Here you will find a range of next generation teaching materials relevant to blue ocean strategy formulation and implementation.
Self-Diagnostic
The Blue Ocean Strategy Implementation Self-Diagnostic development tool is comprised of a series of probing questions that offer executive participants a practical tool for assessing the level of organizational hurdles that exist in their organization and the effectiveness of past and future strategies to overcome them. Recommended for use with executives only.
Scenario Exercise
The Blue Ocean Strategy Implementation Scenario Case offers a set of interactive group scenarios which are designed to deepen the participants’ understanding of blue ocean strategy implementation principles. Using the five scenarios participants work in teams as they learn to apply key concepts of tipping point leadership and fair process. The five settings include health insurance, manufacturing, government, banking and politics. Participants learn how blue ocean strategy implementation principles apply at different organizational levels to overcome the four key implementation hurdles (cognitive, resource, motivational and political).
Simulation
The case entitled, ‘Leading the City of Los Rios into a Blue Ocean’ is a challenging hands-on exercise which allows participants to execute a strategic shift fast and at low cost using the key concept of tipping point leadership. This case provides the conceptual backdrop to an accompanying hands-on simulation to be run in class that is available for free download. In the simulation, players assume the role of Los Rios’ Head of Police who must apply tipping point leadership principles to overcome the cognitive, resource, motivational and political hurdles that the department faces to successfully implement the Mayor’s blue ocean strategy for the city.
Implementation Exercise
The case entitled, ‘How to Implement Blue Ocean Strategy’ challenges participants to apply key concepts of blue ocean strategy implementation to overcome key organizational and management hurdles while leading a strategic shift. The case lays out how Braynesbridge Industries (BI), a fictional conglomerate involved in the steel industry, recently launched a new strategy to break out of the red ocean of bloody competition in the industry. The new strategy, however, represented a significant departure from the status quo, which led to steep cognitive, resource, motivational, and political hurdles in the organization. Hence, to implement the new strategy, BI executives had to overcome these four key hurdles. Despite this challenge, the case reveals that BI’s management team successfully implemented the strategy fast and at low cost using tipping point leadership and fair process. BI’s Board of Directors, very impressed with the new strategy and its successful implementation, is curious to learn the principles of tipping point leadership and fair process and how these apply to organizations. The case sets the stage for students/executives to be called before the Board to answer numerous conceptual questions on their blue ocean strategy implementation. The set of questions posed by the Board are displayed in an accompanying flash-game exercise called, ‘Blue Ocean Strategy Implementation Interactive Class Exercise: Tipping Point Leadership and Fair Process in Action’ that is free for instructor download. This case and the Blue Ocean Strategy Implementation Interactive Class Exercise come with a comprehensive teaching note and are excellent for both MBAs and executives, creating great energy and rich learning in the classroom.
Noncustomer Exercise: The Case of Gillette
The case entitled, ‘How a US Consumer Products Company Unlocked the Three Tiers of Noncustomers’ illustrates how new demand is created by looking to noncustomers instead of just competing for a share of the existing customers of an industry. The case prompts the students to consider how new demand was created in the cell phone, computer and air travel industries by unlocking the three tiers of noncustomers. This case provides the conceptual backdrop to an accompanying interactive class exercise called ‘Blue Ocean Strategy Noncustomer Exercise: The Case of Gillette’ which is a full PowerPoint presentation that is free for instructor download. The PowerPoint presentation is built around Gillette’s introduction of the first safety razors with disposable blades in 1903 which created new demand by reaching beyond the existing customers of straight razors at home and in the barber shop. This case and the accompanying interactive Gillette exercise come with a comprehensive teaching note and are excellent for both MBAs and executives.