Harrison 
Bridging the gap between strategy and execution is a skill in itself. One that requires a clear link between strategic intent and project implementation. But new projects often fail to get off the starting blocks. Here, we look at how leaders can put strategy into action to truly energize their teams.
If your strategy is unclear or your execution plan isn’t fully covered, your team may not know where to start. This is especially true if the delivery appears complex or has multiple interdependencies.
In such a scenario, it’s easy to get caught up in the counterproductive cycle of “analysis paralysis.” Although this process consumes a lot of time and resources, everyone tends to be wiser when deciding on a course of action. As a result, no one gets anywhere fast.
Next, there is the problem of strategies getting “lost in translation.” When development teams are asked, “Why isn’t anything happening?”, it’s not uncommon to hear the feedback: “We don’t really understand what you’re asking for.” These answers are passed on to the senior team and a large amount of communication occurs outlining the broader strategic vision.
The problem is that communication is rarely the cause of the problem. Rather, the steps to achieving the actual strategic goals are not clear. No matter how good your development team is, an overview is just the beginning. They need the next level, ideally an organizational and technical background, and clear guidance on what they have to do to make it happen.
This type of communication mishap happens more often than you might think. In our experience, when senior leaders take the time to explain exactly what is needed in a practical and easy-to-understand way, everyone comes together in the same way.
Without clear direction, developers tend to apply their own ideas to get results. And this can backfire.
For example, if your application development team doesn’t have the APIs they need to advance their development, or if your search team doesn’t have the right data, they may choose creative workarounds to fill the gap. . This is when shadow IT begins to emerge or build outside of the enterprise architecture. Delivery goals may be met and work may be completed, but it may cost more and create a greater support burden on your team in the long run.
Similarly, if one team gets notes but another doesn’t, it’s a sign that no one is working together or understands their role in the broader project delivery plan. A project can stall for just one reason.
deal with real problems
At the end of the day, getting things done depends on defining a meaningful portfolio of initiatives that everyone can follow together with clear terms of reference. It’s easy to say, but not so easy to put into practice. And there are many reasons why it’s difficult to make things happen and execute strategies.
First of all, CTOs face enormous administrative demands on a daily basis. Assessing and unraveling your company’s vision and creating an actionable roadmap for your development team takes time for quiet reflection and reflection.
So why not delegate certain financial and HR tasks to others to free up the headspace you need to define key strategic objectives in preparation for frontline delivery? , draft a communications plan to ensure the right information reaches the right people and everyone clearly understands the “what, how, and why” of the delivery plan.
Furthermore, not all team leaders or program managers have the prerequisite skills and competencies needed to execute a project. Therefore, they may need expert coaching to get them up to speed.
In our experience, this includes learning how to create action plans that break down large tasks into digestible chunks for developers, and focusing on how to coordinate and manage activities across feature teams. included.
What matters is that everyone is aligned and has what it takes to play their role.
Connecting vision and strategy to meaningful delivery is not as easy as it seems at first glance. We have often seen organizations struggle to execute on strategy because they are unable to establish a clear direction and execute in an agile and consistent manner.
The good news is that clearly identifying and articulating what success looks like, and defining the practical actions needed to reach this expected future state, can be very effective. This means that we can bridge the gap between strategy and execution in a unique way.
If you would like to chat about anything discussed in this article, please contact us.
