Learn, network and exchange

Access the very latest in management thinking with these intensive 1.5-day workshops led by IMD Faculty. Gain practical insights from real-world experience and cutting-edge research, network with other global executives and leave with fresh ideas you can implement in the business straight away.

Recent event themes include:

Innovation rules!
The person effect: The secret ingredient in leadership
The digital tsunami: How it impacts your business
Getting digital business transformation right: How to overcome the execution challenge
Building an intrapreneurial organization
Understanding big data and analytics
Dissonant leadership
Changing employee behavior

Below you will find the schedule of our forthcoming events.

Upcoming Discovery Events

January 2020

HOW TO THRIVE IN A WORLD WHERE EVERYTHING CAN BE COPIED

Despite patent filings, market dominance, and financial resources, copycat competition continues to pose an existential threat to all businesses. How can a company shield itself from copycats? During this event Professor Howard Yu will explore the findings from his recent book “Leap: How to thrive in a world where everything can be copied”.

Who: Executives and decision makers who need to respond increasing pricing pressure due to copycat like competitions; managers who aspire to rethink about the company’s offering and reshape their business potential, individuals who want to identify the major shifts of technologies that will inevitably affect all sectors of the global economy.

February 2020

DRIVING BUSINESS RESULTS FROM DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Today, there is a great deal of hype around digital. As a consequence, many companies have launched digital transformation programs. Unfortunately, the results for most of them have been disappointing with shockingly high rates of failure.

The problem is not motivation - most executives do not need to be convinced of the need to transform. They feel the disruption coming from emerging digital technologies and business models. The problem lies with flawed execution. Unlike new digital players, they are encumbered with legacy assets, rigid cultures, and predefined channel relationships, all of which impede their ability to respond.

This event will help traditional companies to address the digital execution challenge. It will help them to balance the need to drive value from the core business while at the same time explore new digitally-enabled opportunities.

Who: This event is targeted at any manager or executive struggling with how to respond to digital disruption.

March 2020

LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS

While growing in a new leadership position or facing first-time challenges to the context, you may feel uncertain about some aspects of it.
This session focuses on understanding the key components which forge your leadership style:

a) How understanding your leadership style and values sets the ground for leading others and prepares you to more effectively lead others; b) How the combination of personality, values, and specific leadership competencies allows you to translate personal leadership across contexts; and c) What the role of the leader is when it comes to creating an environment for a team to be creative and innovative.

Who: For leaders who want to better understand their leadership style (via personality and values) and be prepared to lead in various leadership scenarios.

May 2020

ALGORITHMS FOR DECISION-MAKING

We all make decisions every day, some with high stakes. Yet it’s easy to fall into suboptimal patterns, such as relying on intuition when we shouldn’t, using low-quality logic and evidence, or attempting to reduce uncertainty to such an extent that we fall victim to paralysis by analysis. This session offers pragmatic ways to sidestep these traps.

Who: For analysts who make recommendations to decision-makers, to improve the quality of their recommendations;
For senior decision-makers who rely on analysts, to help them request higher-quality recommendations.

May 2020

CRACKING THE CHINA CODE

China is a market full of potential but also full of mystery. Drawing on over a decade of experience living, working and venturing in China, this Discovery Event explores what you really need to know about business in, and with China. China is relevant in many ways: as a source of business growth, as a source of inspiration for new approaches and business models, and as a source of competitive threat. Regardless of your interest, a deeper understanding of China and its businesses is increasingly urgent.

During this Discovery Event we bust myths and dispel some of the more persistent misunderstandings of Chinese business: the good, the bad and the ugly side of China. In a highly interactive and engaging way, we will jointly crack the China code.

Who: This event is helpful for executives of large organizations engaging with China for business growth, as a source for inspiration or facing competitive threat.

June 2020

Financing4Impact: a primer on sustainable investment

Impact investing is a rapidly growing phenomenon as sustainable financial institutions and foundations seek to balance the focus on profit with environmental, social, and governance factors (ESG). The changes to decision-making criteria that financial institutions use to evaluate strategic investments are rippling throughout society, including in the internal funding of company initiatives.
This workshop on sustainable finance will help participants understand the role of the financial sector in delivering societal and environmental impact and, consequently, the benefits and challenges of integrating ESG issues into investment analysis/decisions.

Who: For executives, board members, family offices and managers pursuing ESG principles to create long-term corporate value;
For asset managers, financial institutions and foundations starting the sustainable finance transformation journey.

September 2020

LEADERSHIP OS. LEARN TO ACTIVATE YOUR OPERATING SYSTEMS FOR SUCCESS

The leadership industry has been selling simplistic one-size-fits-all capability models for decades. But these models cannot capture the complexities of the context within which leader operates, including elements like business strategy, competitors, the culture of the organization, the characteristics of teams and colleagues, and cultural expectations of what leaders should be and do. And in addition to these challenges, as leaders rise to senior levels, they need to switch gears from directly driving results to directing and supporting others to achieve objectives.

Based on years of original research, Shlomo Ben-Hur will controversially counter almost every existing leadership model and approach and show you how leadership success is not so much about having the right core capabilities as about creating the right environment.

Using the analogy of a smartphone operating system (OS), you will discover a new way of thinking about leadership that provides a clear and practical framework that focuses on the impact you have. Learn to develop a Leadership OS that creates an environment that drives results, defines the imprint you make, and becomes the foundation of your legacy as a leader.

Who: For leaders who are interested in challenging accepted models of leadership and who want to learn how to be more effective leaders with maximum impact;
For leaders and HR specialists who want to be prepared for the challenges of a more globalized, volatile, uncertain, and complex business landscape.

October 2020

BUILDING AND LEADING GLOBALLY DIVERSE TEAMS

As the world becomes more connected—yet more divided—it is ever more critical for leaders to create team cultures in which the value of diversity can be realized. This session focuses on understanding the foundations of diversity and inclusion, and offers a practical toolset to build and lead a globally diverse team. It starts by defining diversity (e.g., age, gender, culture, personality, skills and abilities, etc.) and inclusion (e.g., trust, psychological safety, respect), and discusses why they are important sources of competitive advantage for teams and organizations. Interactive activities will help to uncover the neuro-foundations of inclusion and exclusion, and to unpack (and overcome) some of the barriers to fostering inclusive mindsets, teams, and cultures. During the session, cutting-edge business simulation (Bridgebuilders) will help you to build inclusive leadership skills by practicing leading and motivating a diverse and intercultural team.

Who: For leaders who manage a global team or aspire to managing one.

November 2020

MANAGING FOR A CIRCULAR ECONOMY

It is no longer a question of “if”, but of “when” and “how”: firms have little choice but to change their business models from a linear to a (more) circular economy. The way to get there is not obvious, however. The timing is still uncertain. The magnitude of the change may be underestimated, both inside the firm and by its key stakeholders (including customers, suppliers, and shareholders). The change will also probably require the development of collaborative solutions both at the industry-wide and international levels. Clearly, we are talking about a new, massive challenge.

Who: For senior executives who are thinking about shifting their firms to a (more) circular economy and for senior managers who want to take the lead in that change;
For NGO executives who wish to better understand how to collaborate with firms toward a common goal.

Past Discovery Events

October 2019

FINANCE FOR NON-FINANCE PEOPLE

Meetings with finance directors are often awaited with trepidation from people coming from the other part of the business. Differences in “language” (finance speaks a different language), and metrics often confuse even the more senior corporate offices. The objective of this brief event is to allow non-finance people to gain an understanding of what finance is about, to present the jargon, and to clarify the advantages that finance knowledge can bring to the people working in the other part of the business (the finance value proposition). By the end of the event, participants will have a better view of what finance is all about, and will gain some important insights on how to successfully partner with it.

Who: Non-finance executives who would like to have a better grasp of finance; human resources and learning/talent management professionals who want to understand finance and how to incorporate a finance topic into a learning program.

October 2019

HOW TO BRING YOUR BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS TO LIFE

Despite recent digital advances and an improved understanding of the innovation process, game-changing offerings remain hard to come by. During this event, Professors Cyril Bouquet and Michael Wade and Research Professor Jean-Louis Barsoux will share insights from their recent research, featured in a recent article published in Harvard Business Review, and an upcoming book. Their work with corporate clients, as well as interviews and surveys of hundreds of executives involved in innovation efforts, has helped them identify recurrent patterns in the evolution of breakthrough ideas.

Who: For executives interested in disruption, innovation and out-of-the box thinking.

September 2019

STEP CHANGE: HOW TO THRIVE IN THE AGE OF COMPLEXITY

As digital, globalization and social changes accelerate to create more unpredictability and turbulence, business executives realize that the ways of strategizing and working introduced a hundred years ago have reached their limit. They want their business to become more agile but they either do not understand very well what agility is, they fear it, or they grapple with its limitations and implementation challenges. For example, a frequent misconception is that agile methodologies are necessary only for software programming or that agility means chaos and no hierarchy. This Discovery Event is meant to equip you with the tools for increasing your business’ ability to thrive in this new environment. We will clarify that agile methods are not equal to agile management.

Who: Business and functional senior executives who need greater organizational agility and think about the impact on their strategizing and leadership style.

June 2019

BUILDING A WORLD CLASS SALES ORGANIZATION: FROM DIGITAL STRATEGY TO STRATEGIC ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT

Experienced business leaders know that their sales force can have a greater impact on results than any other element of the marketing mix. The challenge has always been to deploy limited resources efficiently and effectively. Fortunately, today’s digital technologies make it possible to scale diverse resources, enabling the sales force to manage profitability across a wide range of account types and sizes. This hands-on workshop will be conducted by two leading academics with practical experience as sales force managers. Goutam Challagalla is Professor of Strategy and Marketing at IMD. Michael Ahearne is a chaired Professor of Marketing at the University of Houston and Research Director of the Sales Excellence Institute.

Who: Experienced marketing and sales managers who want to explore the latest thinking on how account strategy is changing; marketing and sales operations professionals interested in digital sales force enablement; strategic account managers from CPG and other manufacturers tasked with aligning sales resources with corporate strategy and goals; insights professionals who support sales and marketing.

May 2019

RETHINKING COUNTRY RISK

In today’s turbulent political and economic environment, the need to understand country risk has become even more paramount. Whereas in the past this concern tended to focus on developing countries, the rise of populism in advanced markets has made it a concern to be addressed for all economies.

Who: Senior management, Business Development managers, Strategy managers, Country managers, HQ managers in charge of overseeing foreign subsidiaries.

May 2019

FINDING PURPOSE THROUGH SOCIAL INNOVATION

Have you ever felt like it wouldn’t matter to the world if your job or your organization ceased to exist tomorrow? Not having purpose is damaging to our well-being, our companies and our society. At the same time, today it is no longer lauded if companies are responsible, it is expected. To have purpose means knowing how you and your organization make a difference. In a world were societal demands are more pressing every day and CEO activism is becoming the norm, participants will reflect about their own business and leadership purpose by looking at what drives purposeful organizations to foster social innovation.

Who: Leaders that are interested learning more on how to balance profit, people and planet; leaders rediscovering their purpose and how lead purposeful change in organizations.

April 2019

INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES FOR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS CHALLENGES

Private and public-sector organizations are gradually facing several common challenges, especially in the face of increasing disruptions in an interconnected world. These issues include digital transformation, cyber-security, a changing labor force, technology-based innovation, and new business models. They are crucially important at a country level, and more frequently than not, they are also influencing performance indicators at the firm level.

Who: Executives and decision makers who want to respond to current issues caused by digital disruption with a medium- to long-term strategic perspective in mind.

March 2019

THRIVE AS AN LGBTQ EXECUTIVE OR ALLY

As societies across many parts of the world are making legal and cultural progress to embrace the LGBTQ communities, many companies lag behind this process. LGBTQ executives still find it difficult to bring their full identifies to work, while their allies do not always feel empowered to help. During this event, Professors Ina Toegel and Misiek Piskorski and a host of guests will work together with participants to explore strategies for LGBTQ individuals to thrive in the workplace, and for the allies and the organizations to help in this process.

Who: LGBTQ mid-career managers and senior executives; LGBTQ allies passionate about advancing inclusion in the organizations; human resources executives determined to accelerate the success of their LGBTQ executives.

January 2019

MANAGING PEOPLE IN THE DIGITAL AGE

We are unquestionably in an age where digital is revolutionizing all we do in the organization – including how we manage people. This event is meant to provide you with insights into the innovations and practices that organizations are using to successfully manage people in this rapidly changing environment. During this event, Professor Jennifer Jordan will explore the innovations and approaches that organizations around the world are using to manage people in a time of intense digital disruption.

Who: Leaders who are needing to lead people in the current environment – particularly those working in the field of HR.

November 2018

MOVING UP TO BUSINESS LEADERSHIP

One of the most important challenges of management development concerns the transition from leading a particular function or single specialty, to leading a business. During this event, Professors Michael Watkins, world renowned expert on leadership transitions and author of The First 90 Days, and Phil Rosenzweig, professor of strategy and author of The Halo Effect, will offer insights for individual managers facing new challenges, as well as address the ways that organizations can create a context for successful transitions.

Who: Mid-career managers, facing their own challenge of business leadership; Senior executives, concerned with building a strong executive team; Human resources executives, tasked with effective succession

November 2018

INNOVATION RULES!

There is a new world of innovation, and you should never be surprised by surprise. Going into the unknown requires fundamentally new managerial and leadership approaches, and new Business Models and Organizational Platforms are the models of the future for us all. This event will teach you to reengineer your conversations to move ideas forward, faster.

Who: Any manager who feels as if the world is moving faster and less predictably than in the past, and who is worried about how to respond in both an organizational and personal professional role.

October 2018

THE PERSON EFFECT: THE SECRET INGREDIENT IN LEADERSHIP

During this dynamic and highly interactive event, Professor Kohlrieser will illustrate how business leaders and managers can develop their inner state to engage in productive dialogue, to create trust, and to drive change with a positive mind-set for themselves, others, and their organizations. Using some of the latest developments from neuroscience, participants will be engaged in a personal journey, exploring how their unique Person Effect is a secret ingredient in leadership, driving change, and inspiring their people.

Who: Senior and mid-level managers

October 2018

THE DIGITAL TSUNAMI: HOW IT IMPACTS YOUR BUSINESS

All sectors of activity are massively impacted by the digital revolution, which includes 5G, the internet of things, robotics, big data & analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain. These technologies have the potential of profoundly affecting all aspects of economic activity and present unprecedented security concerns. The event will explore the opportunities and threats of this digital revolution as well as security and privacy issues.

Who: All managers and executives

May 2018

GETTING DIGITAL BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION RIGHT...HOW TO OVERCOME THE EXECUTION CHALLENGE

Emerging digital technologies are transforming most companies and business models. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, augmented reality, mobile applications, the sharing economy and platform economics are shifting the competitive dynamics across many industries. So how can traditional organizations keep up with these threats, and turn them into opportunities? This event will help traditional companies to address the digital execution challenge and help them forge ahead in uncertain times.

Who: Any manager or executive who is struggling with how to respond to digital disruption in their industry or sector

April 2018

BUILDING AN INTRAPRENEURIAL ORGANIZATION

The world around us is rapidly changing. Disruptive technologies and innovative business models are transforming entire industries and threaten to replace those firms that are not agile enough to react to these changes. This event will show you how you can respond to the changes, and foster an environment where innovative thrives through intrapreneurial ventures.

Who: Executives with a willingness to transform their organization

March 2018

UNDERSTANDING BIG DATA AND ANALYTICS

Big Data and Analytics (BDA) have become buzzwords in recent years, and both have the potential to disrupt business processes and decision-making across all industries. But still, there are vast differences in adoption and implementation across businesses. During this event, managers will have a chance to see how BDA is transforming businesses and how strategic implementation can drive managerial decision-making.

Who: Any executive impacted by digital transformation or dealing with issues related to BDA.

February 2018

DISSONANT LEADERSHIP

This event is an opportunity to explore the deep personal challenges of leading in today’s dynamic business context. It is a chance to discover and make sense of the capacity to read and respond to complex situations. Every person who attends this event will experience some discomfort or dissonance in the pursuit of learning, so expect a challenging, insightful and thoughtful experience.

Who: Executives, HR and L&D professionals who are hoping to challenge assumptions, explore new leadership horizons and reflect on their own experiences.

January 2018

CHANGING EMPLOYEE BEHAVIOR

As a manager you have to be able to support the professional development of your direct reports, in order to foster organizational change and personal transformations. During this event, Prof. Shlomo Ben-Hur and Nik Kinley will guide you through their research on the subject, and give you a wealth of practical applications for your managerial career.

Who: Executives who are responsible for managing the performance and contributing to the development of their direct reports.

Testimonials

Discovery Events are like a one-day MBA. It’s a great opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and learn about subjects you don’t necessarily work with. It’s also a chance to meet and network with people from very different backgrounds.

Bruno Sales

Credit Risk and Internal Controls Manager, Vale International

Bruno Sales

Credit Risk and Internal Controls Manager, Vale International

Discovery Events are like a one-day MBA. It’s a great opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and learn about subjects you don’t necessarily work with. It’s also a chance to meet and network with people from very different backgrounds.

I picked up a lot of things that I want to try and apply in my job. Sometimes you go to events and it’s so B-to-C that you really shut off and don’t try to see how you can adapt it in your company. But here, even if the examples tend to be more B-to-C, it has been lifted to a level that is I think relevant for all.

Marièlle Butter-Timmermans

General Manager Marketing, Market Intelligence/Wärtsilä Corporation

Marièlle Butter-Timmermans

General Manager Marketing, Market Intelligence/Wärtsilä Corporation

I picked up a lot of things that I want to try and apply in my job. Sometimes you go to events and it’s so B-to-C that you really shut off and don’t try to see how you can adapt it in your company. But here, even if the examples tend to be more B-to-C, it has been lifted to a level that is I think relevant for all.

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