| "Most great plans aren't. They are just
| |
| | "'Strategic initiative?' No, it wasn't
|
| nice, high-level ideas."That's how one of
| |
| | 'strategic' and it wasn't an
|
| our survey respondents answered our
| |
| | 'initiative'. Calling something a
|
| question, "What are the top three
| |
| | strategic initiative doesn't make it
|
| obstacles that prevent great plans from
| |
| | one."It seems that many of our strategic
|
| reaching effective implementation?"
| |
| | planning sessions stop halfway, before
|
| Despite the universal chatter around the
| |
| | there is a plan. "Very little planning,
|
| need to be "strategic", and the untold
| |
| | if any, goes into the implementation
|
| hours spent developing strategic plans,
| |
| | process." "Undeveloped intentions." Maybe
|
| it appears that they don't work nearly
| |
| | you know some of these people:
|
| often enough. And based on the spirited
| |
| | "Frequently the person with the great
|
| responses we got from the generous folks
| |
| | idea is not an execution giant." While no
|
| who answered our survey, it seems that
| |
| | one is advocating using masking tape on a
|
| many have been involved in a strategic
| |
| | paint-by-numbers picture, how about this
|
| plan that failed. Of course, we all know
| |
| | example of how to do it right: "the
|
| it's not YOUR fault!If it's any
| |
| | Microsoft of today NEVER rushes in ...
|
| consolation, even the big boys can't seem
| |
| | they wait to see how things shake out,
|
| to get it right. Many more than Ted
| |
| | steal some early ideas, perfect them,
|
| Turner are disappointed in the results
| |
| | then smash everybody they can and conquer
|
| from the AOL/Time Warner merger strategy.
| |
| | the world."Inquiring minds want to know
|
| Arthur Andersen had a great strategy,
| |
| | what a strategy document is really for.
|
| except for the one little loose thread
| |
| | "A strategy document almost NEVER
|
| that allowed the entire company to
| |
| | actually states what is to be done from
|
| unravel. And what happened at Kmart,
| |
| | day to day and a way for employees to
|
| Xerox, and Polaroid? These are
| |
| | track their actual progress. Most
|
| organizations that all had the wind at
| |
| | strategies stop at the 'conceptual stage'
|
| their backs at one time or another, and
| |
| | rather than actually give very SPECIFIC
|
| now you have to wonder if their
| |
| | tasks to be done." "Concept not cascaded
|
| management could lead a dogsled team to a
| |
| | throughout the organization so that
|
| meatpacking plant.OK, so no need to affix
| |
| | individuals know how it applies to them
|
| blame; let's focus on fixing the problem!
| |
| | and their job." "Unable to break the
|
| The purpose of the survey was to identify
| |
| | project down into doable actions." If all
|
| key contributors to strategy failure so
| |
| | this sounds like a lot of work, perhaps
|
| raised awareness could guide our clients
| |
| | this says it all: "Ideas are easier to
|
| to proactively avoid them. What follows
| |
| | talk about than do."Passive ManagementIn
|
| is a recap of the responses from the top
| |
| | fourth place is a category I call
|
| five categories (in no predictable order,
| |
| | "Passive Management." This is
|
| I'll warn you!), along with excerpts of
| |
| | characterized by assuming that things
|
| quotations that help clarify the points
| |
| | will run themselves after we get them
|
| speedier than a bullet on amphetamines.
| |
| | started, which is about as likely as
|
| These five categories reflect the most
| |
| | being hit by lightning while being eaten
|
| popular -- although not necessarily the
| |
| | by a shark. Instead, I suggest that
|
| most significant -- responses we
| |
| | implementing strategic plans is more like
|
| received, out of approximately 25
| |
| | keeping plates spinning atop a number of
|
| categories. Their pervasiveness certainly
| |
| | pointed sticks. If we don't put forth a
|
| warrants our attention. By addressing
| |
| | regular effort to keep them spinning, the
|
| these five obstacles, you can expect to
| |
| | plates will fall down and the sticks will
|
| more successfully implement the plans you
| |
| | end up in uncomfortable places. "When the
|
| devise and participate in, even if a past
| |
| | implementation phase begins there is not
|
| experience felt more like a
| |
| | enough follow-through -- or follow-up for
|
| do-it-yourself mugging.CommunicationsThe
| |
| | that matter -- from senior management."
|
| number two response to our question about
| |
| | "Poor and inexperienced management to
|
| strategy failure should be familiar to
| |
| | execute the plan."Notice the subtle
|
| all: Communications. Since we can't get
| |
| | difference here from leadership. While
|
| it right at home -- with one in two U.S.
| |
| | leadership is expected to communicate the
|
| marriages ending in divorce -- what makes
| |
| | vision and support it with demonstrable
|
| us think we're going to get it right at
| |
| | actions, management is expected to know
|
| work?Poor communications seems to take
| |
| | how to execute the individual tactics.
|
| many forms. Apparently, some groups like
| |
| | "All talk and no action, failure to
|
| to develop strategic plans, and then hide
| |
| | assign and hold individuals accountable
|
| them under a rock. But they don't do it
| |
| | for delivering on the assignments." "No
|
| on purpose. "The failure to communicate
| |
| | one takes total charge and follows up
|
| the vision and strategic objectives to
| |
| | when someone doesn't meet commitment
|
| stakeholders" may mean that the
| |
| | dates." "The objective ... is written
|
| developers of the strategy aren't getting
| |
| | down on paper ... and nicely filed away."
|
| out enough information for folks to
| |
| | Here is what seems to be missing: "...
|
| understand what they're supposed to do
| |
| | this is the objective, this is how we're
|
| with it. "New initiatives or objectives
| |
| | going to get there, here is your part in
|
| are outlined but not communicated
| |
| | the plan and you will be held
|
| throughout the organization as to how the
| |
| | accountable."Like leadership, management
|
| new objectives should look and feel, what
| |
| | is not easy either: "It takes a special
|
| steps to take, time-frame, etc." "Poor
| |
| | person to be able to define strategies
|
| communications among team members
| |
| | and to plot out and manage others in how
|
| responsible for decisions in
| |
| | to achieve those strategies. Most fail
|
| implementation. Expectations and opinions
| |
| | because they assume their team has the
|
| are not shared openly, thoroughly, and
| |
| | wherewithal to pull it off and they
|
| effectively.""Every tactical action
| |
| | therefore do not manage the process." I
|
| supporting the strategic objectives needs
| |
| | must say, I was surprised to learn that
|
| to be included in an overall
| |
| | people want more management -- at least
|
| communication plan so that the strategy
| |
| | where implementing strategic plans is
|
| is reinforced." There's an interesting
| |
| | concerned!Motivation and Personal
|
| idea: an overall communication plan.
| |
| | OwnershipOur last category is actually
|
| Other responses also indicate that lack
| |
| | our first category. This most popular
|
| of communications routinely allows plans
| |
| | category of Motivation and Personal
|
| to die out after their launch. "No
| |
| | Ownership contains responses focused on
|
| regular internal press to generate
| |
| | the question, "What's in it for me?" This
|
| momentum." "Lack of better marketing
| |
| | is not to imply that we're all a bunch of
|
| efforts." Apparently all goes quiet, kind
| |
| | selfish, greedy, self-serving individuals
|
| of like a mausoleum after the
| |
| | -- although recent headlines could
|
| entertainment goes home. This contributor
| |
| | certainly make that case successfully! --
|
| didn't hold anything back: "The
| |
| | it's really that people are looking for
|
| communication sucks! Organizations become
| |
| | the meaning in what they do. In other
|
| introverted in their communication
| |
| | words, they want to show up for more than
|
| strategies, whether the group is a large
| |
| | just a paycheck. People want to build
|
| company or a small team."Communication is
| |
| | something, make a difference. "Don't
|
| also much more than words and pictures.
| |
| | understand the purpose, goal is
|
| Communication is also delivered through
| |
| | minimized, vision disappears. No
|
| demonstration. "The management team does
| |
| | enthusiasm to make it happen. The bottom
|
| not follow the strategy themselves." We
| |
| | line, how will it affect ME?"More effort
|
| all know about the hypocritical "do as I
| |
| | is needed to help people understand how
|
| say, not as I do" admonition. What does
| |
| | getting behind the company's goals can
|
| that scream about the value of the
| |
| | support their personal goals. "The I/me
|
| strategy? That behavior will raise
| |
| | mentality that is so prevalent today. If
|
| eyebrows faster than a cook who won't eat
| |
| | it works for me -- it works for me! Let
|
| his own cooking!LeadershipWhich brings us
| |
| | everyone else deal with it." "You must
|
| to leadership, which was the fifth most
| |
| | have some kind of desire or necessary
|
| popular category. From these responses we
| |
| | will to implement the plan. You must have
|
| can learn that leadership is much like
| |
| | some kind of image of the outcome." The
|
| fly-fishing -- when you're up to your
| |
| | message here is that you -- personally --
|
| waist in it, it's suddenly much harder
| |
| | must desire the outcome. Perhaps that
|
| than it looks! "Most leaders grossly
| |
| | lack is what causes, "lack of buy-in from
|
| underestimate what it takes to lead
| |
| | the entire group." "Typically the
|
| effectively." "Failing of leadership
| |
| | initiative fails because the people
|
| starting and ending at the top." "Lack of
| |
| | responsible for implementing it are not
|
| a true motivating leader." This
| |
| | convinced of its value."What are the
|
| contributor offered some specificity:
| |
| | symptoms when there is no motivation
|
| "Weak leadership. This results in
| |
| | personal ownership? "Employee
|
| improper resource allocation, lack of
| |
| | resistance." "Lack or no sense of
|
| buy-in, poor follow-through, inadequate
| |
| | urgency." "Inability of individuals to
|
| checks, misaligned goals/ strategies/
| |
| | view strategic planning an important and
|
| actions, inefficient rewards and
| |
| | exciting part of their job." "Lack of
|
| punishments, cover-ups, etc."This
| |
| | employees' support." "Lack of better
|
| respondent noted that there was enough
| |
| | sales efforts." "Lack of initiative at
|
| blame to go around: "Not a lack of
| |
| | the lower levels of implementation, the
|
| leadership from the main person in charge
| |
| | 'front lines'." "Lack of ability to
|
| but from either a lack of ability or the
| |
| | arouse enthusiasm." In summary is this
|
| lack of 'willingness' from other
| |
| | prediction: "The project will never
|
| personnel who are needed to step up and
| |
| | succeed if there is no emotion or passion
|
| truly lead the effort to bring the
| |
| | involved."ConclusionPay attention to
|
| strategies from paper to production." The
| |
| | Motivation and Personal Ownership,
|
| message here is that we are all called to
| |
| | Communications, No Plan Behind the Idea,
|
| lead from wherever we are, even if we're
| |
| | Passive Management, and Leadership, and
|
| not at the top.Not all management teams
| |
| | you'll be ahead of the strategic planning
|
| are blessed with skilled leaders.
| |
| | game. These observations and insights can
|
| "Management team and/or owner not
| |
| | help you improve your success rate with
|
| experienced/skilled enough to carry out
| |
| | implementing strategic plans, so it
|
| the strategy." Some have titles
| |
| | doesn't feel like doing the splits over a
|
| associated with leadership, but not the
| |
| | case of dynamite.If you have had "great
|
| authority: "No assigned champion/true
| |
| | plans" fail -- I've lost personal count!
|
| owner of each project who has the
| |
| | -- take what we have learned here and
|
| authority to implement." I was taught
| |
| | embrace a new plan for those "high-level
|
| that you must delegate authority at the
| |
| | ideas." Let's also learn from Napoleon
|
| same time you delegate responsibility.
| |
| | Hill: "The majority of men meet with
|
| Lastly, we have leaders who are just
| |
| | failure because of their lack of
|
| plain stubborn, kind of like a mule with
| |
| | persistence in creating new plans to take
|
| a good parking space at the mall:
| |
| | the place of those which fail." Braced
|
| "...'rogue' links in the management chain
| |
| | with this knowledge, you'll do clearly
|
| that distort the plan to suit their OWN
| |
| | better this time, and without need of
|
| vision, thus subverting the directive
| |
| | bullets or amphetamines!© 2002 Paul
|
| from the top without authorization." Now
| |
| | Johnson. All rights reserved.The survey
|
| I'm thinking fly-fishing is actually
| |
| | referenced above was conducted by e-mail
|
| easier.No Plan Behind the IdeaThe third
| |
| | between July 15th and August 1, 2002.
|
| most popular category is named, "No Plan
| |
| | Ninety-four respondents from a variety of
|
| Behind the Idea," captured in this
| |
| | business environments and roles
|
| summary: "Most great plans aren't. They
| |
| | contributed 321 individual responses.
|
| are just nice, high-level ideas." Those
| |
| | Those responses have been categorized and
|
| of you that have attempted to execute
| |
| | form the basis of our observations and
|
| plans that were as thin as the soles on
| |
| | analysis.Note: This article is available
|
| Newman's shoes may easily relate to this:
| |
| | for reprint at no charge.
|
