Strategic execution
In a strategy-focused organization, there is an extraordinary focus on accomplishing key strategic initiatives through alignment, allocation and coordination of resources. Customers experience the intent of the strategy every day.
We call that new approach "Strategic execution."
As leadership grows in clarity, the team changes. New and powerful ways of connecting become an everyday practice. You won't just connect better with one another. You'll align with organizational intent at unprecedented levels. Execution can begin to happen with more discipline.
At the right are eight steps we encourage for effective strategic execution.
Eight steps to strategic execution
- Establish strategic leadership infrastructure and/or office of strategic management. It must be at the highest level. Give it the authority, responsibility and resources to lead and support strategic enactment.
- Collaboratively design and enact the organizational change process. Select early adopter leaders and their divisions first. Then, collaboratively cascade the map and scorecard with a stepped and integrated bi-directional and cross-functional process. Keep in mind that it must deliver the intended customer experience and realign processes, reward systems and behaviors.
- Adequately resource top strategic priorities and remove organizational barriers, even (and especially) when the going gets tough.
- Blaze new organizational communications pathways that foster ongoing feedback and that enable early course corrections.
- Change the nature of leadership meetings to strategy-focused conversations about organizational progress, challenges and solutions for enacting the strategy.
- Engage to enroll. Organizational change happens one person at a time. Engage the organization through meaningful conversations about the strategy’s intention, linking it to every person and decision. This will facilitate understanding, and invite enrollment in a way that gives each person an opportunity to see his / her role in achieving the strategic vision. Let them link strategy with their daily work and with compelling outcomes so they can become invested.
- Continuously develop the culture and leadership capacity at all levels and manage talent strategically to ensure the “people” component of the strategy remains a top priority.
- Test reality unrelentingly and challenge people gently. Have the courage to continually challenge assumptions.