Business Simulations and Discovery-Based Learning

BTS is the world leader in customized business simulations and discovery learning solutions that enable leading corporations to change, grow and succeed. Learn More »

Customization

In collaboration with customers, BTS customizes both the content and form of its business programs. Learn More »

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Business Acumen Simulations

Enhance Business Acumen and Strategy Execution Skills within a Dynamic & Competitive Environment

BTS since its founding in 1986 has innovated and been the market leader in working with customized business simulations. These simulations are used for building alignment and mindset around key strategic priorities and for developing capability at all levels of an organization. Below is a small case study of one BTS strategic initiative.

AT&T - Leading with Distinction

After a series of joint ventures and acquisitions, AT&T had assembled a wide array of assets. The objective of the senior leadership team was no longer about acquisitions for scale and transformation; it was now about executing on the combined set of assets. AT&T needed to break down silos, change its culture to incorporate more innovative and collaborative thinking, and focus on the complexities and trade-off s in executing on it's the 3-year plan. The company also needed to foster a "One AT&T" mindset, and develop a market leader mentality, as one of the largest integrated communications company on the planet.

Solution - An Experience Enabling Leaders to Practice Successful Execution of AT&T’s 3-year Plan:

A cascading strategic initiative comprised of 5-day, 3-day and 2-day workshops with online pre-work and post-session follow-up. The solution, “LEADING with DISTINCTION” (LwD), is a world-class leadership and strategic alignment initiative custom-designed for AT&T. The program combines experiential learning, Officer and Senior Manager led discussions, subject matter experts, and peer networking, to focus on the following key areas of development:

Alignment with the one AT&T strategic direction
Global strategic perspective
Leading change and innovation
Collaboration and employee engagement
Cultural transformation
Financial and business acumen

The interactive, discovery-based online pre-work served to level set participants on AT&T’s key financial and operational terminology, as well as strategic imperatives and macroeconomic and industry trends.

Business Outcomes: Team-based Approach Focused on Collaboration, Innovation & Extraordinary Leadership

Factoid: In 2000, BTS launched its Mini-Master Platform that enables rapid and cost effective development of highly custom business simulations.

Participants in each workshop collaborate in teams, which vie with each other for customers and talent in a dynamically competitive marketplace. Teams must execute on AT&T’s strategy while focusing on success factors in AT&T’s Extraordinary Leadership model, a strength-based approach to leadership development.

As the first step, teams devise their 3-year plan for successful execution of AT&T’s business plan, including an articulation of the culture required for success. This strategic road-map includes measurable goals on AT&T’s primary business metrics, prioritization of AT&T’s key strategic imperatives, and alignment of capabilities across business units and functional areas.

Successful execution requires leaders on each team to work collaboratively across functions to maximize their competitiveness in the market. Teams discover that it is critical to break down silos if they are to drive profit table growth for One AT&T. In addition, leaders are encouraged to take a long term view involving calculated risks. The teams who are able to see and seize new opportunities achieve competitive advantages and superior results.

The experience aligns participants to AT&T’s strategic direction and objectives, and enables them to develop and practice leadership skills that will support successful execution of the company’s plans, including leading change.

Each participating leader committed to a personal action plan, drawing line of sight from the company’s strategic objectives to their day-to-day work. These plans focused on concrete actions leaders would take to lead with distinction and accelerate execution of AT&T’s strategic imperatives. In addition to providing a monetary profit improvement estimate, leaders outlined how their plan served to improve Return on Invested Capital, a long-term measure for the company. To date, participants have targeted hundreds of millions of dollars of improvements aligned to the One AT&T strategy. Moreover, the initiative has been credited with accelerating the formation of new work groups and organization changes to support the strategy.

The initiative also included a feedback mechanism to senior management, whereby participants were provided with an opportunity to engage with senior AT&T executives. During these dialogues, participants discussed key challenges and barriers for AT&T.