The Agile Strategy Execution Framework

In my previous blog, I proposed that a way to drive more effective strategy execution (and solve the strategy execution problem) lies with leveraging the strengths of evolving agile methodologies and existing strategy execution best practices. This new discipline that I am calling ‘Agile Strategy Execution’ involves translating strategy into a reality that is ALIGNED, ACCOUNTABLE and RESPONSIVE.

• ALIGNMENT means goals and tactics are cascaded, linked and coordinated.
• ACCOUNTABILITY means team buy-in and ownership is driven by real time data and outcomes.
• RESPONSIVENESS means ongoing adoption and/or pivoting of company/department plans to support changing market or competitive landscapes. 

What is evident is that we don’t need more or different tools, processes, techniques or templates. There are certainly enough new “shiny objects” that are developed and touted by books and white papers each year. What is missing is a flexible, easy-to-use, consistent set of principles and techniques, organized in a meaningful, practical and quickly deployable framework. This framework takes the current plethora of strategy processes and tools, applies agile concepts to them, and organizes them into Dimensions and Influencing Factors.
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Specifically, this Framework is composed of the following six Dimensions and two Influencing Factors:

Dimension #1: Detailed Plans and Metrics: This involves incorporating a systematic and disciplined approach that focuses on translating breakthrough organizational goals, objectives and strategies into specific functional area plans and their associated metrics.
Dimension #2: Align and Link: This dimension means ensuring that strategic goals are aligned and linked both vertically and cross-functionally driving progress/actions at all organization levels.
Dimension #3: Real-Time Updates: The Real-Time Updates dimension involve institutionalizing a transparent ‘single source of truth’ online for all plan reporting and then driving real-time plan updates based on day to day ‘triggers’, ensuring properly prioritized schedule of work.
Dimension #4: Cadence Decisions: This dimension means ensuring proactive real-time resourcing & course correcting solutions to manage prioritization & backlog decision-making processes.
Dimension #5: Innovation Bets: Innovation Bets involves identifying and executing small opportunities to study, pilot or test new innovations that reflect current market conditions, new technology or other advances.
Dimension #6: Refresh or Transform: This last dimension involves formally reassessing and revising core business assumptions and any required renewing, updating or revising of strategic or tactical operating plans, priorities, linkages and alignment.
There are also two key enabling or disabling Influencing Factors that must be considered:
Influencing Factor #1 Culture Impacts: The culture influence factor involves executing mechanisms to assess and exploit formal vs. informal, and preached vs. practiced culture and initiating a process to drive any needed culture changes so that employees are actively engaged.
Influencing Factor #2 Connected Governance™: Connected Governance™ involves the strengthening of accountability by linking Leadership, Employee Engagement and Collaboration through a Digital Experience.

The benefits of such an approach are that:

• It is inclusive and can be used with all best practice tools and techniques used by organizations today.
• It is strict in intent, yet flexible in delivery style.
• Success can be measured, showing before and after results.
• Each dimension can be worked on separately or together, in whatever order is best for the organization.

These are attributes that are critical for agility and effective business strategy course correction in the era of the Internet of Things and advanced digitization.  Organizations will be able to more easily manage changes in their internal and external market and customer landscapes.
 
This strategy Execution Framework is the subject of a book entitled Agile Strategy Execution Framework- Revolutionizing the How, soon to be released by Gaye Clemson and Alan Leeds through Amazon.com, and for the ASP Global Webinar Series in February 2017.   If you are interested in more information about the Agile Strategy Execution Framework, please go to www.aseframework.com to watch a short animated video, read more about the Strategy Execution Framework and Maturity Model or join our pre-release distribution list.
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