Actionable Strategy Drives Success
Almost 70% of well-formulated strategies fail because of poor execution. While there are many reasons for this high rate of failure, in our work, we have found that the bridge from strategy to execution tends to fail due to one or more of the following reasons:
- The leadership team is not aligned
- The strategy is not aligned with the goal
- Lack of ownership and accountability
- Measures of success are not defined or communicated
- Initiatives and measures of success are not tracked
- Lack of engagement
Here is the good news. We have developed a methodology that helps organizations move from strategy through execution and realize success. We partner with leadership teams to develop an actionable strategy and to help bring the strategy to life, for everyone in the organization, so that they know how they do – and can – contribute to the success of the business.
Actionable strategy gives organizations the framework and mindset necessary to accelerate momentum and drive results while simultaneously developing leaders, aligning teams, changing the way the organization works, and energizing people. The process is quick and iterative, continuously reevaluating and refining strategic imperatives, long-term strategies, and short-term initiatives. Actionable strategy is fast, flexible, and time competitive.
Actionable strategy accelerates execution, enhances employee engagement, and drives performance and profitability. The process also identifies barriers to alignment, fosters communication, increases trust, drives better decision-making, improves operating discipline, promotes individual leadership development, and builds the capabilities of high-performing teams.
The shift to actionable strategy transforms the organization. In a “normal” environment, actionable strategy gives the organization a competitive edge. In an environment that forces agility, such as the one we are in, actionable strategy enables the strategy itself (and the organization) to become more agile.
Take the example of V12. Andy Frawley was first introduced to actionable strategy and the Brimstone methodology when he was CEO of Epsilon. When he accepted the roles of CEO and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors at V12, he immediately engaged Brimstone.
We worked with Andy and the leadership team to develop a strategy that would build a high performing organization and transform the organization from a provider of data to a trusted partner that delivered marketing outcomes.
Through the process of developing the initial strategy, V12 identified 10% of their cost structure that could be eliminated. The process also helped the company to identify their market realities, customer needs, and market opportunity. Together, this information resulted in a significant shift in the organization’s product offerings and go-to-market strategies.
When the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the US in March, V12 did not experience disruption.
The work Andy, the leadership team, and the entire V12 organization had done in the previous months had systematized actionable strategy. Whereas many companies were forced to shift to agile methods, this was already the company’s mindset.
“The powerful thing about the Brimstone methodology,” shares Andy, “is that it’s designed to be executed quickly and have the strategies be executed quickly. It allows the executive team to engage with associates through the whole organization, and that is powerful in terms of developing the strategy, but even more importantly in terms of communicating the strategy. The biggest challenge in times like we’re in now is that your strategy will evolve, and things are going to change. You need to be able to communicate this through the organization. Every associate, at a minimum, understands what is going on, and hopefully, they feel like they have had a voice.”
