Putting Strategy into Action

When strategy meets execution, new growth happens.

Dealbreaker to execution

The existing gets in the way of executing the new. New ideas often show up as part of annual goals. Goals are not strategy. Strategy in business is how the business goes after an overarching goal(s) in its unique way. It’s not better products or better customer service. Strategy is built from core competencies that enable the business to do what it does differently than others in a meaningful way and ultimately protect it from competition.

Execution can be tough when you have a business that is doing well and people are comfortable doing their current roles. Execution of new strategies, goals and ideas can be tough because it means splitting time between comfortable, established tasks and uncomfortable, new tasks. These new tasks are essential for new growth opportunities.

A strategy document easily becomes long and sits on the shelf…not being looked at. The strategy, goals and plans were good. Being out of sight is the dealbreaker to execution. A strategy does not need to be long but it does need to be meaningful in what it is saying. It needs to distinguish between core business, growth opportunities and the core competencies that go across all.

Core business vs. Core competencies

Core competencies are what equip your business to do what it does better than others. Core competencies are present in both core operations and as new growth opportunities are pursued. A great strategy and strategy-on-1-page speaks to both improving the existing business, new opportunities and strengthening core competencies. In the day-to-day, it becomes easy to just focus on the core business/ existing operations or new opportunities. Long term success is built on all three: core business, new growth opportunities, core competency development.

‘Strategy-on-1-page’ tool

This post and tool are not a strategy session. Strategy needs to be crafted through one’s own reflection and unbiased outside perspectives for meaningful strategy design.

Use your existing process or reach out for help with designing your 3-5 year vision and how to translate it into a 1-year strategy with goals, initiatives, key activities and success metrics.

From your existing strategy work, you can create this 1-pager.

If you do not have existing strategy work, a 3-5 vision or related work, you can still start with this 1-pager. It can be a great way to stress test where better core competency clarity is needed.

Every team member should feel like they have at least 1 initiative that they can clearly see how their work impacts its success. They should be able to make their initial project plans or action plans based on the high level details in the Strategy-on-1-Page. They should have an indication of where they should be focusing: should they get more efficient at their core processes to make room for a new project or do they need to be compliant to their core processes (as they are) at a 95% level because it is critical for other projects that they are delivering consistently.

Posting the Strategy-on-1-Page interrupts existing patterns of working and decision making.

It’s not enough to talk about it. Give people their own printed copy. Encourage them to hang it up at their desk, where they can see it. This is not for clients. This is for individuals to use in their daily work:

• In the morning, to prime individuals for how to organize their day

• In challenging activities, to lean in and continue to work on it

• To keep others informed of progress because they see how this task impacts other projects and bigger goals

• When running behind, to reach out for help

• To have more urgency in completing tasks to meet the upcoming goal

• To get in and get out of must-do but low-value tasks so they have enough time to do the growth work

Exceptional leaders have tricks, tools, systems, etc. for learning and doing.

Ways to Link to daily action:

Strategy-on-1-Page is a way of priming our mentality and decision making by having it in clear view while we work. Here are are few ways to keep it in view while working:

• Desk/Workspace Wall: post this 1-Pager where you/team members work. Both you and your team can have a cheatsheet that is visible while you work.

• Notebook: first page of daily notebook so it can move with you/team members with ease. Add to your planner/notebook/binder where you manage your work daily.

• Monthly Team Meeting: review with the team monthly. Energy flows where your focus goes. Show the team how to connect strategy to execution by quickly reviewing this 1-pager at monthly team meetings. Especially important for the first few months of the year while people get used to goals and to connecting their work to the goals in a practical way.

• 1:1 Meetings: link individual’s work to 1 or more big initiatives. Make sure it’s clear how important their work is to the team accomplishing the goals for the year.

• Project Planning: each initiative/project listed on the Strategy-on-1-Page should have a project plan with all the weekly actions, owners and timelines needed to accomplish the big activities and results.

• Orientation of New Hires: make it easy for a new hire to know what’s important with this 1-pager on what the strategy and priorities for the business are this year. A new hire has a lot of information coming at them so this will be powerful for them. Make it easy for them to focus on learning their job while connecting it to the bigger strategy and goals of the organization.

Stay motivated - aim for at the 3 month point that members of the team start referencing the 1-pager on their own. That they are tying their efforts to bigger goals and initiatives.

Use it. Make it your own. Why this works is that it is another way of connecting strategy to daily action.

Download Template

Something to think about…

Core competencies & VRIO

In entrepreneurship, Core Competencies are what make your business Valuable, Rare, Inimitable and Organized for success. Core competencies are not better quality, better customer service or your niche. They are not the product or service that you offer. It is the competencies that your business has that make it possible for you to have the offerings you have, design new offerings and compete without competing. A strategy is not just a big goal or an action plan, a strategy is how a business goes after a goal using its unique core competencies.

My experience with this has been leaning into the uncomfortable zone of genius. In a previous newsletter, zone of genius (by Gay Hendricks) is beyond our zone of excellence and adds to what we are good at with unique abilities we can develop to have truly new impact in the world. When creating my Strategy-on-1-Page, it split efforts between three areas: the base work, freeing up time/etc. and core competency development. This means new team members, streamlining certain processes and committing to spending more time in the uncomfortable zone of genius. This coming year (and subsequent years) are exciting times!

“Action alone gives life to our goals”

- Jeff Shore