Every organization wants to operate at its peak, but even the best-run companies encounter challenges that hinder progress. Recognizing these warning signs early can help you avoid costly delays and ensure that your strategy is set up for success.
Kristin Leydig Bryant’s extensive experience working with organizations on executing strategy has been invaluable in shaping this post. A recent conversation between us about how these challenges show up in real organizations sparked the ideas, which we developed together.
Here are five telltale signs that it’s time to get back on the balcony, roll up your sleeves on the dance floor, and get serious about strategy execution. Let’s use our very own Strategy Execution Model to guide the way! Your first clue will reveal itself in the IMPLEMENT phase.
1. Middle managers make decisions that surprise you.
If middle managers are throwing curveballs with their decisions, it’s likely your strategy isn’t hitting home with them. These moments of misalignment, especially when decisions contradict broader objectives, indicate a breakdown in the IMPLEMENT phase. Effective implementation means ensuring that platforms, processes, and people are all working in harmony and that key stakeholders have clarity on priorities. Surprising decisions, whether good or bad, usually suggest gaps in communication or alignment.
2. Your dashboards leave you feeling like something is missing.
Dashboards are supposed to be your organization’s crystal ball, so what do you do when the picture is fuzzy? If your data doesn’t paint a full picture or you have a nagging feeling that critical insights are missing, it’s time to revisit how you TRANSLATE strategy and MEASURE progress. Misaligned metrics or insufficient data can create blind spots, making it difficult to hold teams accountable or course-correct when necessary. Success metrics must be meaningful, transparent, and directly tied to your strategy’s desired outcomes, striking the right balance between leading and lagging indicators.
3. You realize your managers are working with the same information sources they used five years ago.
Outdated information in environments that change rapidly can lead to missed opportunities or strategic missteps. If your managers lack access to current data or fail to adapt to new market realities, it’s a sign that your organization needs to focus on the ADAPT phase. Executing strategy execution isn’t static; it’s an ongoing process of refining plans, anticipating changes, and ensuring agility. Without the ability to pivot quickly, your teams risk falling behind.
4. You just wrapped up your annual business strategy, and now the real fun begins!
Congratulations on finishing your strategy! But let’s be real—drafting it was just the warm-up act. The headliner? Turning that beautifully crafted plan into action. From aligning organizational needs to adapting as priorities shift, the Strategy Execution Model ensures your grand vision doesn’t gather dust. Now’s the time to roll up your sleeves and make it happen!
5. You foresee that teams lack the capabilities or tools to meet the demands of your future state.
Preparing your teams for what’s next is mission-critical in today’s whirlwind business world. If you realize that your teams—or the managers a few levels down—are not equipped with the right skills or tools to execute your strategic vision, it’s a clear sign you need to revisit how you understand your organizational capabilities. This aligns with the UNDERSTAND phase of our Strategy Execution Model: grasping market needs, identifying skill gaps, and ensuring that your team’s capabilities align with future demands. Without this foundational understanding, your strategy will falter.
Additional Signs to Monitor: People, Processes, Financials
In addition to these five signals, there are other signs that your strategy execution might need some TLC:
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People: Do your teams feel overburdened, disengaged, or misaligned? People are the backbone of execution, and any disconnects here will have ripple effects across the organization.
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Processes: Are your processes breaking down or failing to meet the demands of your growing organization? Frequent, conflicting requests from different parts of the business may indicate a need to streamline execution systems.
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Financials: Are costs lower (or higher?) in unexpected ways? Are your teams allocating their financial resources efficiently? Cost surprises and misaligned budgets can signal deeper strategic issues.
To read more about the work of translating leadership direction into action by braiding strategic elements, visit this post by Kristin, “Mastering the Braid: How to Execute Business Strategy Effectively.” And Ned Wasniewski’s insightful “What is Strategy Execution and Why Is It Important for Leaders?” dives into the skills and behaviors required to execute strategy well.
Recognizing these signs early can help you take proactive steps to strengthen your strategy execution. By aligning your efforts with the phases of our Strategy Execution Model—Understand, Translate, Implement, Measure, and Adapt—you’ll build a resilient organization ready to tackle future challenges. After all, strategy isn’t merely about what you plan to do; it’s about how you make it happen.
To learn more about our award-winning offerings in strategy execution, head to our Executing Strategy page.
