Execution Excellence: Bridging the Gap Between Strategy and Results using data and digital

Everyone talks about execution excellence and are quick to blame implementation discipline of the team when strategy doesn’t work. In my experience there are 4 Gaps that if addressed realtime can lead your team to success. Here’s how one may consider automating this process.

GAP 1 – Awareness and Alignment:

95% of a company’s employees are unaware of, or do not understand, it’s strategy” – Kaplan & Norton

• Data-Driven Insight: Use surveys and quizzes to measure employee understanding of the strategy.

• Digital Solution: Implement a centralized platform to share strategic information and facilitate discussions.

A tip to communicate the strategy effectively: “If you want to get everyone in the company on the same page, then you need to literally get everything on one page.” – Verne Harnish

GAP 2 – Capabilities, Resources, and Tactical Plans:

The organization’s long-term success is based on a set of differentiated capabilities and it’s core competency.” – Pearl Zhu

• Data-Driven Assessment: Conduct capability assessments to identify strengths and weaknesses.

• Digital Tool: Utilize project management software to track progress and allocate resources efficiently. There are many tools like Smartsheet, Trello, Monday.com etc that allows for integration of database and other apps to bring all your activities and outcomes together in one dashboard.

GAP 3 – Implementation Discipline:

Discipline is doing what you hate to do, but nonetheless doing it like you love it – Mike Tyson

No more explanation is really needed on this aspect I guess. However for leaders the question is how to inspire our teams to such dedication.

• Data-Driven Tracking: Monitor key activities and outcomes using real-time dashboards.

• Digital Automation: Automate routine tasks to free up time for strategic initiatives. Especially routine analytics needed on resource allocation Vs spend, campaign exposure to target customers etc.

GAP 4 – Customer and Team Perception:

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning” – Bill Gates

Leaders and Marketers need to have the courage and humility to receive bad news both from customers and their teams. It’s hard to receive this on a strategy that one believes in so much, however it’s important to be reminded of two considerations:

• The Vision is important not the strategy. Even the best strategies are hypotheses put to test through implementation.

• It’s not important who is right, rather what is right when it comes to a strategy to achieve a goal

Not only customers, but also the implementation team can give us early warning signs on effectiveness of the strategy. It’s important to develop a system for open and realtime feedback. These may lead to minor tactical adjustments, identification of other gaps like awareness, alignment, capability or resourcing and even major strategy overhaul that may save precious time and resources early on in your journey.

• Data-Driven Feedback: Collect real-time feedback from customers and employees through surveys, social media listening and primary research

• Digital Listening Tools: Use sentiment analysis to gauge overall brand and employee sentiment. There are AI driven social media listening tools to evaluate the sentiment on a brand that may be leveraged.

By identifying and addressing these four gaps leveraging data and digital tools, you can significantly improve your organization’s execution capabilities.