A common business saying is that strategy doesn’t fail in development but in implementation. I disagree. Most businesses can develop a reasonable strategic ambition and are fairly good at implementing projects.
In many cases strategy simply falls through the gap between formulation and delivery: it fails in its translation.
Many leadership teams, in their rush to take action, fail to take the necessary steps to ensure their new strategy is sufficiently grounded, their teams are engaged and aligned and that resources have been properly allocated to its success (see the chart below from my book, The CEO’s Strategy Handbook).
These leadership tasks and disciplines are critical if you are to successfully translate your high-level, 50,000 feet strategy into ground-level success.
© Stuart Cross 2017. All rights reserved.