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From Strategic Plan to Execution – The Grand Canyon of Business Gaps

gears_3Have you ever noticed the similarity between strategic planning and a dental visit?

Both fall into the category of “must do” (or for some – “should do”), and both activities are strongly disliked due to a very normal human instinct called pain avoidance. For many leaders, planning means pain – which is unfortunate given the very high return on investment that is possible when planning is done well. Why is the experience painful? (A question we like to ask new clients about their previous strategic planning experiences.) “Boring”, “Uncomfortable drawn out process”, and (the real kicker) “No impact/outcomes as a result of two days in a boardroom.”

Is it any wonder that busy leaders and executives avoid an activity that leads to no outcomes after two days trapped in a boardroom?  The biggest challenge our clients share with us about their previous planning processes is the enormous gap between the plan on paper and the action required to make the plan “real.”   Recent PMI research (Talent Management – Powering Strategic Initiatives in the PMO) confirms that 88% of executive leaders consider strategy implementation important, yet 61% say their organization are struggling to bridge the gap between strategy formulation and day-to-day implementation.  This is, without question, the Grand Canyon of business gaps.

A few ideas on how to bridge that gap, based on our work with clients across multiple industries and varying size/maturity:

Address the “discomfort” issue head on.  Without absolute engagement from your leadership team at the outset, the plan stands virtually no chance of becoming reality in the weeks/months ahead.  Discuss the fact that a really good strategic plan requires some suspended disbelief (envisioning a future that is fundamentally different from today), and a high degree of comfort with the “grey” area of business.  There are no right and wrong (black or white) answers in planning – at least – no recognizable correct and incorrect planning options.  Share this insight from Roger Martin (Business write/academic) who sums up the issue extremely well: “The problem with smart people is that they are used to seeking and finding the right answer; unfortunately, in strategy there is no single right answer to find. Strategy requires making choices about an uncertain future. It is not possible, no matter how much of the ocean you boil, to discover the one right answer. There isn’t one. “

Link every strategy with an action.  Ensure you have someone leading the discussion who will push you and your team towards action.  For example, you decide as a team you would like to break into a new market, or develop a new service offering.  A good strategic planning facilitator will work with you to explore “what does that mean”.  What can we reasonably do in the next 3 months, 6 months, 12 months that helps us make progress towards that goal, and is realistic given our current operating environment? What needs to happen (next) to start to see that goal realized, and who is responsible for taking those first steps?

Understand the difference between plan and planning. If you have been in business for any period of time, you have likely experienced the “beautiful” large strategic plan document, full of graphics and forecasts and visionary statements about what the future will hold, which is then shelved (literally and figuratively) as everyone returns to the daily whirlwind for which they are responsible.  The record of the discussion amongst your leadership team is “the plan”, and it can take many forms. (Believe me – the format does not warrant the level of attention accorded it.)  The missing piece for many teams is the “planning” – the process by which you regularly revisit the goals, assess progress, adjust and move forward.  This is what is meant by an evergreen planning process, which does not require another two days in the boardroom – a one hour monthly or three hour quarterly check-in will keep your plan fresh and more importantly your team engaged in planning.

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To the Moon (High-Performance Cultures)

istock_000019512143_extrasmallIn the early 1960s, President John F. Kennedy stated that he wanted to send a man to the moon and bring him back safely by the end of the decade; a pretty lofty goal. Senator George Smathers from Florida agreed with the “lofty goal” part. So, before voting to secur e funds for the initiative, he wanted to make sure he made the right decision. He visited Cape Canaveral to do a bit of detective work on his own. After much time, observation, questioning and exploration he still had not made a decision.

At the end of the day he saw a worker cleaning up and asked what her job was. Her reply was simple, “I’m part of a team that’s going to send a man to the moon and bring him back safely by the end of the decade.” Decision made!

This is an example of strategic alignment at its best. Everyone knows the organization’s charge, and all of the stars are in alignment (strategic intention: systems, processes, leadership, management, expectations, authority, responsibility, individual empowerment and supportive behavior). But what happens when the stars are misaligned; when the systems and departments are out of sync? What happens when a department exists for the good of itself and individuals behave selfishly rather than for the greater customer and organizational good?

The simple fact is that the more an organization’s systems and processes are aligned with its strategic intention – and all of the employees support this alignment behaviorally – the greater the opportunity for success.

In fact, if the plan is sound, it’s almost impossible to fail no matter how ambitious the organization or that plan is – even if that includes sending a man to the moon.

By Grant Stewart, Performance Matrix LLC.

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Find Clarity in Vision then Measure

istock_000018345612_extrasmallThe current economic environment has revealed numerous weaknesses in our financial and regulatory systems. We regularly hear from our clients about the challenges they face in financing sound business plans for expansion into new markets – it is just not simple to access the funding required to make innovative change and take on new challenges. While this can be extremely frustrating, it reminds us of the importance of returning to basics – to reflect on some true fundamentals of business that will continue to drive success in any market conditions. In our experience, organizations consistently outperform their competitors and thrive in difficult economic times when they:

Establish a clear vision of who they plan to become;

Constantly communicate that vision so everyone understands the bigger picture and sees their role in translating that “picture” into reality;
Develop a 12-18 month action plan, with SMART goals and action steps that guide how resources will be utilized to attain that vision; and
Monitor and measure progress at regular intervals throughout the year to ensure the plan remains evergreen and that resources across the organization remain in alignment.
The article below picks up on this theme of measurement and “alignment” – what it means and why it is important. We have seen some incredible results for clients who choose to focus on alignment, assess the degree to which all of their resources are being consistently channeled towards their overall goals, and who regularly measure whether the changes they are making are increasing or decreasing strategic alignment within their organization. As always, we hope these insights help you in your efforts to grow and prosper!

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MAKING 2009 YOUR BEST YEAR EVER!

The holiday season is behind us (stated with a true combination of regret and relief), and as we return to work and begin to focus on the year ahead, a common question exists for many of us. “What, exactly, do I need to do differently this year from last to truly succeed?”

Of course, our individual definitions of success are as diverse as we are. That is what makes our work at the Pensare Group both fun and rewarding. Helping our clients define success, identify the obstacles that truly stand in their way, and implement an plan of action to make real progress regardless of the road blocks is not only what we love but also our definition of success!

2008 was a remarkable year for us, and we were honored to share so many great experiences with our clients, their management teams, sales teams, and in some cases their clients! We’ve shared the joys of the newly landed “mega client,” and the excitement of seeing new business processes and team strategies translate into results thought to be impossible. We’ve worked shoulder to shoulder with our clients as we all struggle to deal with some of the economic realities that revealed themselves this year.

At the Pensare Group, we are doing several things differently this year from last, and we are very excited about our 2009 Action Plan. One of these changes is to add a more personal voice to our newsletters and to share more of what we are learning throughout the year. Many of you have told us that you enjoy our “business briefs”, so we will continue our pattern of sharing those articles that we think are the highest possible value (for the shortest possible read) while adding a few of our own insights along the way. We’d love your feedback – so let us know what you would like to see covered in upcoming newsletters.

In the meantime, let us again ask the question, “What do you plan to do differently this year, and how do plan to implement that change?” This is our favorite question to discuss, so don’t hesitate to contact us to share insights over coffee! For now, Happy New Year! May this be your BEST year ever!