Strategy Doesn’t Matter?

In December of 2012 John Kotter wrote in Forbes, “Your Corporate Strategy: It Just Doesn't Matter”

According to John Stumpf, CEO of Wells Fargo, a successful strategy is all about execution. “It’s how you hire, how you inspire, your culture, how you reward, how you celebrate victories, how you deal with disappointments. This is easy to talk about, but it is all in the execution.” Otherwise, “it just doesn’t matter.”
"What does NOT work in changing a culture?”  Stumpf goes on.  “Some group decides what the new culture should be. It turns a list of values over to the communications or HR departments with the order that they tell people what the new culture is. They cascade the message down the hierarchy, and little to nothing changes.”  Thank you, John and John

http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkotter/2012/12/17/your-corporate-strategy-it-just-doesnt-matter/

Wait!!!  Strategy doesn’t matter!?!?!?  No…. how the strategy is executed is what matters (assuming it’s a good strategy).   Companies waste a tremendous amount of time, effort, money and resources in strategic definition and plans without, or a failure to have, a comprehensive tactical implementation plan.  Strategy alone will remain encapsulated, isolated and fail to change the organization. 

Most companies forget to define THE critical step in the strategy implementation….the execution plan.   This is not the implementation itself, but how to implement the strategy.  Some will say it is part of strategy development or implementation, and it might be depending on the leadership, but it is a unique process.  It requires defining an implementation strategy.

The larger and/or more locations involved the more complex implementation becomes.  Instead of being able to “just do it”, various rollout stages and evaluations must take place so problems are minimized, reception is gauged and success of the roll-out is optimized.  Large global and/or geographically dispersed companies require multiple layers of data and need to address language and cultural barriers, geographical/cultural norms and agendas, management training, grading, refining, re-training and goal orientation/attainment for success.

In its simplest format the execution strategy determines “If it can, how it can, through whom and by what means the strategy can be implemented?”

·    How and in what format is the strategy to be consistently implemented? 

·    Who will be in charge/responsible? 

·    Who will implement it and the time frame or calendar for implementation?  

·    What are the criteria, waypoints or benchmarks to track its implementation?

·    Is the implementation being positively or negatively received?

·    Do changes need to be made to succeed (grading and improvement)?  

·    How will we know if it is successful (the proof or data feedback)?
 

This is the first of almost 30 cumulative posts dealing with strategy, HR/Talent/People, what’s happened, recognizing where you are, change, growth and developing simple solutions to start moving you/your company forward.   Please join me as we walk the HR and Employment Culture Jungle.

Next: Decisions - a new strategy or a good strategy?