An Agile Strategy Execution Framework Defined

​​Leaders of most firms today are painfully aware of how difficult it is to execute strategies effectively in their organizations.  Industry research has well documented this reality, with the needle barely moving over the past 20 years.  Adding to these woes are continued drop-off in employee engagement scores, a unique set of work life expectations from those early in career and even more challenges in executing needed business, operating model and culture changes. After years facilitating the strategic planning process, digitizing strategic initiative execution planning at the portfolio level, and driving metrics variance-based organization performance management systems, I’ve come to the conclusion that no matter what lens is used, current governance and decision making processes must become more agile. To do so leaders need to focus on achieving better organizational alignment, accountability and responsiveness.  For those unaware:

• ALIGNED means that all components of strategy (goals and objectives, strategic priorities, and initiative investment portfolios) are linked and coordinated.
• ACCOUNTABLE, means that all employees involved are committed with direct and visible line of sight to goals and strategy. They can see clearly the interconnectedness as well as their role and value contribution.
• RESPONSIVE means that there is in place a culture and governance process that supports ongoing adaptation and realignment to evolving or changing internal and external landscapes.

 
So how does a leader we make strategy execution more aligned, accountable and responsive i.e. agile? Based on customer experiences both large and small, Agile Strategy Execution co-author Alan Leeds and I, have built a revolutionary approach that we are calling the Agile Strategy Execution Framework. It integrates the strengths of agile concepts with strategy execution Best Practices, resulting in an easy to use set of principles and techniques that are organized in a meaningful, practical and quickly deployable way.  Note that the ASE Framework assumes that there is already in place a strategic plan with goals and strategies that are S.M.A.R.T. not just aspirational. (i.e. are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. )

Our ASE Framework™ is composed of six Dimensions, which are summarized as follows:

1. Building detailed execution plans that include projects, programs, and Run-the-Business (RTB) tactics. Each also needs defined metrics including baselines, targets and variance boundary conditions. 
2. Establishing a process or enabling in a software platform, mechanisms that align and link all of these plan elements directly to the strategies and the goals. It’s amazing what a difference it makes being able to see the specific projects that are expected to deliver the strategy and achieve the goal. 
3. Driving real-time updates, preferably weekly, which is only really possible with digitization. These updates must involve both self and team assessments of progress with transparency and visibility to all. 
4. Engaging leaders and executive sponsors in real-time collaboration, or Cadence Decisions to assess the broader roadmap relative to actual performance metrics and deliberate strategies identified.
5. Making available pools of investment funding, to enable Innovation Bets, that can quickly be used to speed up some aspect of a project or program, or to respond quickly to a new market dynamic or a specific customer hot issue. Next is Innovation Bets,
6. Refreshing quarterly the core business assumptions and transforming strategies as needed to respond to changes in customer or market landscapes.

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In addition are two enabling or disabling Influencing Factors:
The Culture Influencing Factor involves assessing formal vs. informal, and preached vs. practiced corporate culture. Leaders can then either use their culture as an enabling driver for managing change or if needed initiate processes to drive needed culture change.
 
Second is an Influencing Factor, Connected Governance,™ involves connecting leadership practices, employee engagement mechanisms and collaboration processes using leading edge digitization experiences to provide actionable intelligence.

This Agile Strategy Execution framework enables organizations to deliver timely value in an aligned, accountable and responsive way that contributes to the achievement of business outcomes because:

• It is inclusive and can be used with all strategy ‘Best Practices’ tools and techniques in place in 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 separately or together, in whatever order is best for the organization.

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