{"id":10712,"date":"2017-01-06T11:03:33","date_gmt":"2017-01-06T11:03:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cloudypos.com\/songhaigroup\/?p=10712"},"modified":"2025-07-03T11:44:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T11:44:16","slug":"execution-is-a-people-problem-not-a-strategy-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cloudypos.com\/songhaigroup\/2017\/01\/06\/execution-is-a-people-problem-not-a-strategy-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"Execution Is a People Problem, Not a Strategy Problem"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Paul,* the CEO of Maxreed, a global publishing company, was having trouble sleeping. Publishing is an industry that\u2019s changing even faster than most other fast-changing industries, but Paul wasn\u2019t awake worrying about his strategy. He had a solid plan that took advantage of new technologies, and the board and his leadership team were aligned around\u00a0it. Paul and his team had already reorganized the structure \u2014\u00a0new divisions, revised roles, redesigned processes \u2014\u00a0to support their strategy.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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So what was Paul worrying about? People.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Which is precisely what he\u00a0should\u00a0<\/em>be worrying about. However hard it is to devise a smart strategy, it\u2019s ten times harder to get people to execute on that strategy. And a poorly executed strategy, no matter how clever, is worthless.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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In other words, your organization\u2019s biggest strategic challenge isn\u2019t strategic thinking \u2014\u00a0it\u2019s strategic acting.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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If I were to depict the challenge graphically, it would be going\u00a0from this<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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To this:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The conundrum is how to get from the first graphic to the second one. Most organizations rely on communication plans to make that shift. Unfortunately, strategy\u00a0communication<\/em>, even if you do it daily, is not the same as \u2014\u00a0and is not enough to drive \u2014\u00a0strategy\u00a0execution.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Because while strategy development and communication are\u00a0about\u00a0knowing<\/em>\u00a0something, strategy execution is about\u00a0doing<\/em>\u00a0something. And the gap between what you know and what you do is often huge. Add in the necessity of\u00a0having everyone acting in alignment with each other, and it gets even huger.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The reason strategy execution is often glossed over by even the most astute strategy consultants is because primarily it\u2019s not a strategy challenge. It\u2019s a human behavior one.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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To deliver stellar results, people need to be hyper-aligned and laser-focused on the highest-impact actions that will drive the organization\u2019s most important outcomes.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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But even in well-run, stable organizations, people are misaligned, too broadly focused, and working at cross-purposes.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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This isn\u2019t critical only for a changing company in a changing industry like Paul\u2019s. It\u2019s also true for fast-growing startups. And companies in turn-around situations. And those with new leadership. Any time it\u2019s critical to focus on strategy \u2014\u00a0and when isn\u2019t it? \u2014\u00a0the most important strategy question you need to answer is:\u00a0How can we align everyone\u2019s efforts and help them accomplish the organization\u2019s most important work?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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That\u2019s the question Paul reached out to ask me. Below is the solution we implemented with him at Maxreed. We call it The Big Arrow Process,\u00a0and it represents my best thinking after 25 years of experimenting with this very challenge.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Define the Big Arrow<\/strong><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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We worked with Paul and a small group of his leaders to identify the most important outcome for Maxreed to achieve over the following 12 months. Their Big Arrow had to do with creating a strategy and product roadmap that was supported by the entire leadership team. The hardest part of this is getting to that\u00a0one\u00a0<\/em>most important thing, the thing that would be a catalyst for driving the rest of the strategy forward.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Once we defined the Big Arrow, we tested it with a series of questions. If you answer \u201cyes\u201d to each of these questions, it\u2019s likely that your Big Arrow is on target:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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  • Will success in the Big Arrow drive the mission of the larger organization?<\/li>
  • Is the Big Arrow supporting, and supported by, your primary business goals?<\/li>
  • Will achieving it make a statement to the organization about what\u2019s most important?<\/li>
  • Will it lead to the execution of your strategy?<\/li>
  • Is it the appropriate stretch?<\/li>
  • Are you excited about it? Do you have an emotional connection to it?<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Along with that outcome clarity, we also created behavioral clarity by identifying the most important behavior that would\u00a0lead to achieving\u00a0the outcome. For Maxreed, the\u00a0behavior was about collaborating with trust and transparency. We determined this by asking a few\u00a0questions: What current behavior do we see in the organization that will make driving the Big Arrow harder and make success less likely? We then articulated the opposite, which became our Big Arrow behavior.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Identify the Highest-Impact People<\/strong><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Once the Big Arrow was clear, we worked with Paul and his HR partner to identify the people who were most essential to achieving the\u00a0goal. Doing this is critical because you want to focus your efforts and resources on the people who will have the most impact on the Big Arrow. In the case of Maxreed, we identified 10 people whose roles were core to the project, who already had organizational authority, and who were highly networked. With other clients, we\u2019ve identified many more people at all levels of the hierarchy. As you think about who might be the appropriate people, ask the questions: Who has the greatest capacity to affect the forward momentum of the arrow? Who is an influencer in the organization? Who has an outsize impact on our Big Arrow outcome or behavior? Those are the people you should choose.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Determine What They Should Focus On<\/strong><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Once we established the key people, we worked with each of them and their managers to determine their:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    • Key contribution to moving the Big Arrow forward<\/li>
    • Pivotal strength that will allow them to make their key contribution<\/li>
    • Game changer, the thing that, if the person improves, will most improve their ability to make their key contribution\u00a0<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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      One of the things that makes this process successful is its simplicity. It\u2019s why we settled on\u00a0one\u00a0<\/em>pivotal strength and\u00a0one\u00a0<\/em>most critical game changer. Strategy execution needs to be laser-focused, and one of the biggest impediments to forward momentum on our most important work is trying to get forward momentum on\u00a0all\u00a0<\/em>our work. Simplicity requires that we make choices. What will have the biggest impact? Then we make that one thing happen.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Hold Laser-Focused Coaching Sessions<\/strong><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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      Once we made sure the right people had the right focus, we coached in laser-focused,\u00a030-minute one-on-one coaching sessions. Coaching is often used in organizations to fix a leader\u2019s flaws, but that is not the focus of this kind of coaching. Here, the leaders were coached to focus on making clear headway on their key contribution to the Big Arrow. These conversations only focus on larger behavioral patterns to the extent that they are getting in the way of the task at hand.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Collect and Share Data<\/strong><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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      Because we were coaching multiple people, we were able to maintain strict confidentiality with\u00a0the individuals being coached while collecting data about trends and organizational obstacles they were facing, which we reported to Paul and his leadership team. This wasn\u2019t just opinion survey data; it represented the real obstacles preventing Maxreed\u2019s most valuable people from driving the company\u2019s\u00a0most important priorities forward.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      One of the main challenges we uncovered was a lack of cross-functional collaboration. Armed with that insight, Paul was able to address this issue directly, getting the key people in a room together and speaking openly about the issue. Eventually, he initiated a new cross-functional Big Arrow process that included leaders from the groups that weren\u2019t collaborating. Identifying what\u00a0they needed to achieve together broke down the walls between the groups.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Amplify Performance<\/strong><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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      While Paul removed organizational obstacles, coaches continued to help Maxreed\u2019s most critical people address the particular obstacles and challenges they faced as they delivered their key contribution. Coaches addressed the typical challenges people struggle with when executing strategy: how to communicate priorities, how to deal with someone who is resistant, how to influence someone who doesn\u2019t report to you, how to say no to distractions, and so on. The coaching prioritized helping people build relationships on their own teams and across silos, which was supported by the data and the Big Arrow key behavior of collaborating with trust and transparency. Individuals aligned with the goals of the organization to drive continued growth and success.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      While the Big Arrow process is ongoing, we sent out a survey to people being coached as well as others outside the program to assess progress being made by the key contributors. Compared to before the coaching, are they more effective or less effective at making their key contribution, achieving the outcomes of the Big Arrow, and addressing their game changer? There were 98 responses to the survey:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Key contribution:<\/strong>\u00a090% said either more effective or much more effective.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Big Arrow:<\/strong>\u00a088% said either more effective or much more effective.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Game Changer:<\/strong>\u00a084% said either more effective or much more effective.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      In other words, the key contributors were getting massive traction in moving the organization\u2019s most important work \u2014 its key strategy \u2014 forward. This data was confirmed by Paul\u2019s own observations of the progress they\u2019ve made on their Big Arrow outcome, a strategy and product roadmap that is supported by the entire leadership team.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Maybe most important, the broader organization was noticing. Which, of course, is how you start a movement.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Paul is still working hard to continue the momentum of the strategic shift. That\u2019s the point, really: Strategy execution is not a moment in time. It\u2019s thousands of moments across time.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      But now, at least, it\u2019s happening.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      *Names and some details have been changed to protect privacy.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Peter Bregman is CEO of Bregman Partners, a company that strengthens leadership in people and in organizations through programs (including the Bregman Leadership Intensive), coaching, and as a consultant to CEOs and their leadership teams. Best-selling author of 18 Minutes, his most recent book is Four Seconds (February 2015)<\/p>\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      \n\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Paul,* the CEO of Maxreed, a global publishing company, was having trouble sleeping. Publishing is an industry that\u2019s changing even faster than most other fast-changing industries, but Paul wasn\u2019t awake worrying about his strategy. He had a solid plan that took advantage of new technologies, and the board and his leadership team were aligned around\u00a0it. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3355,"featured_media":10272,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cloudypos.com\/songhaigroup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cloudypos.com\/songhaigroup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cloudypos.com\/songhaigroup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cloudypos.com\/songhaigroup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3355"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cloudypos.com\/songhaigroup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10712"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cloudypos.com\/songhaigroup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10712\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cloudypos.com\/songhaigroup\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cloudypos.com\/songhaigroup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cloudypos.com\/songhaigroup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cloudypos.com\/songhaigroup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}