Well done – you listened to the experts, bunkered down and wrote a business strategy.
But don’t relax just yet.
Though organisations all over the world spend millions each year devising new strategies, Gartner says fewer than half actually execute on them.
You, my friend, are going to be in that elite group that executes – and succeeds. Because we are going to show you how.
Don’t actually have that business strategy yet? Start here.
Execution Rule #1: Map Out Your Action Plan
A business strategy is more than a list of goals. It’s a list of priorities, with detailed plans to reach each one.
Does this sound familiar? You sit down, brimming with motivation, ready to put your plan into action. But when you look at your list of projects, you have no idea which one to tackle first.
The marketing campaign looks interesting, so you start there. You open it up, then hit a wall because you realise budgeting has to be done first.
But before you start the budgeting project, you need last year’s sales data and this year’s forecast.
That’s two dead ends before you’ve finished your coffee. Your well of motivation’s run dry.
Without timelines and priorities, your project list will overwhelm you. At that point, many people will give up on executing their strategy before they’ve even started.
Execution Rule #2: Shine a Spotlight on Goals (and Progress)
According to Gallup, about three-quarters of employees don’t think their leaders even have a clear direction for the business. If you want your team to follow you, you’d better show them where you’re going.
And not just once. You have to keep those goals, and the progress you’re making toward them, front and center.
Everyone on your team is dealing with urgent-but-unimportant tasks that loudly demand attention. Strategic tasks will fade into the noise if you let them.
So don’t let them. Post your goals in a high-visibility space, either in your office or in your shared virtual workspace. Talk about them often.
Make a progress review part of the agenda at your weekly team meeting.
Blast out a Slack message when a milestone is near and again when it’s reached.
Let employees see how their individual contributions move the company forward. “Increase retention by 20%” is a lot less inspiring than, “The customer service team turned 10 potential cancellations into contract renewals this month, moving us closer to our retention goal.”
When the finish line is not only visible, but visibly moving closer, you’ll find the motivation you need to keep pushing ahead.
Execution Rule #3: Appoint an Accountability Partner
It’s a fact: you can nearly double your chances of reaching a goal just by appointing someone to hold you accountable.
Think of all the time and money executives spend on coaches and workshops and motivational speakers to help them manifest their vision.
Then realise that not one of those things is as effective as just having a person on your team whose core responsibilities are:
Championing goals
Following up on daily actions and milestones
Identifying and removing obstacles that crop up along the way
In a perfect world, your team members could hold each other accountable. In the real world, that’s easier said than done.
Because if Vicky is Chris’s accountability coach, who’s holding Vicky accountable?
You can follow it up the chain, but at some point, someone’s left to see to their own accountability. And any failure cascades down.
Or perhaps you pair people up to be accountable to one another. But if Vicky didn’t get her planned tasks done this week, she’s not likely to put much pressure on Chris. And she certainly doesn’t have time to remove his roadblocks.
Easier and more effective: bring in an expert who deeply understands business strategy and has no agenda other than getting your team to its goals.
Execution Rule #4: Destroy Procrastination
Everyone procrastinates, especially when projects seem big or finish lines seem far away.
The solution: regularly scheduled Rapid Fire Zones.
This is a mandatory meeting that’s not really a meeting. Once everyone on the team is in a room together, you all go heads down, tails up working on your own, individual projects.
There are a couple of reasons this works.
One, by blocking the time, you can focus on the task at hand. For that time, there is literally nothing more important you could be doing.
Two, leaving your regular workspace to gather with your team – even if it’s in a virtual room – separates you from your usual procrastination triggers and go-to busywork.
Three, accountability pops up again. When you see everyone else on your team working on their projects, there’s a quiet pressure to work on yours, too.
The best ways to be productive based on YOUR personality type
Execution Rule #5: Build a Check-In Culture
Those elite businesses that execute their business strategy do it as a team. Everybody has a role to play, but nobody can carry a goal across the finish line all on their own.
Schedule regular one-on-one check-ins between managers and the members of their team. This isn’t a chance to berate people who haven’t hit their milestones. It’s a chance to dig into obstacles and brainstorm solutions.
There should also be regular team-wide check-in sessions. At these gatherings, review the progress the team has made toward its goals and work together to remove individual roadblocks.
Execution Rule #6: Be Prepared to Pivot
Regular check-ins keep team members moving forward, but they also have another benefit. They keep your finger on the pulse of your strategy so you can react quickly if the business climate takes a turn.
When disruptions like a labour strike or a supply chain breakdown upset a carefully orchestrated business plan, many businesses toss the strategy aside.
But companies that successfully execute their strategies are twice as likely to have adjusted their plans based on changing circumstances.
By working towards goals in 90-day sprints and checking in regularly with team members’ challenges, you’ll be in a better position to pivot your strategy to dodge threats and seize opportunities that arise.
Execution Experts Bring It All Together
Nobody plans to invest in a beautiful business strategy and then leave it to gather dust. They just get caught up in All The Things it takes to keep a business running day after day.
It’s like being a fan of a losing sports team. Their motto is, “Ah well, there’s always next year.”
The Zembr Strategy Execution Program is the missing link that makes this your year. Our business strategy experts:
Work one-on-one with your team to create achievable plans for each goal, including milestones, timelines, and ideal outcomes
Track your goals and metrics in our accountability software for 100% visibility
Check in with team members every week to keep them moving forward
Bust procrastination with regular Rapid Fire Zones
Meet with individuals fortnightly and teams monthly for accountability
Submit fortnightly progress reports to keep management on top of progress
Organise an end-of-quarter celebration if the team reaches 95% of quarterly goals
It’s a combination of new technology and old-fashioned personal follow-up to make the goals you envision a reality for your business.
