vision Statement (e.g. better tasting pizza)
● Strategic Pillars (e.g.support of franchisees, new product introduction, innovation in promotion)
● Seek for CEO BuyIn

14. Schedule a Strategy. Program Roadmap

15. Successful Criteria for a Strategy
❏ Strategy Initiative Closed the Performance Gap
❏ Use Qualitative and Quantitative Metrics

16. Ballance is a Key thing
Short-term Vision & Planning
See Yourself and help others to see a Big Picture
Implement a Strategy

17. Rolling Wave
- Is Great for Product Development, R&D, High-Tech, StartUps
- Is Good for Projects with Changing Scope
- Encourages Your Team for Adaptability
- Encourages You for Planning

18. Poka-Yoke
(Failsafe)
Think more at safe-fail-or-fail-safe

19. Questions?

20. Backup

21. Character Features
Successful Program Manager has these features to lead Strategic Initiative
● Capacity for Strategic Thinking (to be a Visioneer)
● Perfectly Fits the Business Model
● Change Driver

22. Strategy and Alignment
❏ Strategy Initiative Closed the Performance Gap

23. Strategic Initiatives as a Change-the-Business Tool