Strategic Learning Plan

COURSE PLAN
Use the Course Plan Template. Type in the boxes. Do not handwrite.

Emphasis Areas
You will have five different emphasis areas in this course. Two are required of everyone (this SLP and the case studies). You get to pick the other three from among seven choices.
You can pick from:
The Box Project: you will pick a client, meet with them, and then design and build a box for their use on a budget of $15. The goal is to determine how to assess a customer’s wants or needs and drive the product development strategy to develop a new and innovative product that provides the desired solution to the client. Also, to determine what is needed from a project management perspective to develop and complete the project.
The Meal Preparation Project: you will choose two similar types of restaurants and order the same meal from both of them (either eating in, carrying out, or delivery). You will then shop for the ingredients and prepare the same meal at home. You will then compare your home-cooked meal to your restaurant meals. The goal is to determine whether it is more cost-effective and efficient to outsource or insource a project. Is insourcing the best use of a firm’s resources in terms of costs, time, and quality.
The Customer Service Marathon: you will choose two competitors and visit them each five times. You are provided with a series of 16 questions to ask yourself about each visit. You will add four of your own. You will provide a score for each question based on what you observed. You will then do a data analysis on your scores and what you’ve learned about the customer service at each business. The goal is to determine how to assess a firm’s customer service and the customer’s satisfaction with that service. From a strategic perspective, why is customer service vitally important to the success of a business?
Leadership Interviews: you will pick three organizational leaders and interview them either in person or via video conference (no phone calls or emails). There are a series of questions provided that you must ask them. They should either be in the same industry or have similar titles in different sectors. The goal is to learn leadership strategy and strategic thinking from three business leaders who have tasted success.
Comic Counseling #1: you will pick from among a series of Dilbert cartoons and analyze the strategic management issue presented in the cartoon. You will propose three alternatives to address the issue presented. For #1, you will also develop a strategic process map depicting the process you undertook to complete the assignment.
Comic Counseling #2: same as #1, except you will develop a paired comparison analysis of your three alternatives.
Comic Counseling #3: same as #1 & #2, except you will develop a value stream map depicting your process and where you added value to the overall project.
In the emphasis area box, simply state the name of the project.

Initiatives
Here you state what you are going to do. For example, make a box for Mr. X; buy a steak at Texas Roadhouse, Outback, and cook one at home; interview X, Y, and Z; compare CVS v. Walgreens for customer service; analyze Comic #__.

Goals & Objectives
For each initiative, list three goals on what you hope to accomplish, e.g. learn to cook better, learn how to succeed from a business leader, learn how to manage people better, etc. Under each goal, list an objective on how you are going to achieve the goal (e.g. research how to cook a steak, prepare well for an interview and reflect on what was shared with you, etc.).

Action Plan
For each initiative, put together the major steps you will need to take to complete the assignment. Put dates on when you expect to complete them. Depending on the order you do them in, there are different due dates (July 18th, July 25th, August 1st), so put down the due date on when you will submit it.

Last Completed Projects