Key Research Guiding Our Methods

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#1.  HBR Summary:  Why Strategy Execution Unravels-and What to Do About It

Harvard Business Review · March 2015 by Donald Sull, MIT, Sloan School of Management, Rebecca Homkes and Charles Sull.

Link to Full Article (Caution:  Do not publish or distribute.  Have interested parties get their own copy from https://hbr.org/2015/03/why-strategy-execution-unravelsand-what-to-do-about-it )

 

Authors conducted big study on execution.  Surveyed 7,600 middle managers, 250 companies – mid size and larger.  Key Points for IT Projects:

 

- 65%+ of the time, conventional strategy execution does not work for computer projects.

 

- 84% say boss and direct reports perform as promised all or most of the time.

 

- Only 50% say they can rely on those outside their department / chain of command to perform as promised (ROUGHLY SAME AS RELIABILITY OF VENDORS, DISTRIBUTORS, PARTNERS.)

 

- 66% of the time, conflicts with people outside their department / chain of command are handled badly or never.

 

- They are three times more likely to miss performance commitments because of people outside their department / chain of command.

 

- Systems for managing performance of people outside their department / chain of command LACK TEETH. Only 20% of managers believe these systems work well.

 

- #1 Issue Facing Company:  30% cite difficulty of adapting to changing customer needs. THIS IS WHY WE REQUIRE RAPID RESULTS METHODS.

 

- 33% think executives are in factions and focused on self interest ahead of company interest.

 

- 80% say their companies fail to kill unsuccessful initiatives quickly enough.

 

- TRAP:  TRYING TO DO TOO MUCH WITH TOO LITTLE:  Only 11% say all strategic initiatives in their companies have the funding and people needed.

 

- Computer projects get off track IN A HEARTBEAT:  Only 50% of CEO;s direct reports are clear on strategic priorities.  Only 30% of their direct reports are clear.  Only 16% of front-line managers are clear.

 

- TOO MANY CORPORATE PRIORITIES AND INITIATIVES: Cited as four times more likely to be the problem than lack of communication / understanding.

 

- Frequent Change of Direction / Message:  25% flagged as a problem.

 

- 78% of companies do a terrible job dealing with poor performers.

 

- 80% of managers believe poor cooperation from those outside their department / chain of command will not be effectively addressed.

 

Match Authority to Responsibility, As Close to the Work as Possible.  Micromanagement can work in short term but quickly breaks down.

 

- About 30% of Middle Managers Really Get Things Done. 90% of them hold team members accountable for results.

 

- Boundary-less Behavior Rewarded or Penalized:  Jack Welch at GE measured and rewarded.