It starts with a dream, an ambition – when you want, when you need to take your organization to a different place. It becomes your vision.

A brilliant strategy instills confidence and calm in people around you. It fosters a degree of optimism that the impossible things can be achieved. But without flawless execution, the dream can become a nightmare. The translation of strategy into action is critical in order to maintain the support of the shareholders, stakeholders, and employees.

There are a few factors that support the successful implementation of the strategy:

• Clarity of strategic priorities and boundaries. You need to know what is paramount to achieve, and what is important to avoid. Transparency and honest conversation within the organization about setting the parameters for performance objectives, and ensuring tactical activities are supporting the achievement of overarching goals creates calm.
• Focus on your key customers, and being well resourced to delight them with every action you take. Although all customers matter, some of them are more important than others. Having a frank conversation about the ranking of the customers can help the team to prioritize their activities and deploy their actions in a focused manner.
• Alignment of values and behaviours to create a culture where people are emotionally connected to the way you do business, and rewarded for conduct that drives desired outcomes. You need to translate your values into day to day activities; and, be protective of what is precious and needs to be preserved, as well as ruthless about the behaviours that contradict what you believe is right.
• “Who has ‘The Decision’?” is a question to which everyone should have the answer. As organizations evolve and mature, the boundaries of who makes what decisions may get more fuzzy, mainly because our roles and responsibilities often evolve in a discrete manner. A periodic review of who does what, why, and how will certainly create a platform upon which the dialogue about ‘The Decision’ becomes a natural and non-threatening one.
• A well thought out, fast, and accurate information flow is paramount. Since change is our new constant, and the only thing that changes is the ever increasing speed, ensuring the right stakeholders are properly kept in the loop so decisions can be made quickly, and the organization maintains its agility, is critical.
• Refined structure… which is a tough one… we typically put structures in place and don’t look back. Periodically reviewing and evaluating current structures and processes can help you ensure your organization does not trip over once valid procedures.
• Competent people. Being clear what impact each role should have can help you decide if you have created the correct role definitions, and… if you have the right people for the role. You also have to know what “Right People” means to you and your business, balancing your loyalty to the valued employee with an uncompromising evaluation of your business needs.

Yes, you can make your translation from strategy to success more complex. But this summer… reflecting on these points will either get an affirmation that you are on the right track, or it will bring nuance to your conversations, streamlining the focus of your people.

Let me know… I would be happy to explore this further with you, when you are ready. It is summer, after all… terraces are open!

Edyta