Using your learning from MBA 635 and MBA 690, explain why your organization is well positioned to carry out the project, including how the concept fits with the organization's core competencies and t

In Module Three, you will turn your attention toward the company and the key personnel for your idea or concept. Each of the modules in this course link together to form one cohesive business implementation plan. Key people are one of the most important elements of the business implementation plan.

Most concepts or ideas require a number of talented people to effectively implement the plan. This module helps you assemble the team necessary. Gilinsky, Lopez, Santini, and Eyler (2007) argue that there needs to be a good fit between the idea or concept and the people implementing the idea or concept.

One of the challenges associated with selecting key people for a concept or idea is that without the right fit between the people and the idea, the project may have lower return on investment and it might even fail (Gilinsky et al., 2007). The people implementing your idea or concept need to understand your idea or concept and what it is you wish to accomplish to obtain buy-in for the idea or concept. Selecting key people for your idea or concept includes identifying the essential roles involved in implementing your plan.

One of the first people to identify is the project manager. Project managers lead the overall project by creating the project schedule and identifying the critical path to success. Laufer, Hoffman, Russell, and Cameron (2015) indicate that some of the best project managers concentrate on four main activities: creating a collaborative environment, instituting formal review and improvement processes, averting significant problems, and keeping the project moving. Given the importance of the project manager to the overall effort, selecting the project manager early in implementation planning and then bringing this person deeply into the project is essential for success.

For instance, if your idea or concept involves a physical good, you will likely need someone familiar with manufacturing or sourcing so that you can obtain the physical good. Additionally, you will probably need team members who understand budgeting and accounting so that these team members can help effectively manage the financial resources for the plan. The project may also require people who understand markets and how to build a comprehensive market plan. Depending on the exact situation, one person might be able to manage both the sales and marketing aspect, but these functions may need to be split for other concepts or ideas.

Some projects also involve members such as an executive sponsor, who provides necessary executive-level oversight for the project. The project may also require a legal team member who understands applicable statutes, regulation, and other legal elements. Many other projects may need specialists who might only apply to a specific idea or concept (such as repair, aftermarket service, support, and so on). The important element of selecting key people for your idea or concept is to think comprehensively about the project to ensure that you have all the necessary team members to successfully implement it.

In addition to key people, this module also addresses the company. An important element of the company is to ensure that the organizational culture encompasses the necessary leadership competencies your idea or concept requires. Battilana, Gilmartin, Segul, Pache, and Alexander (2010) indicate that the leadership literature often characterizes leadership as having “task-oriented and person-oriented behaviors” (p. 423). Within this framework, company leadership requires the skills to effectively create structures to implement tasks according to an idea or concept, and company leadership also needs to have the necessary skills to enable and motivate team members toward accomplishing organizational objectives.

This module connects your idea or concept with the key people and the company that will help you bring the idea or concept to market. The main rationale behind new concepts or ideas within the context of organizations is to exploit a market opportunity through connecting goods, services, products, or other value-added elements to the market through building a relationship with the market participants (Ciabuschi, 2012). Within this context, you are marshaling the appropriate organizational resource to successfully execute your plan.

References

Battilana, J., Gilmartin, M., Segul, M., Pache, A. C., & Alexander, J. A. (2010). Leadership competencies for implementing planned organizational change. The Leadership Quarterly, 21(3), 422–438. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2010.03.007

Ciabuschi, F., Perna, A., & Snehota, I. (2012, June). Assembling resources when forming a new business. Journal of Business Research, 65(2), 220–229. doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2010.11.029

Gilinsky, A., Lopez, R., Santini, C., & Eyler, R. (2007). Big bet, small wins? Entrepreneurial behavior and ROI. International Journal of Wine Business Research, 22(3), doi:10.1108/17511061011075374

Laufer, A., Hoffman, E., Russell, J., & Cameron, S. (2015, Spring). What successful project managers do. MIT Sloan Review. Retrieved from http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/what-successful-project-managers-do/