Navigating The Oceans of Innovations Exploring Blue and Red Ocean Strategies #251012

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Differentiate Blue and Red Ocean Strategies: Understand the core principles, characteristics, and strategic logic of both competitive and uncontested market spaces.

• Apply the Diagnostic Tools: Use the Strategy Canvas to visually capture the current state of play in their industry and diagnose the basis of competition.

• Reconstruct Market Boundaries: Systematically apply the Six Paths Framework to challenge industry assumptions and discover new market opportunities.

• Formulate a Blue Ocean Strategy: Develop a Four Actions Framework (ERRC Grid) to create a new value curve by Eliminating, Reducing, Raising, and Creating factors.

• Overcome Key Organizational Hurdles: Learn to use the Tipping Point Leadership and Fair Process principles to mobilize an organization and execute a blue ocean idea.

• Develop a Valid Business Model: Ensure the new strategy is commercially viable by aligning with a target costing model and a profitable business model.

This course is designed for leaders, strategists, and innovators tasked with driving growth and creating a sustainable competitive advantage.

• C-Suite Executives & Business Unit Heads (CEO, COO, CMO, CSO) responsible for corporate strategy.

• Vice Presidents & Directors of Strategy, Innovation, Business Development, and Marketing.

• Product Managers & Entrepreneurs developing new products, services, or ventures.

• Intrapreneurs & Innovation Team Leads within established companies.

• Consultants & Advisors specializing in corporate strategy and business transformation.

• Any leader or manager looking to break free from commoditization and intense competition.

• Pre-assessment
• Live group instruction
• Use of real-world examples, case studies and exercises
• Interactive participation and discussion
• Power point presentation, LCD and flip chart
• Group activities and tests
• Each participant receives a binder containing a copy of the presentation
• slides and handouts
• Post-assessment

Day 1: Charting the Course – The Core Concepts of Ocean Strategy

• Morning:

  • Module 1: Welcome & The Strategic Imperative: Introduction to the Red Ocean vs. Blue Ocean paradigm. The necessity of value innovation.

  • Module 2: The Strategy Canvas: The central diagnostic tool and analytic framework for capturing the current state of play.

• Afternoon:

  • Workshop: Drawing Your Canvas: Participants work in teams to map the competitive landscape of their own industry or a case study industry.

  • Group Discussion: Analyzing the results to see the “bloody” nature of Red Ocean competition.

  • Day 1 Recap: Seeing your world through a new lens.

Day 2: Discovering New Waters – The Six Paths Framework

• Morning:

  • Module 3: Reconstructing Market Boundaries: Introduction to the Six Paths Framework for systematic exploration of Blue Oceans.

  • Module 4: Paths 1-3: Looking across alternative industries, strategic groups, and chain of buyers.

• Afternoon:

  • Module 5: Paths 4-6: Looking across complementary offerings, functional-emotional orientation, and time.

  • Workshop: The Six Paths Exercise: Teams apply each path to their chosen industry to generate a portfolio of new market ideas.

  • Day 2 Recap: How to systematically uncover opportunity.

Day 3: Designing Your Vessel – The Four Actions Framework

• Morning:

  • Module 6: The ERRC Grid: The cornerstone of value innovation: Eliminate, Reduce, Raise, Create.

  • Module 7: Crafting a New Value Curve: Using the ERRC Grid to break the value-cost trade-off and design a unique strategic profile.

• Afternoon:

  • Workshop: Building Your Blue Ocean Idea: Teams use the ERRC Grid on their most promising idea from Day 2 to design a new value curve.

  • Presentation: The Pitch: Teams present their new value curves and explain their strategic logic.

  • Day 3 Recap: From insight to strategic formulation.

Day 4: Launching the Fleet – Execution and Overcoming Hurdles

• Morning:

  • Module 8: Tipping Point Leadership: How to mobilize an organization for execution with limited resources and time by focusing on key influencers and acts.

  • Module 9: Fair Process: The critical role of engagement, explanation, and expectation clarity (the “3 E’s”) in overcoming cognitive and motivational hurdles.

• Afternoon:

  • Module 10: Validating the Idea: Introduction to the Buyer Utility Map and Price Corridor of the Mass to test commercial viability.

  • Case Study: Success & Failure: Analyzing a real-world Blue Ocean initiative and the execution challenges it faced.

  • Day 4 Recap: Leading the human side of change.

Day 5: The Voyage Ahead – Integration and Business Model Alignment

• Morning:

  • Module 11: Aligning the Business Model: Ensuring the new strategy is profitable through target costing and business model innovation.

  • Module 12: The Sequence of Strategy: Properly sequencing the formulation and execution of Blue Ocean Strategy for maximum impact.

• Afternoon:

  • Capstone Activity: The Blue Ocean Initiative: Teams integrate all their work from the week into a comprehensive strategic plan, including:

    • A final Strategy Canvas

    • A narrative of their new value proposition

    • A high-level plan for overcoming key organizational hurdles

  • Final Presentations & Peer Feedback: Teams present their full Blue Ocean Strategy.

  • Course Conclusion: Final review, personal action planning, and awarding of certificates.