Bridging the Strategy-Execution Gap: 4 key approaches for businesses to deliver successful strategies
- Written by Vishal Dhawan, Managing Director and President at Planview Asia Pacific
A strategic plan is more than just a document, rather it is a tool designed to drive transformational change in an organisation. However, a common challenge businesses face is failing to execute their strategies effectively and successfully. In fact, 50 per cent of strategic plans don’t come to fruition. This means 50 per cent of your company’s time and effort has resulted in a waste of resources, energy and money. A problem that will impact business outcomes, not to mention employee engagement and morale.
So, what prevents a company from executing its strategy? A key barrier is a lack of understanding that what starts as a strategy must translate into actionable tactics. Without a methodological way to turn one into the other, the original plan can devolve into something unrecognisable nor able to be executed. Often, strategic plans fall victim to internal misalignments – they will often pass through many different viewpoints, needs and misunderstandings, not to mention silos. Organisations often assume everyone knows what’s in the strategic plan. However, according to a recent study in Harvard Business Review, 33 per cent of executives can name only two of their company’s strategic priorities and 55 per cent of managers could only name one – and just 16 per cent of team leads (responsible for the execution of strategy) understood how major priorities connect to strategic initiatives. No wonder so many companies are unable to execute their strategies.
Fortunately, there are four key elements that make up an effective strategic plan that helps bring an organisation’s vision to life, thereby ensuring your company’s strategic plan is actionable and effective to reduce waste, improve efficiencies and ensure business continuity during unprecedented challenges.
But first, what is a strategic plan?
It is a plan that can be managed, tracked, and executed across the organisation. Ideally, it should account for outputs that cross departmental boundaries. The leaders create the vision, but focus on one that guides their people to design and develop options in which to navigate to solutions that will achieve the strategic goals. In other words, the plan is not prescriptive; rather, it describes the required outcome and empowers the organisation to find the best way there.
Rather than a reference document with a wish list of strategic goals, the strategic plan is tied to detailed roadmaps which translate “strategy statements” into quantitative plans. In other words, it transforms into specific, measurable actions that allow a company to achieve its goals. These can be used by departments to create priorities and determine objectives. In this way, strategic roadmaps result in enterprise wide engagement and drive transformation.
The 4 elements that make up an executable and effective strategic plan:
Clear prioritisation across silos. The truth is everyone works in a silo. Each person has different perspectives and priorities and work within the walls of their own biases. That is why a real strategic plan – one that translates into action – is so important. To enable real and successful strategic execution, leaders must link their strategic plan to a clear and comprehensive roadmap that spans the entire enterprise – one that provides an up-to-date, single source of truth and connects every team’s work to outcomes. Almost immediately, priorities are made visible to all teams, breaking down the silo wall. When all teams share common priorities, they understand the strategic importance of their tasks and work towards the same goal.
A big picture view and a pragmatic view. As discussed previously, a common challenge many organisations face is the lack of a substantive, methodological way to translate strategy into execution. Strategic roadmaps are crucial for translating broad strategic goals into actionable plans. They offer a big-picture perspective by outlining the overall direction and responsibilities of each department, while also providing a pragmatic view by guiding departments on how to implement the strategy effectively. This dual view empowers teams to use their skills to find the best way to make the strategy come to life and achieve desired outcomes.
Enabling top-down agile and flexible execution. The most effective strategic plans serve as guides rather than rigid frameworks. It empowers teams to create their own plans and adapt them to new insights, changes and learnings. Executing strategy often takes collaboration and expertise from multiple areas across the organisation. Agile companies embrace the flexibility this collaboration requires, and allow for the ability to allocate resources to key initiatives across departments at the right time. This allows for an effective and efficient strategy that is continuously evolving and improving.
Understand the impact of disruptions and how to navigate them. Disruptions, such as new regulations and, can impact productivity and strategy execution. It’s essential for organisations to assess these disruptions quickly and understand their impact – and how to ensure critical business functions continue during these challenges. Incorporating a business continuity plan into the strategic plan is key here. It allows companies to assess risk, identifying potential threats and mitigation techniques. In the case of the CrowdStrike outage for example, this could mean activating backup systems or shifting to manual processes. Scenario planning anticipated challenges allows organisations to operate business-as-usual, with minimal disruption.
Effective strategic planning tools capable of scenario planning and outcome management can help maintain alignment with strategic goals, identify which initiatives to prioritise and deprioritise, and prevent deviations from the established roadmap. Some tools may also leverage AI to generate strategic insights and recommendations using a company’s existing data.
In conclusion, a strategic plan is not merely a blueprint for future success but a dynamic tool that, when effectively executed, can drive transformational change across an organisation. By recognising and addressing the common pitfalls—such as lack of actionable tactics and internal misalignments — businesses can foster a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring long-term success and resilience in an ever-evolving landscape.
About Vishal Dhawan
Vishal Dhawan is Managing Director and President at Planview Asia Pacific. He is a seasoned technology leader with over 20 years of experience in the industry. He is a high-energy, hands-on leader passionate about building and growing businesses. Vishal has held numerous leadership positions at leading companies, including TechMahindra, Oracle, and Blue Yonder. In his current role, Vishal is responsible for scaling Planview's Asia Pacific operations. He is a proven "Rainmaker" with a track record of success in growing businesses and building high-performing teams. Vishal is also a strong educational advocate and has a lifelong passion for learning.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishaldhawan/
By Vishal Dhawan, Managing Director and President at Planview Asia Pacific
