A better way to do strategy

Some of the most revealing insights about strategy do not come from textbooks or boardroom presentations but from what happens after the strategy is approved. I have seen organisations celebrate the completion of a strategy document as if the hardest part of the work is behind them. That is often where the real work begins – and, unfortunately, where many strategies quietly begin to unravel.

In one instance, we were invited to support the implementation of a strategy developed by a leading global consulting firm. It was a beautifully crafted document, well researched, logically structured, and professionally presented. Yet, when we engaged the organisation’s executives and senior managers, it became clear that very few of them could explain the strategy, let alone translate it into action. The strategy had been developed for them, not with them.

“Even when strategy is well-defined and properly measured, many organisations underestimate the importance of managing the human side of execution.”

Experiences like this are not isolated. They point to a deeper and more persistent challenge: organisations often struggle not with defining strategy, but with developing and executing it in a way that drives results. Research and practice suggest that this challenge can be addressed by focusing on five critical disciplines: co-creating strategy, treating strategy as a thinking process rather than a presentation, anchoring it in clear choices and KPIs, managing the people side of execution, and enforcing disciplined implementation through capability and resources.

The first of these is the need to co-create a strategy rather than outsource it. A common mistake organisations make is to rely heavily on external consultants or a small group of executives to develop strategy, with limited involvement from those who will ultimately execute it. While expert input is valuable, strategy must be shaped by the people responsible for delivering it. Donald Sull, writing in Harvard Business Review, notes that strategy execution breaks down when leaders and managers are not actively engaged in the process. Research by Floyd and Wooldridge reinforces this point, showing that middle managers play a critical role in both shaping and implementing strategy. When they are excluded, the result is often a well-written plan with little ownership. Strategy is not simply a document; it is a shared understanding that must be built collectively.

Closely related to this is how organisations approach strategy discussions themselves. Too often, strategy retreats become what I have described elsewhere as a “fashion parade”, a sequence of presentations by different departments, each highlighting their achievements and future. These sessions can be time-consuming and, ultimately, unproductive. Strategy expert Roger Martin argues that strategy is fundamentally about making choices, not delivering presentations. Organisations that treat strategy as a structured, problem-solving process, one that encourages diverse ideas and disciplined decision-making, are far more likely to produce actionable outcomes.

Another critical discipline is ensuring that strategy is anchored in clear choices and translated into measurable objectives. One of the most common breakdowns occurs when organisations develop KPIs without first establishing a coherent strategy, or when they default to business-as-usual metrics derived from job descriptions. Kaplan and Norton’s work on the Balanced Scorecard provides a clear framework for addressing this issue. They argue that performance measures must be derived directly from strategic priorities. When this alignment exists, metrics focus attention and guide behaviour. When it does not, employees may work hard but in ways that do not advance the organisation’s strategic goals.

Even when strategy is well-defined and properly measured, many organisations underestimate the importance of managing the human side of execution. There is often an implicit assumption that once a strategy is announced, people will naturally align with it. Resistance, confusion, and competing priorities are common. Kotter’s work on leading change highlights that transformation efforts fail when organisations do not build urgency, communicate effectively, and engage employees throughout the process. Beer and Eisenstat describe weak communication and lack of involvement as “silent killers” of strategy. Successful organisations recognise that strategy implementation is fundamentally a change process, requiring deliberate effort to engage people, shape culture, and sustain commitment.

Finally, strategy must be supported by disciplined execution, internal capability, and adequate resources. Many organisations invest heavily in generating ideas but fail to follow through. A strategy retreat may produce a compelling set of initiatives, but without structured implementation, those ideas quickly lose momentum. Ram Charan’s assertion that “execution is everything” reflects a widely supported view in both research and practice. Effective execution requires building internal capability – investing in people, systems, and processes that can deliver on strategic initiatives. It also requires allocating sufficient resources. Strategy without funding is aspiration without action. Equally important is the establishment of execution systems that track progress, enforce accountability, and sustain focus over time.

Taken together, these disciplines form a practical roadmap for strategy development and execution. They highlight a consistent message: the gap between strategy and results is rarely due to a lack of ideas. More often, it reflects a lack of ownership, alignment, engagement, and execution discipline. A strategy may define where an organisation wants to go. But only when it is co-created, clearly articulated, translated into measurable priorities, embraced by people, and executed with discipline does it deliver results.

Omagbitse Barrow is the chief executive of Efiko Management Consulting. He supports organisations and leaders to translate their strategy to results.