What are the key factors that can make the implementation of strategy easy and effective?

Definition: Strategy implementation is the execution of the organization’s strategic plan to achieve its long-term goals and objectives. It is a process of turning plans into actions to achieve desired outcomes.

The success of an organization depends on the implementation of strategies. Developing strategies on paper is easy; however, implementing them on the ground is the hard part. The right strategy implementation ensures the organization achieves its goals.

Strategic implementation is the fourth process of strategic management. 

Steps Required for Strategy Implementation

Seven steps are required to implement a strategy.

1. Define Goals
2. Develop the Strategic Plan
3. Assign Roles and Responsibilities
4. Assign Tasks
5. Execute the Plan
6. Monitor and Control the Progress
7. Deliver the Deliverables

#1. Define Goals

Setting goals is the first step toward a successful strategy implementation. Without a goal, the organization and employees will be directionless and unmotivated.

The goal should be clear, well defined, achievable, and support the organization’s culture, objectives, and mission.

#2. Develop the Strategic Plan

After selecting the strategy, the organization develops the strategy implementation plan.

Developing a strategic plan is a collective process, and buy-in from all stakeholders is required. The plan should support the organization’s values, culture, and environment. 

A strategic plan has the following elements:

• Vision: Where a business wants to be after a certain time.
• Values: How a business will behave.
• Focus Areas: The area to be focused on to achieve progress.
• Objectives: What a business wants to achieve.
• Projects: How to achieve objectives.
• KPIs: How to measure success.

#3. Assign Roles and Responsibilities

After setting the goal, assign the roles and responsibilities to each employee. This helps set expectations and avoid conflicts.

Strategic implementation requires strategic planning execution, and assigning roles is the first step towards executing the agreed actions.

Afterward, the business framework is selected based on the requirements and organizational culture. Some examples of frameworks are the Balanced Scorecard, McKinsey’s Strategic Horizons, etc. 

Choose a strategic framework that is easy to follow and fulfills business requirements. 

#4. Assign Tasks

Assign tasks to employees according to their skills and experience. Set deadlines and explain the importance of tasks they are undertaking so they can understand the big picture. It motivates employees, and they perform better.

#5. Execute the Plan

Here, the actual work takes place. 

The best-formulated strategy will fail if the execution is not right. Ensure that the employees complete the task as planned.

The managers must make themselves available to motivate and guide employees. This phase consumes the most resources and time. This part is the key to strategic implementation.

#6. Monitor and Control the Progress

Executing the plan and monitoring and controlling happen at the same time. Supervisors must ensure the work is progressing as planned.

If there is any deviation, the supervisor will take the necessary corrective actions.

Businesses can define KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to monitor overall progress. For each focus area, one KPI should be assigned. 

#7. Deliver the Deliverables

Here, the product is finally validated and delivered to the user. If it is an operation, the process will be continuous.

However, if it is a project, the project will cease to exist after delivering the product, and the project manager will release the team.

Review of Strategy Implementation

Strategy implementation is not a one-time task, it is iterative, and the organization always develops new strategies or modifies the existing ones. Managers must receive feedback from employees and users and pass it on to the management.

This feedback helps management take necessary actions to tweak the strategies and make them more robust. The strategy review must be done at regular intervals. 

Factors Affecting Successful Strategy Implementation

The following factors affect the strategy implementation.

• Top management support
• Skills of managers, supervisors, and ground-level workers
• Resource availability
• Organizational culture

Summary

Strategy implementation is not easy and requires a collective effort from top management and ground-level workers. Management must provide full support to managers, and managers must possess technical, communication, and interpersonal skills to motivate employees to carry out the planned actions.