From Arrows to Action: The Missing Link in Strategy Execution

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The whiteboard mirage represents the grand illusion in business where brilliant strategies developed during off-site meetings evaporate once teams return to their desks. I explore the critical gap between strategy as a concept and strategy as an operational reality, providing actionable frameworks to ensure your strategic vision translates into Monday morning execution.

• Distinguishing between strategy (the thinking) and plans (the tick list of outputs)
• The 5D framework: Define, Discover, Design, Develop, Deliver
• Why skipping the "messy middle" stages causes strategy implementation to fail
• The three R's of strategy execution: Reality, Rhythm, Responsibility
• Case study of successful IoT implementation in manufacturing through proper strategic execution
• The reality test: Can you explain your strategy to a new hire in under two minutes?
• Treating strategy as a daily practice rather than a special occasion

Take your current strategy and run it through the reality test. If you can't explain it to a new hire in under two minutes, if team members don't know exactly what to do differently tomorrow, or if you can't measure progress next week (not next quarter), it's time to turn that whiteboard wisdom into workplace reality.

Music by arnaud136 from Pixabay

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Have you ever left a strategy off-site, feeling like
you've just solved all yourcompany's problems, only to
watch that brilliant plan vanishthe moment you're back at your
desk?
You're not alone.
This week, I'm to aim at thegrandest illusion in business
the whiteboard mirage.
You know the saying thewhiteboard's covered in arrows,
buzzwords and big ideas.

(00:22):
Everyone's nodding along, theenergy's electric and for a
moment it feels like you'vecracked the code.
But then the whiteboard getswiped, and so does your strategy
.
What happens?
Why was that well-articulatedstrategy not enough to survive
the walk from the boardroom tothe break room?
Was it ever a real strategy tobegin with?

(00:44):
As Don Bish, a recent guest onthe show, put it so clearly a
strategy is not a plan.
A plan is not a strategy.
Dom's own initial business plan, while giving him confidence,
soon showed that the true,enduring strategy needed to be
far more flexible and deeplyrooted.
The strategy is thathead-wrangling whiteboarding,

(01:05):
conversational whirlwind, thethinking, while the plan is a
tick list of outputs.
At Target State Consulting, weguide businesses through what we
call our 5D framework Define,discover, design, develop and
deliver.
This structured approach is allabout bridging that gap, taking
your big ideas and making themstick.

(01:26):
That's how we unpack that messymiddle between strategy
approved and technologydelivering value.
In this episode, I'm going tostick around that very first one
, the define stage.
Go back to that beautifulstrategy map we drew at the
start, those elegant arrowsconnecting your mission to your
metrics.
They are about as useful as achocolate teapot, unless you can

(01:48):
translate them into Mondaymorning action.
I've seen countless leadershipteams fall into this trap.
They spend thousands onfacilitators, fill rooms with
sticky notes and createpresentations that would make
McKinsey proud.
Yet months later they're rightback where they started,
wondering why nothing changed.
This isn't just about a lack ofa good plan.

(02:09):
It's a fundamental gap in howstrategy connects to operating
model.
Consider this A tech startup Iworked with once spent time
mapping out their next threeyears.
The slides they created wereperfect, the frameworks cutting
edge and everyone left feelinglike tech's next unicorn.
Fast forward two weeks and halfthe team couldn't remember

(02:32):
their key priorities.
The other half had differentinterpretations of what was
decided and the CEO was alreadychasing the next shiny
opportunity.
Sound familiar?
This happens when you have agreat define moment but you skip
the crucial discover and designstages that build the
operational muscle needed fortrue deployment and delivery.

(02:54):
So what actually works?
It comes down to the three R'sof strategy execution.
First reality your strategyneeds to address your actual
constraints, not just yourimagined capabilities.
This is where the define anddiscover stages of our 5D
framework come alive.

(03:14):
It's about unearthing your truepain points, getting
data-backed confidence aboutyour current state and
challenging those assumptions weall carry.
As Dom highlighted, strategy isa thesis you're trying to prove
, and that means trulyunderstanding your starting line
.
Second rhythm Create weekly anddaily habits that turn big

(03:37):
ideas into small, manageableactions.
This shifts you from a one-offplanning event into the
continuous deliver phase thatour 5D framework offers.
It's about building inconsistent, measurable check-ins
, because strategy dies in thegaps between meetings.
It's about ensuring that smoothlaunch and the ongoing support
needed for value to be realized.

(03:57):
That third R responsibilityAssign clear owners for each
initiative, with specificdeadlines and measurable
outcomes.
This links back to unifyingyour team in the defined stage
and truly empowering them tomake tech adoption stick, as Dom
and I talked about.
When ego-driven decisions or anivory tower approach take over,

(04:19):
clear accountability gets lost,and so does your strategy.
You need engagement from alllevels, just like the
push-to-chair manufacturer thatwe talked about, who went right
to the source to trulyunderstand the problem.
Let's have a look at anothercompany, a rapidly growing
manufacturing firm.
Sarah, the managing director,understands technology is

(04:42):
crucial.
She's choosing to adopt IoTsensors across her production
line for predictive maintenance.
Their plan covered thetechnical installation, but
their strategy encompasses somuch more.
They've clearly defined theirvalue proposition.
They've discovered theircurrent state and identified the
risks up front.
They've designed a solutionwith input from the factory
floor, ensuring it was feasibleand had buy-in.

(05:04):
Critically, they invested inupskilling and maintenance team
before deployment, making inthat responsibility and
empowering people, and theyestablished a clear rhythm for
tracking value in the deliverstage.
The result Not just sensors,but a leaner, more efficient
operation, directly boostingtheir bottom line.
For Sarah, this brought theclarity and confidence she

(05:27):
needed, ensuring her techinvestments truly fueled growth.
The most successful companiesI've worked with share that
common trait they treat strategyas a daily practice, not a
special occasion.
They'll bake big picture goalsinto daily habits and measure
progress in real time,constantly seeking value.
As Dom says, your business isan asset and you need to

(05:51):
maximize that value throughincreasing cash flows or
reducing costs, and that's whereyour strategy helps.
These businesses are also notafraid to admit when something
isn't working and adjust course,because a strategy
fundamentally needs to beflexible.
I've got a challenge for you.
Take your current strategy andrun it through the reality test.

(06:13):
Can you explain it to a newhire in under two minutes?
Does every team member knowexactly what they need to do
differently tomorrow?
Can you measure progress nextweek, not next quarter?
If you answered no to any ofthese, it's time to turn that
whiteboard wisdom intowork-class reality.
Remember, the best strategyisn't the one that looks

(06:35):
prettiest on a whiteboard, it'sthe one that actually changes
how your team works next Mondaymorning.
That's all for this week.
Tune in next week where I'mgoing to talk about another
issue facing strategy the cultof the quick fix.
Until then, keep it real, keepit actionable and, most
importantly, keep thatwhiteboard market in your pocket

(06:56):
until you're ready to draw amap you'll actually follow.