Comments on: Strategy versus Execution http://ciomind.biz/2006/08/31/strategy-versus-execution/ Do you REALLY want to know what’s inside? Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:58:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: James Holt http://ciomind.biz/2006/08/31/strategy-versus-execution/#comment-8 James Holt Wed, 10 Oct 2007 16:52:02 +0000 http://ciomind.biz/?p=5#comment-8 Can anyone cite the reference to the Forbes Magazine article that has the quote, “82% of Fortune 500 CEO’s surveyed indicated that they feel their organization did an effective job of strategic planning. Only 14% of the same CEO’s indicated that their organization did an effective job of implementing the strategy.” I've been trying to locate the original article but can't seem to find it. James Holt Can anyone cite the reference to the Forbes Magazine article that has the quote, “82% of Fortune 500 CEO’s surveyed indicated that they feel their organization did an effective job of strategic planning. Only 14% of the same CEO’s indicated that their organization did an effective job of implementing the strategy.” I’ve been trying to locate the original article but can’t seem to find it. James Holt

]]> By: Felix Enescu http://ciomind.biz/2006/08/31/strategy-versus-execution/#comment-7 Felix Enescu Tue, 28 Nov 2006 23:38:29 +0000 http://ciomind.biz/?p=5#comment-7 Very good points. Thanks for the comment. Very good points. Thanks for the comment.

]]> By: MrX http://ciomind.biz/2006/08/31/strategy-versus-execution/#comment-6 MrX Fri, 17 Nov 2006 19:35:55 +0000 http://ciomind.biz/?p=5#comment-6 I am relieved to see that other people face the same problem. I think I have an answer for myself on this topic and I share it with you. Let me have a fairly distant shot first. I used to work for a fairly sizable company and I was in charge of Strategic Controlling. One day the Board of Directors requested a strategy document. Based on Senior Management interviews we built a comprehensive strategy document in 3 month. We worked our guts out to prepare it. Was well received by the Board of Directors. If I remember correctly we even received some bonus:-) The lightning strikes in however. I got promoted to C-level in the commercial area... After the first shock and some wondering to find my new office I realized that I had a problem. I had to execute the strategy. I walked to my managers and explained them that we have to change the approach of the organization along the new strategy... -'WTF?' - they asked. I kept explaining what has to be done and the first attempts were disappointing. After a while I gave them two sentences and then gave an example: 'Imagine Strategy as frame. This frame needs a picture and the picture must be painted by you...' - 'WOW' - they said - 'Now we know.' Somehow we manage to TRANSLATE the idea and star speaking the COMMON LANGUAGE. What is the conclusion? I would refer back to your post saying 'The great glamorous strategic planning is for larger-than-life figure heads.' yes it is true but still I would insist on the great importance of strategy/strategic document. I think it is a question of how you perceive strategy. Mission - Vision - Strategy....- Business Plan - ... I think these 'Documents' are the iteration steps of an idea. Different levels of the organization have different level of freedom - hopefully capability - to think. A new recruit fresh graduate is not required to really understand vision but still has to understand the objective on what he can deliver. He gets direct and simple orders from the line manager. As it goes higher and higher on the scale the orders and less and less tangible... So I think Strategy is one step of the TRANSLATION and the chain of 'Documents' help to build the library of the COMMON LANGUAGE. I think that the COMMON LANGUAGE is a must for the success of the business. So Focusing on Strategic planning is a must to ENABLE execution. I dare to think that this is the real relationship. Strategy does not supersede execution or else considered as replacement but a strong enabler of execution by building the common library. I am relieved to see that other people face the same problem. I think I have an answer for myself on this topic and I share it with you.

Let me have a fairly distant shot first. I used to work for a fairly sizable company and I was in charge of Strategic Controlling. One day the Board of Directors requested a strategy document. Based on Senior Management interviews we built a comprehensive strategy document in 3 month. We worked our guts out to prepare it.

Was well received by the Board of Directors. If I remember correctly we even received some bonus:-)

The lightning strikes in however. I got promoted to C-level in the commercial area…
After the first shock and some wondering to find my new office I realized that I had a problem.

I had to execute the strategy.

I walked to my managers and explained them that we have to change the approach of the organization along the new strategy…

-’WTF?’ - they asked. I kept explaining what has to be done and the first attempts were disappointing. After a while I gave them two sentences and then gave an example: ‘Imagine Strategy as frame. This frame needs a picture and the picture must be painted by you…’ - ‘WOW’ - they said - ‘Now we know.’

Somehow we manage to TRANSLATE the idea and star speaking the COMMON LANGUAGE.

What is the conclusion? I would refer back to your post saying ‘The great glamorous strategic planning is for larger-than-life figure heads.’ yes it is true but still I would insist on the great importance of strategy/strategic document.

I think it is a question of how you perceive strategy.
Mission - Vision - Strategy….- Business Plan - …

I think these ‘Documents’ are the iteration steps of an idea. Different levels of the organization have different level of freedom - hopefully capability - to think.

A new recruit fresh graduate is not required to really understand vision but still has to understand the objective on what he can deliver. He gets direct and simple orders from the line manager. As it goes higher and higher on the scale the orders and less and less tangible…

So I think Strategy is one step of the TRANSLATION and the chain of ‘Documents’ help to build the library of the COMMON LANGUAGE.

I think that the COMMON LANGUAGE is a must for the success of the business. So Focusing on Strategic planning is a must to ENABLE execution. I dare to think that this is the real relationship. Strategy does not supersede execution or else considered as replacement but a strong enabler of execution by building the common library.

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