Did You Know that Business Acumen Accelerates Strategy Execution?

Business acumen, including financial acumen, is critical to effective strategy execution and often a struggle for most corporations. The research study Skills Mismatch: Business Acumen and Strategy Execution conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit and sponsored by BTS reveals the challenge. It found that two-thirds of corporate executives believe that a lack of business skills and understanding of how a business operates inhibits speed in decision-making and achieving strategic priorities.

Business Acumen

Business Acumen Resources

Business Acumen

How We Deliver Value

We provide leaders at all levels with business skills, from basic to advanced, to promote better decision-making and improve performance. We do this by designing business simulations and experiential learning programs in which participants run their company, practice executing their strategy, and engage in teamwork, in a fun and risk-free environment. This builds alignment, ownership and a deep sense of confidence to apply new business skills and tools back on the job. Our business acumen programs use a combination of pre- and post-work; live, classroom-based and virtual workshops; as well as on-the-job application and coaching, to create the optimal experience inspiring new ways of thinking, building critical capabilities and unleashing business success.

Areas Where We Play

  • Building a big-picture enterprise perspective of the business
  • Improving strategic thinking skills
  • Developing financial acumen
  • Increasing cross-functional decision-making
  • Ensuring people are aligned to and take ownership of the company’s business strategy
  • Engaging in scenario and business planning
  • Enhancing understanding of your customer’s business and how they measure success

Our Approach to Developing Business Acumen

Over the past 30 years, we have discovered that business simulations are the most effective way to develop the critical business skills organizations need for success. We offer a large suite of standard programs, but find that the best results often come from customized business simulations.

Our custom business simulations are built on flexible platforms that allow for rapid and cost-effective customization. This enables them to be tailored to your needs, whether it be a half-day, full-day, or multi-day experience. Simulations can be delivered live in a classroom, virtual-facilitated or online self-paced via computers, tablets and mobile devices. In addition to technology based simulations, we offer paper-based board simulations. We also have a large library of industry simulations that can be tailored or fully customized to your business.

The customization process we follow ensures that each business simulation closely reflects your company’s business, KPIs, and strategic priorities. By blending expert content and practice through simulation, participants learn by doing.

What Makes Us Different?

We design powerful experiences that have a profound and lasting impact on people and their careers.

inspiring new ways of thinking, building critical capabilities and unleashing business success.

It is proven that people learn best by doing.

Our client results and market capitalization show we are the world-leader in building business skills through simulating new strategies and different ways of working that empower people to make better decisions.

Deep customization is important to get the best results.

We have the people, processes and technology to do it better and faster.

We are passionate about our client’s business.

Therefore, we make a point of knowing our client’s business and industry like it was our own. In fact, we are often asked if we work at our client’s company.

Our Clients Love Working with Us.

Executives Growing Their Business Acumen
Why Executives Need Business Acumen
Business Acumen Explained
Business Acumen Demystified

We Work with Leaders at Every Level of an Organization

  • Executive Programs: Our experiential learning experiences enable leaders look at the business from a different perspective, bring out new thoughts and ideas, and allow senior leaders to become better aligned on the way forward. In addition to providing stand-alone solutions, we actively partner with leading consulting firms, learning and development organizations, and academic institutions around the globe.
  • High Potential Programs: Companies that invest in assessing and cultivating future leaders turn to BTS to develop learning and execution journeys that rapidly prepare them for the next levels of management.
  • Mid-level, First-line and Individual Contributor: Managers and employees at all levels need to understand the big picture of their company’s performance, and how they can impact the bottom-line.
  • Finance for Non-Financial Managers: Building fundamental finance skills enables managers to better understand and impact financial metrics, equipping them to drive the business, regardless of their department.

The Results We Deliver

Ultimately, the BTS simulation created an exciting communication platform that allowed me to quickly align Kimberly-Clark’s senior team around enterprise value creation.

Thomas J. Falk, CEO
KIMBERLY-CLARK

The program enabled participants to think more strategically, broadened their enterprise perspectives, built financial acumen, and provided an external focus and understanding of geopolitical decisions, competitive dynamics and customer and investor expectations. Most importantly, they had the opportunity to practice and learn in context of the company’s business and strategic priorities.

Nigel Hearne, Vice President of Strategy (Downstream)
CHEVRON

Each simulation was a team-based competition where participants faced key manager moments that occur on the job every day, made decisions to drive business results, and had fun while doing so.

Participant, "New Manager Essentials" (NME) Program
INTUIT
Executive Alignment Initiative Accelerates Strategy Execution
Accelerating Executive Development
Bringing Great Leadership to Life at Intuit

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