During the golden decade leading up to the global financial crisis many respected business gurus sold the idea that either the 'strategy' or the 'implementation' needed to be right for success to follow. This mantra is no longer true with uncertainty being the new normal. Therefore to remain competitive, adaptable strategies are required that can be supported by achievable implementation. 

 

In our experience strategies are often too rigid, not sufficiently visionary and tend to overlook opportunities and risks that emerge within a shifting landscape. Strategies should be guiding principles and aspirations that engage stakeholders, layout the future as best as can be predicted and provide the impetus to develop implementable plans. Implementation on the other hand is often considered a much simpler concept to grasp, although ironically is usually much harder to do.​  So what are the fundamentals to getting this right?

 

Planning that considers achievable scope and objectives, competent resources, culture, the ability to embrace change,  infrastructure, budget and risk awareness provides a solid foundation. Discipline to make decisions aligned with objectives, honesty and integrity, and the ability to embrace adversity are inherent personal attributes; therefore engaging naturally disciplined resources is essential. 

 

Motivation can be high when engaged in new challenges however even high levels of motivation decline once fatigue sets in, leading to short-cuts in an effort to simply get over the line. Identify your long distance runners from your sprinters and combine them with professionals who know what to expect every step of the way.  Tools are not the cause of poor results according to elite professionals because they know that using superior tools is what sets them apart. Knowing how to use those tools effectively saves time and money, and gets the job done right the first time, every time.    

 

Getting the strategy right and getting the strategy implemented the right way is not easy; it requires precision in planning along with proven experience. Getting either wrong may be a legacy that no-one forgets, or ever forgives!​

 

Robert Wagner, Managing Partner