Execution Foundations – Communications

Communicate and feedback regularly and openly

Executives should have excellent communication and interaction skills and processes to drive strategy execution and to minimise blame and negative silo cultures within the organisation.

Transparent and open information sharing, knowledge transfer, and common dialogues across organisational boundaries and silos are key drivers for successful strategy execution. It is essential that everyone understands their performance measures, targets, and conditions for organisational success and are fully committed to them.

Transparent communication requires the organisation to break down silos and enable a boundary-less organisation whose culture is focused on the performance of a healthier whole. Unnecessary silos invite hidden agendas rather than welcome efficient cross-functional collaboration and problem-solving.

Organisational silos are the root cause of most workplace problems and are why many of them never get resolved. In a workplace where silos exist, problem-solving is more difficult because of self-promoters — rather than team players fostered by a cross-functional environment.

Breaking down silos allows a leader to engage their employees to get their hands dirty and solve problems together. It becomes less about corporate politicking and more about finding resolutions and making the organisation stronger.

Failing to share information when making a decision can also increase the organisation’s exposure to negative risk, especially reputational risks. Best available information is required for sound decision-making and effective strategy execution.

The usefulness of information is enhanced if it is comparable, verifiable, timely, and understandable. Information can be obtained from two types of sources:

  • Direct sources — observations and measurements of actual process operations or their outcomes.
  • Indirect sources — measures that are derived from processes or outcomes under consideration.

Combinations of measurements from the various sources are chosen for necessity (depending on availability) or for convenience (timeliness, cost, etc.).

Successful strategy execution involves making the strategy real for employees by translating it into meaningful language and actions. Making strategy work requires transparent, accurate, and timely feedback about actual organisational and individual performance. Use that feedback information to fine-tune the corporate strategy, objectives, organisational performance, and the strategy execution process itself.

Get the corporate strategy out of binders and into the hands of employees by implementing a communication and awareness programme that is specific to the corporate strategy, the execution process, and organisational context and maturity. 

Implementing the corporate strategy also involves managing the strategy execution process, which includes:

  • Monitoring and review of the process, performance, and outcomes.
  • Comparing to actual results, benchmarks, and best practice.
  • Evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of the process.
  • Controlling for variances and deviations.
  • Making necessary and timely adjustments or changes to the process.

Failure to communicate the corporate strategy widely and effectively may create suspicion and anxiety that undermines team effort and trust to execute the strategy and may guarantee failure of the corporate strategy itself.

As it may be impossible to align every single employee’s objectives against the corporate strategy, organisations should provide all employees with information, training, and tools to manage their own strategic alignment and performance. If they have access to information about the corporate strategy, objectives, key performance indicators, and progress-to-date on achieving those performance commitments, motivated individuals should be able to align themselves in ways previously unimagined, thus providing a positive momentum or driver for successful strategy execution.