As I sat across the table from the MD of a large global beverage organization, I realized that the door of opportunity was slowly closing and that it was only a matter of time before I was shown the elevator. The MD was adamant that they were executing their plans effectively; that everyone was aligned behind strategy and although he confessed to having some issues (hey! no-one's perfect) they were not related to execution. But, the whisperings around the corridors told me a different story. Morale was down; there was confusion as to what their strategy really was; and they were losing people. And still, I could see that door closing. And then, I asked the 10 questions! 10 questions that you should be asking of your company.
- On a scale of 1:10, with 1 being 'Not very important' and 10 being 'Extremely important' - where would you rate 'Execution of Strategy?'
- On a scale of 1:10, with 1 being 'Not at all well' and 10 being 'Excellent' - where would you rate your company on the 'Execution of Strategy?'
- If your company were to move just 2 points on that scale, what impact would that have on revenues?
- How do you monitor/measure how well strategy is being executed (i.e., what mechanism do you use?)
- How often do you measure it?
- On a scale of 1:10, with 1 being 'Not very important' and 10 being 'Extremely important' - how important is it that people throughout the whole organization are aligned behind strategy?
- How do you measure alignment and how often?
- What is the biggest challenge that you face regarding, a). the execution of strategy and b). getting people, resources and systems aligned behind strategy?
- How do these challenges affect your profitability/performance?
- If you could create the ideal solution, what would you like to improve or change?
After each question and his corresponding answers, I noticed a shift in his posture and his approach. He was now engaged. We were beginning to confront the real issues - the tangible issues of execution excellence and he could see the numbers. The door was beginning to open wider.
ian
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