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won’t encounter cultural resistance. But if the changes are substantive, that’s where resistance, or worse, apathy kicks in. Ideally, employees at every level are engaged and actively seeking ways to add value to the organization. Disengaged employees not only do not add value, they (according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report) cost companies between 18 - 33% of their salaries. To achieve engagement, management must be clear and transparent about where it’s headed and be open to input and disagreement. It’s important to understand where that disagreement originates and why. Some resistance may be valuable. And bear in mind that it’s impossible to be engaged if your input is dismissed — either deliberately or inadvertently. In times of change, transparency matters. Intentionally amplify your internal messaging so the rank and file not only have a bead on the new horizon, but understand
strategic plan are those who bear the responsibility for its execution. You don’t compose strategy solely for external stakeholders. It’s primarily for the guys on the front lines who are digging the trench. A potential first breakdown of a new strategy is communication. Maybe your strategic aim is sound, but your communication needs revision. Most of the time strategic communication issues arise from lack of specificity. Goals get conflated with strategy. To keep things clear, wording is important. For example, growing market competitiveness may come about by lowering product cost, but “increasing production efficiency” is not an actionable strategy. It’s not specific enough. And unless leaders ask for feedback before the plan goes into place, they won’t see the problem until something goes awry. Before you put the patched inner tube back in the tire, hold it under water to see if bubbles come up. Feedback can reveal a second potential issue: the organization’s capabilities and constraints. Those employees who directly interface with, say, product development, supply chain, manufacturing, or customer relations have a first-hand, tangible knowledge of how things work. And don’t. That knowledge should be a cornerstone of any strategy. Only with an awareness of capabilities and constraints can strengths be optimized, shortfalls addressed, and resources aligned so strategy is realized. Third, feedback can point to specific cultural issues. If, for example, the company has any history at all, strategic initiatives are nothing new. Whatever might be new will always be seen by employees in the context of the old. “Oh, we’ve heard this before” or “It didn’t work then, why will it work now?” Often, leadership looks at strategic initiatives as a fresh approach to a problem or opportunity. But there’s no guarantee it will be seen that way by the rank and file — particularly if the new strategic initiative is the third or fourth they’ve seen. Lastly, a question: do you fully understand the obstacles that lay in the path of your goals? With input, you can bring those problems into focus and find solutions. Inventor Charles Kettering said, “a problem well stated is a problem half solved.” By the way, if you think you and your leadership team have the only answers, you might have fallen into a version of the “expertise trap.” Don’t assume that the C-suite automatically confers expertise in every area of the organization.
the course set for it. Provide for questions and be forthright with answers – even though you may not have the answers. An honest I don’t know, creates more trust than fear. Be very real about expectations and welcome other perspectives. It’s probable that a new strategy will ask employees to work differently and/or longer. Recognize that this difference should be compensated, or at least openly appreciated. In light of the effort that it takes to maintain a positive culture, it might
be argued that it’s not the strategy that falls short, it’s the people. It’s not unusual for leaders/managers to believe that strategy and execution are distinct; but the idea that they are inseparable isn’t new. In 1971, Kenneth Andrews who “has been credited with the foundational role in introducing and popularizing the concept of business strategy,” wrote, “Corporate strategy has two equally important aspects [strategy and execution], interrelated in life but separated … in study.” Practically, if a strategy doesn’t fully account for the various issues of execution, it doesn’t do what it was designed to do; i.e., it does not achieve the desired goal. The only fully successful strategy is one that is fully executed. Thomas Edison: “strategy without execution is hallucination.” So, what if execution is part of strategy? The first audience — the first customers, if you will — for a
32 Harbert Magazine, Spring 2025
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