Why Is Strategy Execution So Hard? (Summarized)

Why is strategy execution so difficult?

Why do we know what to do, but don’t always do it? Doing what we know we should requires someone who will keep us on track, to teach, direct and encourage us to do the things we know we should do – the difficult things that we rarely, if ever, follow through to the finish, if left to our own devices.

While the majority of us have one or more "specialties", the majority of us just don’t know how to put together all the key steps of strategy, planning, organizational alignment, execution management, innovation and measurement.

BOTTOMLINE: Strategy execution is hard for a variety of reasons, but it’s not "rocket surgery".

• The majority of us don’t know how to put together all the key steps of strategy, planning, organizational alignment, execution management, innovation and measurement.
• Often, we fall into the trap of outside-in thinking, and need to focus on internal things
  rather than worrying about issues outside of our control.
• We need to keep in mind the control factor: regardless of how well we perform as a business, there are many factors to success we cannot control.
• Sometimes, it’s easier not to do what we know we should do.
• As ironic as it may seem, there is a growth paradox, the organization that’s good at
  solving today’s challenges will create a new and bigger set of challenges for itself tomorrow.
• It’s critical that organizations continually work on increasing their capacity to execute.

(Excerpted from Chapter 3, Six Disciplines Execution Revolution, by Gary Harpst)