Execution Is a People Problem, Not a Strategy Problem

It’s hard to devise a smart strategy – but it’s ten times harder to get people to execute on that strategy. Although most organizations rely on communication plans to make the shift from strategic thinking to strategic acting, communication is not enough to drive execution. Strategy execution is about action. How can you align everyone’s efforts and help them accomplish the organization’s most important work? Consider the Big Arrow Process. Start by defining the one most important outcome you want to achieve, your Big Arrow. Then identify the people who are most essential to reaching your goal. Work with those people to determine their key contributions to moving the Big Arrow forward and the pivotal strengths that allow them to do so. To stay laser-focused, pick just one strength per person. Next, begin half-hour, one-on-one coaching sessions to make headway on the employees’ contributions to the Big Arrow. Collect data from these sessions and report trends and organizational obstacles to the leadership team. This feedback helps leaders determine which problems to focus on and gives coaches priorities for future sessions. Ultimately, strategy execution is not about a moment in time; it’s thousands of moments across time.