The US military defines strategy as an overarching construct outlining a combatant commander’s vision for integrating and synchronizing military activities and operations with the other instruments of national power in order to achieve national strategic objectives. This translated into a more relatable definition might be initiatives employed and synchronized to achieve goals and objectives.
In my experience, a common mistake when creating a strategy is not synchronizing essential organizational elements, e.g., vision, mission, goals, and objectives.
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In my experience, a common mistake when creating a strategy is not synchronizing essential organizational elements, e.g., vision, mission, goals, and objectives. Often, we start with our goals and backward plan. This is a great first step, but we should also ensure our goals are synchronized and aligned with our vision, mission, etc. Failing to leverage a strategy to synchronize and nest vision, mission, goals, and objectives while monitoring the results of a strategy sets the conditions for less-than-optimal results. Before we get too far into this discussion, I think setting the background and context for this series is essential. Throughout my career, one of my hobbies was studying organizational design. What makes good organizations run smoothly and accomplish their tasks and missions effectively and efficiently? I have had several opportunities to assess and create organizations from scratch. I thought exploring the tools and processes I used to create or assess organizations might be fun. This series focuses on organizational design and function and may interest two groups of readers. First is the young professional interested in growing as a leader and manager. Second, the executive who might be looking for a quick mental refresh on a subject. Reflecting on my career, I tried to think of things I wish I had known and appreciated more deeply as a young leader and manager. I think it would have benefited me to understand better the interconnected nature and impact of essential foundational organizational elements. In a manner of speaking, this series could be thought of as a letter to my younger self. I would also like to acknowledge a couple of key points. First, although there are commonalities across all industries, there are also differences. Second, in my opinion, the size, e.g., the number of people in the organization, and working conditions, e.g., in-person, remote, etc., make some of the points raised in this series more or less applicable, e.g., an organization with 20 employees may not find a vision statement as impactful as a 2000-employee organization. All of that is to say that some topics discussed in this series may not be as relevant in some industries or organizations. Although the points discussed in this series have helped me throughout my career, they may not be as relevant in all situations. Hopefully, some of the points raised will help you too. To that end, it’s essential to acknowledge that the word strategy can have various meanings and contexts in different industries and people. For example, it’s not uncommon for people to use the words strategy and plan interchangeably or put the two words together strategic plan. In either case, the intent is the same: a synchronized initiative to achieve goals and objectives. A well-planned and executed strategy incorporates multiple organizational elements and is validated through feedback loops utilizing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Creating a strategy is complicated and becomes even more challenging when ensuring synchronization throughout the organization. Depending on the organization’s size and the complexity of the strategy, it may be necessary to break the strategy into Lines Of Effort (LOE) and assign ownership to multiple individuals and teams. The military defines a line of effort as operation planning, using the purpose (cause and effect) to focus efforts toward establishing operational and strategic conditions by linking multiple tasks and missions.
At the risk of oversimplifying, another wise, very complex idea: 1) strategy is an action or series of actions that align with a mission and goals, 2) external forces will react to the actions being taken within the strategy, 3) reactions and outcomes of the strategy in motion will need to be monitored through feedback loops, 4) the strategy will need to be adjusted based on inputs from the feedback loops. The key to successful plans and strategies is how an organization can react and adjust its strategy.
“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.” – Theodore Roosevelt |
Please feel free to share your own experiences in the comment box below.
Your shared thoughts may help someone else going through a similar experience. Thank you.
Readiness Review Checklist
- Is the strategy synchronized with the organizational vision and mission? A strategy or plan that isn’t well synchronized across the organization risks driving the organization away from its stated goals.
- Are the strategy’s goals and objectives synchronized with the mission and vision? If the strategy for achieving goals and objectives isn’t well aligned, there is a risk of less-than-optimal outcomes.
- Are feedback loops in place to validate the strategy? Feedback loops are critical to ensuring the strategy/plan is working.
- Are the feedback loops’ Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) formally reviewed and inform the strategy? Monitoring the outcomes of a strategy is the only way to know if the strategy should be modified.
Good Luck and Stay Ready, My Friends.
Useful Resources:
- Making Great Strategy: Arguing for Organizational Advantage, by Glenn R. Carroll and Jesper B. Sørensen. This is a book exploring the idea of organizational strategy and how to implement it.
- A Plan Is Not a Strategy, Harvard Business Review. I thought this video was a great discussion of plans and strategies.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this document is informational only and does not constitute professional advice or recommendation.