A major source of frustration for many senior management teams (and Boards of Directors) is the ineffectiveness of strategic execution — translating well-crafted business strategies into tangible results in today’s hyper-competitive markets. Far too often, tremendous energy is expended, but much of it is lost to organizational friction. Have you observed this phenomenon in your enterprise?
To reduce this friction, you need alignment (harmony) among three key elements: leadership, business strategy, and organizational culture. Further, you need alignment among the leaders themselves, especially around the meaning of the strategy — i.e., what it implies for decisions and actions.
Good alignment is achievable. It requires a precise understanding of where and why misalignment is occurring and a change-management process to address the issues. Further, in order to maintain alignment, it must be monitored and energy must be invested when necessary to keep leadership, strategy, and culture harmonized.
Towers Perrin-ISR has done ground-breaking work in determining the key cultural characteristics that affect the execution of distinct business strategies (such as innovation or cost leadership). Our senior leadership surveys can uncover hidden differences in how influential leaders interpret the implications of the business strategy. We use a tailored approach that adapts our experience and processes to each organization's unique circumstances.
|