This summer, I'll be teaching two courses at the GSD. For information about the program on social media strategies, please click here.

2011 Executive Education Programs, Summer > Ideas, Tools, and Technologies

The Strategic Agenda: Securing the Future
08/01/2011 9:00 am - 08/02/2011 5:00 pm
Tuition $1050.00
AIA/CES units: 14 AIA/CES HSW units: No AIA/CES SD units: No
AICP units: 14
ASLA units: 14 ASLA HSW units: No

Having survived more than two years of disruptive change and economic challenge, design firm leaders understand that the practice landscape has radically shifted. Small and mid-sized firms are challenged to compete against the mega-firms with their scale and financial clout, while all firms regardless of size are facing fierce competition from fluid organizations that respond quickly to change by investing in multiple initiatives and relinquishing a measure of control. Firm leaders must negotiate issues including sustainability, community, globalization, technology, and discipline integration as part of their offer or lose out to those who can and do. Business as usual--always a questionable stance--is not a sustainable option.

There is a new sense of urgency among decision-makers as they develop the strategic agendas of their firms. The next five years may be the most important and challenging five years of your firm's existence. What do you need to do today to be ready for an uncertain tomorrow? Or as Peter Drucker asked, what is the "futurity of present decisions"?

In order to secure the present and future of your practice, there are several key issues--your control panel--that you should understand and monitor consistently: Strategy; Knowledge Fields + Expertise; Talent; Markets; Networks + Relationships; Technology + Applications; Identity, image + brand; Leadership.

This two-day seminar is intended for firm leaders (in architecture, urban design, landscape architecture, and interior design) including owners and senior principals responsible for developing the strategic agenda and managing its implementation. In this course, participants will explore key issues within the context of a significantly disrupted societal context, where many of the underlying assumptions of old-school practice, marketing, firm operations, and talent management no longer hold.

The instructors will use case studies and pin-up presentations to review and discuss the participants' current strategies, practice models, and marketing programs. Building on that work, they will use discussions to further explore the issues and ready the participants for leading strategy sessions in their own firms.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore key issues related to securing the present and future of practices.

Learn to lead an assessment of the key indicators of firm performance.

Understand the critical economic and social factors that are affecting businesses.

Implement tools for developing a competitive strategy for your firm.