Effective Work Sample Exercises for Hiring a Strategy Implementation Manager

The Strategy Implementation Manager serves as a critical bridge between strategic vision and operational execution. This pivotal role requires a unique blend of project management expertise, cross-functional leadership, analytical thinking, and exceptional communication skills. While resumes and interviews provide valuable insights, they often fall short in revealing how candidates will actually perform in the complex scenarios this role faces daily.

Work samples and role plays offer a window into a candidate's practical abilities by simulating real-world challenges they'll encounter on the job. These exercises reveal how candidates approach problems, collaborate with stakeholders, manage risks, and drive initiatives forward—skills that are difficult to assess through traditional interview questions alone.

For Strategy Implementation Managers, the ability to translate high-level strategies into actionable plans, align diverse teams, and navigate organizational complexities is paramount. The exercises outlined below are designed to evaluate these specific competencies in a practical context, helping you identify candidates who can not only talk about implementation but demonstrate their capability to execute effectively.

By incorporating these work samples into your hiring process, you'll gain deeper insights into each candidate's problem-solving approach, communication style, and strategic thinking abilities. This practical assessment will significantly increase your chances of selecting a Strategy Implementation Manager who can successfully drive your organization's most important initiatives from concept to completion.

Activity #1: Strategic Initiative Implementation Planning

This exercise evaluates the candidate's ability to develop a comprehensive implementation plan for a strategic initiative. It tests their project management skills, resource allocation capabilities, and ability to translate high-level strategy into actionable steps with clear timelines and accountability measures.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a one-page strategic initiative brief that outlines a business objective your organization might pursue (e.g., entering a new market, launching a new product line, implementing a major system).
• Include background information, high-level goals, available resources, and key constraints.
• Provide the candidate with this brief 24 hours before the interview.
• Allocate 20 minutes for the candidate's presentation and 10 minutes for questions.
• Prepare specific questions about timeline feasibility, resource allocation decisions, and potential roadblocks.
• Have 2-3 stakeholders from different departments participate to simulate cross-functional engagement.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the strategic initiative brief provided.
• Develop a comprehensive implementation plan that includes:
• Key milestones and timeline
• Resource requirements and allocation
• Team structure and responsibilities
• Critical dependencies and potential roadblocks
• Success metrics and tracking mechanisms
• Prepare a 15-20 minute presentation of your implementation plan.
• Be prepared to explain your rationale for key decisions and answer questions about your approach.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the presentation, provide one piece of positive feedback about an aspect of the plan that was particularly strong.
• Then, offer one constructive suggestion for improvement (e.g., "I noticed the timeline might be aggressive for the marketing deliverables. How might you adjust if you encountered delays in that area?").
• Give the candidate 5 minutes to respond with how they would incorporate this feedback and adjust their plan accordingly.

Activity #2: Stakeholder Alignment Role Play

This exercise assesses the candidate's ability to navigate complex stakeholder dynamics and build alignment around a strategic initiative. It evaluates communication skills, persuasiveness, and the ability to address concerns while maintaining focus on strategic objectives.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a scenario where a strategic initiative is facing resistance from key stakeholders.
• Prepare role cards for 2-3 interviewers who will play stakeholders with specific concerns:
• A department head concerned about resource allocation
• A technical lead worried about implementation feasibility
• A finance representative questioning the ROI timeline
• Provide the candidate with a brief overview of the initiative and stakeholder profiles 30 minutes before the exercise.
• The role play should last 20-25 minutes.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the strategic initiative overview and stakeholder profiles provided.
• Prepare to facilitate a meeting aimed at addressing concerns and building alignment around the initiative.
• Your objectives are to:
• Acknowledge and address each stakeholder's concerns
• Identify areas of common ground
• Propose practical solutions to overcome objections
• End with clear next steps that move the initiative forward
• Focus on both the content of your communication and your interpersonal approach.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the role play, provide feedback on one aspect of the candidate's stakeholder management approach that was effective.
• Offer one suggestion for how they might have better addressed a particular stakeholder's concern.
• Ask the candidate to spend 3-5 minutes explaining how they would incorporate this feedback in their approach to the most challenging stakeholder.

Activity #3: Risk Assessment and Mitigation Planning

This exercise evaluates the candidate's ability to identify potential risks to strategic initiatives and develop effective mitigation strategies. It tests analytical thinking, foresight, and practical problem-solving skills essential for successful strategy implementation.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a case study of a strategic initiative with embedded risks across multiple dimensions (e.g., market, operational, technical, organizational).
• Include relevant data points, stakeholder information, and contextual details.
• Provide the candidate with the case study materials 45 minutes before the exercise.
• Prepare a template for risk assessment that includes columns for risk description, impact, probability, mitigation strategy, and contingency plan.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the strategic initiative case study provided.
• Identify at least 5-7 significant risks that could impact the successful implementation of the initiative.
• For each risk:
• Assess its potential impact (high/medium/low)
• Estimate its probability of occurrence (high/medium/low)
• Develop a proactive mitigation strategy
• Create a contingency plan if the risk materializes
• Prepare to present your risk assessment and mitigation plan in a 15-minute discussion.
• Be prepared to explain your rationale for prioritizing certain risks over others.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the presentation, highlight one risk assessment or mitigation strategy that was particularly insightful.
• Suggest one additional risk or alternative mitigation approach the candidate might have overlooked.
• Give the candidate 5 minutes to incorporate this feedback and explain how they would adjust their risk management approach accordingly.

Activity #4: Cross-Functional Implementation Workshop Facilitation

This exercise assesses the candidate's ability to facilitate productive discussions across functional teams and drive alignment on implementation details. It evaluates leadership, facilitation skills, and the ability to navigate competing priorities while maintaining focus on strategic objectives.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a scenario where a strategic initiative requires coordination across 3-4 different departments (e.g., Marketing, Product, Operations, IT).
• Prepare role cards for interviewers who will play department representatives with specific priorities and constraints.
• Develop a worksheet with key implementation decisions that need to be made (e.g., timeline sequencing, resource allocation, responsibility assignment).
• Provide the candidate with an overview of the initiative and department profiles 30 minutes before the exercise.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the strategic initiative overview and department profiles provided.
• Prepare to facilitate a 25-minute workshop with cross-functional stakeholders to:
• Establish shared understanding of implementation requirements
• Address potential conflicts between departmental priorities
• Make key decisions on timeline, resources, and responsibilities
• Document clear next steps and accountability measures
• Your goal is to end the session with concrete decisions and commitments from all stakeholders.
• Focus on both achieving the workshop objectives and maintaining positive group dynamics.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the facilitation exercise, provide feedback on one aspect of the candidate's facilitation approach that effectively drove alignment.
• Offer one suggestion for how they might have better handled a particular point of conflict or confusion.
• Ask the candidate to spend 3-5 minutes explaining how they would incorporate this feedback in their facilitation approach going forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much time should we allocate for these work sample exercises?

Each exercise requires approximately 60-90 minutes total, including preparation time, the activity itself, and feedback. We recommend conducting no more than two exercises per interview round, potentially spreading them across different stages of your hiring process.

Should we use real strategic initiatives from our organization for these exercises?

While using real initiatives provides authentic context, we recommend creating simplified versions of actual initiatives or developing fictional scenarios based on typical challenges your organization faces. This protects confidential information while still testing relevant skills.

How should we evaluate candidates' performance on these exercises?

Create a structured scorecard for each exercise that aligns with the key competencies for the role (leadership, communication, problem-solving, etc.). Have all observers rate the candidate independently before discussing their observations to minimize bias.

What if a candidate has limited experience with our specific industry?

These exercises are designed to test fundamental strategy implementation skills that transcend industries. You can provide additional context or simplify industry-specific elements while still evaluating core competencies. Focus on the candidate's approach and reasoning rather than industry-specific knowledge.

How can we ensure these exercises don't disadvantage candidates from diverse backgrounds?

Review your exercise materials to ensure they don't contain cultural references or assumptions that might disadvantage certain candidates. Provide clear instructions and adequate preparation time. Consider offering accommodations for candidates who might need them.

Can these exercises be conducted virtually?

Yes, all these exercises can be adapted for virtual settings using video conferencing and collaborative tools like Miro, Mural, or Google Docs. For role plays, ensure all participants have stable internet connections and are familiar with the virtual tools being used.

Finding the right Strategy Implementation Manager is crucial for successfully executing your organization's most important initiatives. By incorporating these practical work samples into your hiring process, you'll gain deeper insights into candidates' abilities to plan, communicate, manage risks, and drive cross-functional alignment—all essential skills for this pivotal role.

For more resources to enhance your hiring process, check out Yardstick's AI Job Description Generator, AI Interview Question Generator, and AI Interview Guide Generator. You can also view the complete Strategy Implementation Manager job description that inspired these work samples.

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