What’s Going Wrong with Strategy Execution?
Even the best strategies often fail in execution. Research continues to show that most organizations struggle not because their strategies are flawed, but because they can’t bridge the gap between strategic vision and implementation. If your organization isn’t in that exceptional minority getting it right, it’s time to rethink how you better execute strategy.
What the Strategy Research Says
Strategy matters.
- According to research from Bridges Business Consultancy, 48% of organizations fail to reach at least half of their strategic targets, and only 7% of leaders believe their organizations are excellent at strategy implementation.
- An IBM survey reported that less than 1 out of 10 strategies are effectively executed.
- Our own organizational alignment research found strategic clarity accounts for 31% of the difference between high and low performance in terms of revenue growth, profitability, customer loyalty, leadership effectiveness, and employee engagement.
6 Ways to Better Execute Strategy
Based upon change management training, project postmortem, and business strategy simulation data, here are ways to craft a more implementable strategy during your next strategy retreat facilitation session:
- Make Strategy Real — and Tailored to Your Business
Do the hard work to strip away ideas that sound impressive but lack real actionability. Avoid slogans that serve as rallying cries rather than concrete plans for what will truly move the needle in your organization.
A strategy that can be implemented isn’t generic — it’s specific, focused, and grounded in meaningful action. Ambition is important, but declaring that you want to be “Number One” is not a winning sales strategy; it means little without a clear, credible path to get there.
Is your strategy realistic, believable, and actionable enough to drive measurable progress?
- Narrow the Field
Strategic focus drives strategic results. Organizations succeed when they concentrate on the one or two strategic big bets that truly matter. Spreading effort too thin dilutes impact, adds complexity, and risks cultural misalignment. Be the tortoise, not the hare — deliberate, disciplined, and relentless in moving toward your goal.
Have you pinpointed the critical few strategic leverage points that will allow you to focus resources where they count and maximize your odds of success?
- Evaluate Strategic Execution Feasibility
Assess if your strategy is truly viable. Your strategy must go through your people and your culture to be successfully implemented. Continually ask implementation-based questions to challenge strategic feasibility:
— Will your corporate culture help or sabotage your strategic plans?
— Do your people have the competence, confidence, and support to pull it off?
— Have your strategic assumptions been vetted enough?
- Align Strategy Execution Support Systems
Regardless of your strategy, it will most likely involve some degree of organizational change. Make sure you create the collective mindsets, business practices, processes, systems, rewards, consequences, and communications to reinforce the key actions and behaviors required to propel your strategic plan forward.
Are you ready and able to invest in what it takes to see the strategy through?
- Set and Manage the Course
Once you have all agreed upon the strategic priorities, translate them into specific actions so that employees at every level understand what is expected. When there is a glitch or a barrier to success, repair or eliminate it. As long as you continue to move in the right direction, make decisions, take the calculated risks, and adjust the track as needed.
Have you explicitly set expectations and identified quick wins for the next 30-, 60, and 90-days?
- Finally, Stay the Course
A clear strategic plan is just the beginning. Leaders must continually communicate strategic objectives, measure strategic progress, and actively involve stakeholders to ensure understanding, buy-in, and continuous improvement. Do not underestimate how frequently leaders must listen, model, reinforce, and adjust.
Have you involved key stakeholders enough for them to want to stay the course?
The Bottom Line
Is your strategy being executed effectively across the organization? For a strategy to succeed, it must be clear, widely understood, fully supported, aligned with both talent and culture, periodically refined, and continuously monitored. It’s not easy — but it’s often the defining difference between success and failure.
To learn more about how to better execute strategy, download 3 Big Mistakes to Avoid When Cascading Your Corporate Strategy
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