Your Company's Strategy: A Hidden Dilemma
Your company has a strategy, but your team members often have no idea what it is, according to Steven Macdonald, founder of OKRs Tool. His company's recent survey of 180 leaders reveals unsettling insights into strategy execution.
The Survey Results
- 86% of leaders stated that most team members cannot name the company's top priorities.
- Only 7% reported that most of their work aligns with stated priorities.
- 83% of leaders indicated that there is no automatic signal when their work deviates from the plan.
Beyond Communication
The initial assumption might be that the issue lies in communication, but the survey challenges this notion. While communication is essential, the root cause is a structural one.
- A strategy confined to a slide deck becomes a mere broadcast, quickly forgotten by most employees.
- Decisions that shape the strategy's implementation occur in various tools and conversations, disconnected from the strategic document.
The Structural Gap
The real problem lies in the absence of systems that keep strategy visible at the operational level:
- 60% of leaders revealed that off-track priorities are never resolved.
- 39% of priorities simply vanish without decision, escalation, or acknowledgment.
The Accountability Shortfall
The consequences are severe:
- Ambition is not the issue when priorities drift unchecked.
- A mechanism is needed to make off-track states visible early on, enabling timely correction.
The current review cadence, often monthly or quarterly, is insufficient to catch and correct drifts before they compound.