At this early point of 2010, it may seem acceptable that execution is not being tracked, managed and solved. What is your plan to ensure that you are on track, minimize surprises and deliver on strategic commitments?
How do you ensure that:
• execution is actively monitored and managed,
• conflicts and disconnects are quickly resolved,
• resources are effectively redeployed
• everyone knows where their effort plugs into results.
Strategy Execution GPS
Strategy and plan execution is important every year. However, there is less forgiveness in the economic environment for poor implementation. 2010 appears to be the year in which strategy can be more consistent than in 2010 however, undoubtedly, adjustments will have to be made. Executing strategy requires discipline and adjusting strategy places much more importance on knowing where you stand when you want to change direction.
We used to find our way by driving and reading maps to see where to turn. Now that GPS is ubiquitous, there's no excuse for reckless and dangerousmap reading while driving. What is your GPS strategy execution equivalent- the one that tells you how to get to your destination from where you are instead of where you’re supposed to be.
Please leave a comment with your own suggestion and I will incorporate your solution or challenge in my next blog when I answer the question about strategy execution GPS ………….to be continued.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
What is Different About Strategy Execution in 2010?
Strategy and plan execution is important every year. However, there is less forgiveness in the economic environment for poor implementation in 2010.
Very few functions in the company are independent of all the others. Even the senior executive who controls all the functions has difficulty getting a clear view of the strategy implementation that the team spent so much effort deliberating in the 4rth quarter of 2009. The senior executive is the only one that can potentially have transparency into strategy execution and its related dependencies throughout the company, can identify where the roadblocks are and whether success is dependent on one function or dependent on the coordination of multiple functions. If the president doesn't have a clear line of vision whenever it’s needed, then he or she is not able to coordinate the team, move resources, hold managers accountable and solve the traffic jams without first pulling out the magnifying glass and hunter’s cap.
For example, when strategy or account plans go wrong - delivering on the strategic goals may be crucially dependent on other departments. For example if billing is inaccurate, late, and unclear to the customer or if operations cannot deliver the service as promised or training is unavailable to the sales force, then even a well managed account management team is unlikely to overcome those problems and exceed its target. The same could be said for operations, billing, and so on in their narrowly defined responsibilities.
Who’s on First Base? Who’s on Second?
Without a transparent and timely means of tracking progress on strategy execution, it is very difficult to resolve the conflicts between ‘siloed’ departments. Those business conflicts can become personal and debilitate the individual and combined abilities of the management team.
Who has not been in a meeting as a function manager or as the senior executive, listening to the problems and finger-pointing while trying to find the truth at the heart of the issue? Normally, at best, this leads to a fact-finding mission bring on the spreadsheets and the PowerPoint presentations!) but even then, the facts are sometimes difficult to determine. The best strategic plan, the most detailed plan the smartest account leader -- does not deliver the expected results.
Only disciplined execution can deliver results.
At this early point of 2010, it may seem acceptable that execution is not being tracked, managed and solved. What is your plan to ensure?
• execution is actively monitored and managed,
• conflicts and disconnects are quickly resolved,
• resources are effectively redeployed
• everyone knows where their effort plugs into results.
Great Strategy Plus OK Execution = OK Results...maybe
Great Strategy Plus Great Execution = Superior Results
Strategy and plan execution is important every year. However, there is less forgiveness in the economic environment for poor implementation. 2010 appears to be the year in which strategy can be more consistent than in 2009.
Undoubtedly, adjustments will have to be made. A great plan, a great strategy is at high risk if the execution is poorly communicated, sporadically monitored and ineffectively managed.
Very few functions in the company are independent of all the others. Even the senior executive who controls all the functions has difficulty getting a clear view of the strategy implementation that the team spent so much effort deliberating in the 4rth quarter of 2009. The senior executive is the only one that can potentially have transparency into strategy execution and its related dependencies throughout the company, can identify where the roadblocks are and whether success is dependent on one function or dependent on the coordination of multiple functions. If the president doesn't have a clear line of vision whenever it’s needed, then he or she is not able to coordinate the team, move resources, hold managers accountable and solve the traffic jams without first pulling out the magnifying glass and hunter’s cap.
For example, when strategy or account plans go wrong - delivering on the strategic goals may be crucially dependent on other departments. For example if billing is inaccurate, late, and unclear to the customer or if operations cannot deliver the service as promised or training is unavailable to the sales force, then even a well managed account management team is unlikely to overcome those problems and exceed its target. The same could be said for operations, billing, and so on in their narrowly defined responsibilities.
Who’s on First Base? Who’s on Second?
Without a transparent and timely means of tracking progress on strategy execution, it is very difficult to resolve the conflicts between ‘siloed’ departments. Those business conflicts can become personal and debilitate the individual and combined abilities of the management team.
Who has not been in a meeting as a function manager or as the senior executive, listening to the problems and finger-pointing while trying to find the truth at the heart of the issue? Normally, at best, this leads to a fact-finding mission bring on the spreadsheets and the PowerPoint presentations!) but even then, the facts are sometimes difficult to determine. The best strategic plan, the most detailed plan the smartest account leader -- does not deliver the expected results.
Only disciplined execution can deliver results.
At this early point of 2010, it may seem acceptable that execution is not being tracked, managed and solved. What is your plan to ensure?
• execution is actively monitored and managed,
• conflicts and disconnects are quickly resolved,
• resources are effectively redeployed
• everyone knows where their effort plugs into results.
Great Strategy Plus OK Execution = OK Results...maybe
Great Strategy Plus Great Execution = Superior Results
Strategy and plan execution is important every year. However, there is less forgiveness in the economic environment for poor implementation. 2010 appears to be the year in which strategy can be more consistent than in 2009.
Undoubtedly, adjustments will have to be made. A great plan, a great strategy is at high risk if the execution is poorly communicated, sporadically monitored and ineffectively managed.
Dropping the Ball on 2010
Who is dropping the ball?
As I watched the ball drop in Times Square at midnight, I had the same thought I have every year. For those of us with annual enterprise, line-of-business or B2B account management targets - no matter how much we exceeded goals for last year - that ball is resetting us to 2010.
“At 11:59 PM I was 130% of plan but at 12:01 AM, 2010, I’m back to zero!” I’m celebrating – but there is some semi- humorous irony about it. - those on a non-calendar fiscal year ends don’t get to savor the same degree of celebratory irony
It’s only a symbolic zero - as long as the pipeline of strategic execution has been building through actions in the previous month, quarter, and year.
Strategic Execution
In real time though, strategic execution must already have had momentum for many of these commitments to be accomplished in the next year. It’s unfortunate that the lack of real and reliable insight on the status of that year’s strategy execution status provided a weak basis for the commitments being made 12-14 months out.
So it’s just the measurement that resets at midnight -not strategy execution.
As I watched the ball drop in Times Square at midnight, I had the same thought I have every year. For those of us with annual enterprise, line-of-business or B2B account management targets - no matter how much we exceeded goals for last year - that ball is resetting us to 2010.
“At 11:59 PM I was 130% of plan but at 12:01 AM, 2010, I’m back to zero!” I’m celebrating – but there is some semi- humorous irony about it. - those on a non-calendar fiscal year ends don’t get to savor the same degree of celebratory irony
It’s only a symbolic zero - as long as the pipeline of strategic execution has been building through actions in the previous month, quarter, and year.
Strategic Execution
In real time though, strategic execution must already have had momentum for many of these commitments to be accomplished in the next year. It’s unfortunate that the lack of real and reliable insight on the status of that year’s strategy execution status provided a weak basis for the commitments being made 12-14 months out.
So it’s just the measurement that resets at midnight -not strategy execution.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
