Strategy is my FAVORITE thing to work on with organizations - dreaming of the future, prioritize what will be the next more important thing, pushing people mental agility to ignore the daily buzz - I could go on and on here. One common misstep I see leaders make is assuming "we have set strategy, our teams will make it come to life" and they don't build the diligence to follow-up. Too often, the execution phase becomes a nebulous process, left to teams to navigate with varying degrees of success. This is where the importance of a leader's consistent "pulse check" comes into play.
Maintaining a finger on the pulse of strategy progress and execution isn't about micromanaging. It's about ensuring alignment, identifying roadblocks, and fostering a culture of accountability. Think of it as a regular health check-up for your strategic initiatives. Just like a doctor monitors vital signs, leaders must monitor plans, key performance indicators (KPIs) and their gut to gauge the health of the organizations strategy.
The four things can set you and your organization up for success:
Monitor for early detection of deviations. If a project is falling behind schedule or failing to meet targets, early intervention can prevent costly setbacks. Waiting until the end of a quarter or year to assess progress is akin to ignoring a persistent cough until it becomes pneumonia. Check in at least once per month - the frequency can vary based on how crucial it is, the skill of the team, etc.
Fosters transparency and accountability. When leaders demonstrate a genuine interest in progress, teams are more likely to take ownership of their responsibilities. Regular check-ins provide opportunities for open communication, allowing teams to share challenges and successes. Integrate honesty about how it is going in your culture, it is better to know if something is off track and teach your team how to problem solve effectively vs sweeping it under the rug.
Enables agile adaptation. The business landscape is constantly evolving. What worked yesterday might not work today. By staying close to the execution process, leaders can identify emerging trends and adjust their strategies accordingly and bring teams along to see what you see. A rigid, inflexible approach to strategy implementation is a recipe for obsolescence.
Reinforce the importance of the strategy itself. When employees see that their leaders are actively invested in the strategic goals, they understand that these goals are not just lip service. This creates a sense of purpose and motivates teams to focus on outcomes vs just the activity.
What does this look like in action? Establish your rhythm - frequency of regular meetings, review data dashboards, ask questions and have informal conversations to have a clear picture of what is ACTUALLY going on and give honest feedback.