How do you translate your strategy into action?

In my experience - most objectives should be input as a crisp one liner ( which should ideally be the problem statement ) As a strategy leader , if you are not able to define the problem statement in 2 lines - it means you clearly don’t understand the problem - So define the objective Secondly post that , define the customer persona “narrowly” By narrowly I mean - not everyone can be your customer You need to define who can add value as the initial target set and then build towards it

"Translate" is probably the wrong verb. Other verbs for this sentence: __________ strategy into action. a) pivot b) convert c) strengthen d) forge e) rebuild f) layer g) segment h) say "no" and make trade-offs i) dilute j) co-opt. Strategy is harder than "translating."

Defining objectives is not just about setting goals, but linking them to your strategic vision. The objectives should address the key issues your strategy is designed to tackle, and their relevance should be clear. Engage your team in goal-setting to foster ownership and understanding. Remember, business is dynamic; objectives may need revisiting and adjusting. Regular progress checks can help you stay agile and responsive. Differentiate between long-term objectives and short-term targets to balance stability with operational flexibility.

Traditional strategy frameworks often consider one leader, having the responsibility for setting the full vision, defining the objectives and directing. However, as you grow as a leader, it becomes very important to scale yourself, and this is only possible, when you collaboratively develop a shared vision with other key champions and other junior leaders that can take your vision further and give you the leverage and reach required for scaled impact. From my experience, this is when true impact starts happening, that’s when strategy gain legs and the results start showing up.

Setting specific and measurable objectives is essential in translating strategy into action. Clear goals provide a roadmap for success and enable effective progress monitoring. Identifying key results brings clarity to what success looks like. Quantifiable metrics keep us focused and accountable. SMART and OKR frameworks are invaluable for well-defined, achievable, and time-bound objectives, ensuring alignment across the organization. Engaging the entire team fosters ownership and commitment. Regularly reassessing objectives keeps actions aligned with the evolving business landscape. Remember, a strategy without measurable objectives is hope. With measurable objectives, it becomes a concrete plan for success.

In my experience too many "to do's" in a strategic agenda often results in the inability to execute effectively. I always went by the axiom that a great strategy poorly executed resulted in lower performance than a more ordinary strategy well executed.

I will make this SMART framework to be SMARTER by adding E & R. E:Evaluate - As business goals change its prudent to evaluate that the KPI is providing the right measurements - or is still strategically align to its intended purpose. R: Revise - Occasionally evaluations will pinpoint the need to revise the KPI. This will ensure that our startegic objectives are connected with KPI's which are connected to the ground and can be adjusted as per the ground realities in the real world of execution and delivering results.

In my experience what helps is setting a long term vision or ambition ( this should be stretching / a moon shot- in an ideal situation with no constraints my strategy would deliver……) then working backwards to today and work out groups of activities / work streams that are required to work towards that long term view. From this you can then define manageable activities within each area that you need to start with in phase 1. Implementing/ embedding a new strategy is not a quick fix and will likely require various phases and a change programme/ plan.

I am reminded of Marshall Ganz’ work on strategy, “Strategy is how we turn what we have into what we need to get what we want.” Being able to outline key steps enables one to clearly understand what must be done in order to get what we want to achieve. Breaking down your strategy allows for one to effectively communicate what is needed and who must do it to produce outcomes that matter.

When turning strategy into action, my preference is Kanban boards. They offer a visual, interactive approach for better task tracking and adaptability. Breaking tasks into manageable chunks is crucial for success, identifying steps, allocating resources, and setting priorities. Kanban's visuals foster collaboration, enabling real-time adjustments and quick issue identification. It suits agile, fast-paced environments, while Gantt charts serve other purposes. Choose what suits your project, but always break down your strategy for success.

Breaking down your strategy into manageable tasks is like constructing a puzzle - each piece is vital to see the complete picture. This step requires more than just delegation; it calls for insightful task allocation and risk anticipation. With each task, assign an 'owner' to drive it, ensuring accountability. Acknowledge task interdependencies; they're the invisible threads linking your strategic puzzle together. Finally, remember, flexibility is key. In our dynamic business landscape, having an adjustable roadmap keeps you resilient while marching towards your strategic vision.

I crafted a Library of Congress recognized strategic growth plan for business owners, to support them in assessing the feasibility and effectiveness of their proposed action items. The process involves identifying three high-impact ideas towards a specific goal. Each idea is ranked as Hot, Warm, or Cold, while also assigning a timeframe for execution. Hot ideas are easily achievable with minimal resources, directly contributing to goal attainment. Warm ideas are moderately feasible, and Cold ideas are difficult, demanding excessive resources. Prioritizing Hot ideas ensures the ability to implement a high impact action item quickly and efficiently that require minimal implementation, a short amount of time and resources.

For initiatives that impact the enterprise as a whole, especially those that are cross-functional in their impact, it can be helpful to identify key influencers that can help champion the change. They may be a core project team member or they may not. Engaging them early in the process can be important to achieving your objective and aid in employee adoption that creates lasting change.

Prior to communicating your strategy, I would suggest you identify the stakeholders. The stakeholders would come from diverse groups, those could be from the government, academia, I/NGOs, corporate sector and others. Once you have a clear idea about the stakeholders who they are, what they do and how they can help implement the strategy, you can tailormake your communication to better reach the infleuntial groups.

Communication as a strategy leader is significantly important especially in teams where there is high talent density and candor between colleagues It always ensures that we are aligned on the vision of the product we want to build Companies where there is a clear communication of strategy end up having conflicts which lead to constructive criticism And constructive criticism is always beneficial to the growth of the product as the core of it is aligned on the key KPIs of growth In places where communication is limited - criticism is personal and always leads to divergent experiments which add little to no value ❤️

Coming from an SME environment, I have always kicked off the communication process with an all inclusive Town Hall meeting. Of course the more fundamental the nature of the new strategy, the more important this is. To some participants it may seem unnecessary, but for those that question and raise issues that the team may have overlooked, it is a valuable internal feedback loop at the start of the process.

Clear and effective communication is crucial to the success of any project. To avoid confusion and scattered information, it's important to overcommunicate and establish a single source of truth, rather than relying on emails, Google Drive, or papers. Make sure to utilize project management tools with discipline. Sharing the project's strategy is essential to engage stakeholders, gain buy-in, and align everyone towards the same vision, objectives, and plan. Clearly defined roles promote collaboration and accountability. To keep everyone informed and aligned, use tools like presentations, standing meetings with clear agendas, and dashboards. With seamless communication, the team can execute the strategy and achieve our goals.

Using Agile methodology with sprints is important to both move fast and not race too far down the wrong path. Set targets with dates and deliverables, assign responsibilities, then stay the course until that next assessment point. At that point, re-evaluate direction, strategy, underlying assumptions based on data and criteria for decision making.

To identify and address issues or gaps, vigilant risk monitoring is crucial. Watch for risks like schedule slippage or scope creep, which can derail projects. Conduct regular progress reviews, encourage open communication, and empower the team to raise concerns. Implement contingency plans to swiftly address emerging issues, ensuring the project stays on track and adaptable to changing circumstances.

When you acknowledge your team's efforts, you create a motivated and empowered workforce. According to a Harvard study, happy employees are 21% more productive, demonstrating the power of motivation. By showcasing and communicating the results and impact, you inspire and motivate others and build trust and credibility for your strategy. Awards, testimonials, and case studies are great tools to celebrate and share your successes. Remember that a positive and supportive atmosphere is crucial for fostering innovation and collaboration, which are vital in successfully executing your strategy. This will reinforce a culture of excellence and drive your team towards even more significant achievements.

We preparing a report for SLT, I thank each team for their help, and engage the teams to input their specific results into a broader deck. This allows each team to highlight their work and successes, and any optimization that could be taken. When I present to the SLT, I ensure that I highlight the specific successes of each team and how it fed into the overall success of the campaign. After the presentation, I provide feedback to the teams and celebrate together the success. I can then also give updates on future campaigns if planned.