Abstract: Too often, leaders craft smart strategies and then are disappointed by their results.  The problem lies not within the strategy itself, but how it is interpreted and operationalized.  Learn how to develop leaders, at every level in your organization, to use their cognitive and interpersonal skills to translate strategies into clear direction and aligned action.

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Lost in Translation:
The Missing Link in Strategy Execution

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Today’s Moderator
@AndyWebcast
Andrew Bateman

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THANK YOU
www.insight-experience.com

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Today’s Guest Speakers
Nick Noyes
Founding Partner
Insight Experience
Karen Powell
Director of Program
Development & Delivery
Insight Experience

7. INSIGHT EXPERIENCE
www.insight-experience.com
152 Commonwealth Avenue | Concord, MA 01742 | 978-369-0639 | info@insight-experience.com
Lost in Translation:
The Missing Link in Strategy Execution
A webinar from Insight Experience
7

8. • Learn about a model to improve the effectiveness
of strategy execution
• Understand how other companies have put this
approach and underlying skills into action;
• Gain insight into ways to learn and apply the
model and skills at your organization
• Leave this webinar with some useful tools to help
you in the future
Outcomes for today
8

9. • Insight Experience creates dynamic business
simulation-based learning experiences that
connect leadership to business results
• We create group-based learning experiences at
all levels of management
• We work globally across all industries, with a
focus on Fortune 1,000 clients
• Team members have 20 years of experience in
the simulation industry
About Insight Experience
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10. We focus on four core leadership challenges
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Expanding Strategic Perspective
Executing Strategy
Leading Complex Organizations
Developing Front Line Leaders

11. Our experience with strategy execution
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1. We work with
organizations to
develop their
leaders’ strategy
execution skills
2. We observe
leaders executing
strategy
“real time” in
simulation teams
2 lenses

12. The problem with strategy execution
“90% of well-formulated strategies fail due to poor execution.”
– Harvard Business Review
“According to several surveys of top executives,
only 19% of strategic plans achieve their objectives.”
– Harvard Business Review
“69% of surveyed leaders are not confident in their
organization’s ability to execute strategy.”
– Minnesota Council for Quality
“61% of respondents acknowledge that their firms often
struggle to bridge the gap between strategy formulation and
its day-to-day implementation.”
– The Economist
12

13. …and if you dig a little deeper….
“Only 27% of a typical organization’s employees have
access to its strategic plan.
Many larger organizations don’t have a consistent way
to even describe their strategy, other than in a large
strategic planning binder.
60% of typical organizations do not link their strategic
priorities to their budget.
92% of organizations do not report on lead
performance indicators.”
– Harvard Business Review
13

14. The missing link: strategy translation
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Understand Connect Align

15. Strategy translation in action
Strategic
Direction
Operating
Decision/
Translation
Challenge
Reduce costs in the
business by centralizing to
Centers of Excellence
Price elasticity from
consumers and businesses
Highly competitive
marketplace
Cost pressure from
content providers
Close a Call Center
15

16. Understand
Let’s take a look at what she did
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Used market data and
asked questions to
form an understanding
of WHY centralization
was important.
Connect
Decided how to frame
the situation (what was
important, what
wasn’t) and mapped
her team’s impact to
the higher objective.
Align
Communicated openly,
regularly and with data
to develop
understanding and
commitment among
impacted employees

17. • You get buy-in and commitment, everyone is moving in
the same direction, everyone is working in the same direction
• You develop momentum
• You deliver results
• More ownership and connection to the strategy; ability
to control your own destiny
• More accountability
• Better transparency and robust dialog
• More clear, consistent stories to share
• People understand where they fit into the organization,
and how they contribute to strategy
The impact of successful strategy translation
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18. Understand Connect Align
Cognitive (Business, Financial, Strategic)
Two sets of interdependent leadership skills
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Interpersonal (Communication, Empathy, Accountability)

19. Understand Connect Align
Cognitive (Know Levels of Strategy; Build Information Sources)
First step: Understand
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Interpersonal (Ask Questions, Engage Senior Leaders)

20. Understand the strategy
As a leader you need to understand
the what and why of the strategy
• Strategy occurs at different levels in an organization
• Leaders across the organization benefit from knowing which
strategic decisions they need to understand, which they give
input to, and which they make themselves
• A concise set of questions is a useful tool for leaders to
understand strategy
• Leaders use cognitive and interpersonal skills to broaden
their information sources and engage senior leaders
20
Understand

21. Seven out of ten employees are “unknowingly
misaligned with your company’s strategic direction.”
– Kotter International
How low can it go?
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“Only 14% of employees understand their
company’s strategy and direction.”
– Leaderchat.org
“Ten percent of employees understand
their company’s strategy.”
– Fortune Magazine
“95% of employees do not understand
their organization’s strategy.”
– Harvard Business Review

22. 22
Poll:
If I asked 10 people in your
organization to tell me the strategy,
how many different responses would
I hear?
 none
 1-3
 4-6
 7 or more

23. The source of confusion:
strategy happens at different levels
Corporate
What
business
are we in?
Business
How do we
compete?
Operating
How do we
deliver?
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24. Understanding strategy framework
What capabilities
do we need to
SUCCEED?
What are our strategic
OBJECTIVES
AND
PRIORITIES?
What is the company’s
VISION?
What do we
DO?
• What is our vision, mission, credo, purpose?
• What business are we in?
• Who do we serve?  What do we offer?
• Who are our customers?  What products do we sell?
• What markets do we serve?  What services do we provide?
How do we
WIN?
• What is our value proposition to customers?
• How do we compete?
• How do we differentiate ourselves from the competition?
• How do we make money?
• What drives our margin?
• What does our organization need to do well?
• What skills, structure and organization, systems and processes,
staffing and resources, style and culture do we need?
• What are our priorities?
• Our specific goals (financial, operational, organizational)?
• Over what time frame?
• What will we measure?
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25. Understanding requires a strategic perspective
Your
Team’s
Goals
Company
Strategies
and Goals
Customer and
Marketplace
Dynamics
Stakeholder
Groups and
Partners
Time
Horizons
and Urgency
Context shapes your understanding and is the
foundation for engagement and commitment
from your team.
25

26. Understand Connect Align
Second step: Connect
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Cognitive (Framing; Break it down for your team)
Interpersonal (Encourage team input)

27. Connect to the strategy
As a leader you need to connect the work
of your team to the strategy
• Frame your team’s role in achieving strategic objectives
– What does the strategy mean for your team?
– How does their work contribute to successful execution?
• Break down your team’s work
– Which activities are highest priority?
– In what sequence?
– What capabilities do you need to cultivate? (today? tomorrow?)
– What milestones should you achieve?
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Connect

28. 28
Poll:
What are you seeing?

29. 29

30. Framing: the leadership tool we use…
whether we know it or not
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• Bounds what matters in a
situation (issue, outcome, time
horizon)
• Shapes our response
• Engages others to view a
situation through our lenses
• Narrow frames enable action;
broad frames enable creativity…

31. Framing an issue
“I need to buy a new car.”
“I want a new highly
reliable car. I need to
buy a new Toyota.”
“I need a new way to
commute to work.”
Fact I see…
31

32. Your Challenge
Current Frame:
___________
Different
Frame #2:
___________
Different
Frame #1:
____________
• Framing is a
cognitive workout
• Tips for Creative
Alternatives:
– Develop different
issue statements
– Ideas from others
– Reverse your
challenge
– Broaden/Narrow
– Short/Long Term
The three different frames exercise
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33. Objectives Impact of Framing
Large scale projects in
technology
Communicated right structure,
context and desired end result
Establish the boundaries for a
newly defined organization
Clear, focused definition of the
scope of work
Drive revenue through
improved Nielsen ratings
Prevented scope creep; project
resulted in 10% boost in
viewership
Identify objectives for project
teams
Holistic perspective and easier
buy-in
Real work examples of framing
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34. Breaking it down for your team
How do we win?
What are our
strategic objectives
and priorities?
What capabilities
do we need to
succeed?
What is the
company’s vision?
What do we do?
Understand
How does our
team deliver value?
What are our work
priorities?
What capabilities
does our team
need?
What is our team’s
vision?
How does our
team contribute?
Connect
34
How does our team contribute to this vision?
What is the value proposition for our team’s
work? How do we help make money? How do
we help deliver margin?
Who do we serve? Who are our customers?
How do we connect with end customers? What
do we offer? What services do we provide?
What does our team need to do well? What
skills, structure/organization, systems/
processes, staffing/resources, style/culture do
we need?
What are our priorities and our specific goals
(financial, operational, organizational) over what
time frame?

35. Understand Connect Align
Third step: Align
35
Cognitive (Break it down with your team)
Interpersonal (Strategic communication)

36. Align to the strategy
As a leader you constantly communicate
to align your team to deliver the strategy
• Communicate the what and why
• Help people understand their contribution
• Ensure a feedback loop to confirm that messages have been
heard
• Ensure a feedback loop to gather front line intelligence
• Align actions and minimize disconnects
• Resolve issues quickly and transparently
• Track progress and adapt plans and activities
36
Align

37. 37
Clear communication is critical to alignment

38. Aligning the team: engage them in the process
38
How does our team contribute to this vision?
What is the value proposition for our team’s
work? How do we help make money? How do
we help deliver margin?
Who do we serve? Who are our customers?
How do we connect with end customers? What
do we offer? What services do we provide?
What does our team need to do well? What
skills, structure/organization, systems/
processes, staffing/resources, style/culture do
we need?
What are our priorities and our specific goals
(financial, operational, organizational) over what
time frame?
How do we win?
What are our
strategic objectives
and priorities?
What capabilities
do we need to
succeed?
What is the
company’s vision?
What do we do?
Understand
How does our
team deliver value?
What are our work
priorities?
What capabilities
does our team
need?
What is our team’s
vision?
How does our
team contribute?
Connect Align

39. Then, communicate, communicate, communicate
Communicate
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How do we win?
What are our
strategic objectives
and priorities?
What capabilities
do we need to
succeed?
What is the
company’s vision?
What do we do?
Understand
How does our
team deliver value?
What are our work
priorities?
What capabilities
does our team
need?
What is our team’s
vision?
How does our
team contribute?
Connect Align

40. Stakeholders
WHAT IS OUR STRATEGY?
How does our work
connect to the bigger
picture?
How does our work
support the strategy?
IS WHAT I’M HEARING?
Consistent with our business
objectives?
Consistent over time?
Consistent with what others
are being told?
ARE WE MOTIVATED BY WHAT
WE HEAR?
What is the tone of the
message?
Have we been recognized
for our efforts?
Is the message exciting
and engaging?
WHAT IS EXPECTED OF US?
What are our goals?
What do you want us to
do?
Am I being held
accountable to results?
Strategic Communication Model
40
Accountability
Strategic
Alignment
Consistency
Spirit

41. Understand Connect Align
Strategy translation: the missing link
41
Cognitive (Business, Financial, Strategic)
Interpersonal (Communication, Empathy, Accountability)

42. Put strategy translation to work for you
42
Understand Connect Align

43. Q&A
43
Understand Connect Align

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Questions?
Nick Noyes
Founding Partner
Insight Experience
Karen Powell
Director of Program
Development & Delivery
Insight Experience

45. HCI #HCIwebcast
THANK YOU
www.hci.org
&
www.insight-experience.com