“A Really Great Talent Finds its Happiness in Execution” – Johann Wolfang Von Goethe

The success of any organization lies in not only creating a clear strategy but also executing it. In order to successfully execute these strategies organizations have to have a deeply involved team as Involvement level is = Commitment level. Organizations find it difficult to keep employees committed during the execution phase. There are a few things which have to be taken into consideration in order to avoid poor execution of strategy.

Clarity of objectives

The first challenge in poor execution of strategy is the lack of clarity of the objectives of the company. When the goals are unclear to employees they won’t know where to focus their attention and execution starts with Focus. Employees would end up doing work which does not align with the company’s goals and objectives if they are unaware of the wildly important goals they have to focus on.

Communication is the key to this challenge; communicating the objectives to the team in a very clear way. Exceptional execution starts with narrowing the focus, narrowing down things that will support employees in clearly identifying what has to be done from by them which will support the organization in successfully executing its strategic objectives. This will also let employees remain engaged with the real priorities.

Absence of commitment

The organization will suffer if the leaders or the employees aren’t committed, as an uncommitted team will struggle in meeting the end objectives of the organization. Very often the pressure is also very high which, combined with the lack of emotional connection with the goals leads to poor execution. Additionally, at times senior leaders are not fully committed in the implementation of the strategy which adds to the failure of execution.

Commitment towards the goals comes from having a stake in its success. Involvement of the employees in making the strategy will make them feel being more connected to the goals. Hence to increase commitment levels it is critical to align rewards for good performance to execution success.

Being Accountable

Accountability is crucial in order to see through the successful implementation of the strategy planned.

Taking stock on a weekly basis with accomplishments of milestones and checking on the overall progress of the goals they are committed to, will ensure accountability amongst the employees. By conducting these meetings jointly with peers it will stimulate an exchange of ideas which will not only help them but also motivate them to work better. It also helps in keeping the performance towards the goal high and will ensure that the employees are highly engaged, self-starting team.

Lack of Trust

Trust is one principle which keeps the team together and it lays the foundation for a successful and productive team. There is a direct connection between the level of trust in the organization and the performance of the people working in the organization. If the employees have a high-level trust in the organization then it becomes easy for the successful execution of any strategy.

The decision makers of the company have to inspire trust through their character, competence and credibility. Compelling trust is the highest form of motivation.Increasing transparency and moving the discussion from people to process will increase trust. The leader should lead by example and keep the commitments they have made; this behaviour inspires and motivates the employees which increase their trust in the organization. Making commitments builds hope; keeping commitments builds trust.

Lack of Decision making skills

For effective execution of any strategy, good and timely decision making skill are required by the leaders. If there is indecisiveness  decision making will be seen to be weak and uncertain and employees would lose faith in the leadership and won’t be motivated to give their best in the execution. People expect a clear “Yes” or “No”; it's the “Maybe” that kills them and their morale and discretionary effort.

It is better to have grade-B strategy and grade-A execution than the other way around as Execution impacts everyone whereas Strategy is normally done by a small handful of Key Personnel and hence tougher to build and sustain.

Whether you have a perfect solution for an everyday problem or a bold new business concept, success depends upon the ability to execute the most important goals.