Pub. 1 2011-2012 Issue 1

6 H aving a plan for your school is important but it is the execution of the plan that produces results. Bookshelves and file folders are filled with expensive, well-inten- tioned strategic plans that fail to be communicated or implemented. Walter Kiechell wrote in Corporate Strategists Under Fire that less than 10%of effectively formulated strategies carry through to suc- cessful implementation.Most educationboards, administration and staff have experienced this dynamic and are rightfully frustrated. BARRIERS TO STRATEGY EXECUTION What, potentially, prevents your school’s strategic plan frombeing implemented? Our research indicates six key themes: No Compelling Vision Over time, organizations either advance towards their vision or oscillate – making one step forward followed by two steps back. It’s the yo-yo dieting approach to organizational improvement. A clear compelling vision draws the organization towards a desirable, future state. Without a compelling future state, organizations get stuck on a treadmill – exerting effort and putting in hours, but never make measurable progress. At the end of a planning session, ask the planning team to look at the plan summary. Then ask: “Do you want to be a part of this future? Is this something you care about?” If not, either the plan is incomplete or there is a poor fit between the organization and some individuals. Unclear Goals and Strategies In the absence of clear goals, people bring their ownbest guess about what should be done. Authors Brent Peterson and Gaylan Neilson describe the efforts toward these unclear goals as FAKEWORK. In the absence of clearly defined goals, organizations focus on activity which may or may not be aligned with their strategic priorities. 63% of people surveyed did not know where their company was going and why. - Harris Interactive Poll …or Too Many Goals Individuals and leaders are limited in how many goals they can effectively accomplish at a given time. Lack of strategic clarity coupled with a ‘Do it all’ mentality chokes the organization, reduces output, decimates scarce resources and leads to em- ployee burnout. You don’t have a strategic plan if you haven’t said “no” to some of your options. Unclear Roles for those Responsible for Execution Peter Drucker stated that all grand strategies devolve into work. Those responsible for performing the work must clearly under- stand their role and resources. If responsibility is spread across a large number of people, nobody ends up doing the work. No System for Tracking Goal/Project Implementation Effective organizations make strategic decisions, document their goals and project plans, and manage the implementation process. Goal tracking tools such as accountability grids and project portfolio management systems are useful for tracking implementation progress. Unable to Confront Reality Effective organizations adapt rapidly to changing conditions. Leaders cannot adapt to changes they are unable or unwilling to see reality. Organizational theorist Ram Charan wrote: “Execution is a systematic way of exposing reality and acting on it. Most companies don’t face reality very well — that’s the basic reason they can’t execute.” Now you have a plan, but implementation is what makes it meaningful. In our experience working with education, mili- tary, government and corporations, we find that the barriers to implementing strategy and the disciplines associated with executing the plan are very similar. PLANNING WITH A BIAS FOR ACTION By Charles Dayton, CEO | ActionStrategy