Strategic planning and execution services to help organizations achieve the desired future state

Strategic planning is done in order to achieve the desired future state of an organization, and it is going to get there. It helps an organization to clearly define its long-term objectives and ensures that teams are working on the projects that make the most impact. During the process, stakeholders review and define the organization’s mission and goals, and adopt a structured methodology that guides the organization from vision to implementation. Strategic planning matters because it helps an organization create a clear direction and focus, and measure progress and performance.

Before starting a plan for strategy execution, the company’s management should ensure that it can be executed in a cost-effective manner with a high likelihood of success, thus avoiding undue financial risks. Effective strategy execution involves developing a solid structure, maximizing the resource utilization, and redirecting marketing efforts in the direction of strategic objectives. In his book on strategic planning and strategy execution, Group50 consulting firm’s CEO Jim Gitney elaborates on the importance of following Business Hierarchy of Needs® change management framework for achieving a company’s strategic objectives and developing a culture of strategic execution.

The book titled "Strategy Realized – The Business Hierarchy of Need® - Turning Strategy Into Results", Jim Gitney says that every organization follows Business Hierarchy of Need® to some extent. The difference between organizations that have a culture of strategically planned execution and others who don’t is the disciplined change management methodology they follow.

Business Hierarchy of Need® requires the below three levels of activities:

Level 1: Data Analysis and Planning

This first level of strategic planning requires full understanding of the current state of the business and lays the foundation for clearly defined strategies that achieve a defined future state. It adds leadership traits, most important goals (MIG), and value proposition to the mission, vision, and values of an organization. Companies have many goals and objectives, but they must all be part of a single most important goal that becomes the quantitative measure of all strategies and tactics.

Level 2: Knowledge and Change Management

This next level of planning strategic execution involves setting cascading objectives throughout the organization to deal with operating gaps and strategic gaps. It also defines the required organization structure, skill maps, training requirements, and performance management objectives for this purpose. This step should be given adequate time, and those organizations that do not give adequate consideration to this step are likely to fail.

Level 3: Implementation

Few plans are radical in nature and are more incremental in reality. Techniques for planning strategic execution are dictated by the rate and magnitude of required change, how big the strategic gaps are and the level of automation and technology that is required to support the company’s strategic plan. this level of Business Hierarchy of Need® requires answering of questions related to the establishment of an appropriate steering committee, setting up of interrelated plans, and keeping track of skills development programs.

SMBs looking for innovative ways for strategic planning and strategy execution, Group50 consulting firm provides the supporting frameworks and methodologies to help them achieve a culture of strategic execution™.

During my 45 years of corporate and consulting experience with companies ranging from start-ups to Fortune 50, I have learned what to do and what should never be done from some of the best and worst leaders.