Strategy Success: Plan, Measure Twice, Implement Once

Let’s get real for a minute: How many times have you kicked off a brilliant new strategy for your business, only to end up wondering halfway through, “Wait, what exactly are we trying to achieve here?” Don’t worry, you’re not alone. This is the classic case of ready, fire, aim—a common pitfall for busy business owners who have a million things on their plate.

But here’s the thing: jumping straight into implementation without clearly planning for success is like going on an important business trip without an itinerary. Sure, you’ll end up somewhere, but it might not be where you wanted to go, and you won’t meet the people that you really needed to meet. So, before you put the pedal to the metal on your next strategy, let’s talk about why it’s crucial to develop a clear method for planning and measuring your progress.

1. Getting Everyone on the Same Page: The Power of Agreement

Imagine this: You’ve had a brainwave of an idea of what your next strategy is going to be, or how your current one is going to pivot.

You’ve gathered your top decision-makers in a room to announce your new strategy. There’s coffee, there’s excitement, and there’s that one guy who’s already daydreaming about the next big idea. You announce the new strategy with a flourish, and everyone nods enthusiastically. But here’s the kicker—what does success actually look like to each of them? And what does it look like for all of you collectively?

If you don’t define it upfront, together, you might find that your team has as many interpretations of “success” as there are people in the room. One person’s “We’re crushing it!” might be another person’s “Are we there yet?” Without a common understanding of what you’re aiming for, your team could end up pulling in different directions, like a bunch of rowers in a boat with no coxswain.

Defining how you’ll measure your strategy ensures that everyone knows exactly what success looks like. It’s like agreeing on the destination before you start the journey. And trust me, it’s much easier to get there when everyone’s rowing in sync.

2. Aligning Actions with Outcomes: The North Star of Strategy

Once you’ve defined success, it becomes the North Star that guides all your actions. Think of it as the difference between a random to-do list and a well-organized plan. When everyone knows what the goal is, it’s easier to ensure that every action taken supports that goal.

Let’s say your strategy involves increasing customer satisfaction. Great! But what does that mean in concrete terms? Is it about reducing response times? Improving product quality? Offering better post-sale support? By defining clear outcomes, you can ensure that every initiative, every decision, and every action is aimed at moving the needle on customer satisfaction—whatever that specifically means for your business.

This is also useful when someone comes up with a great idea to do something. Usually this brilliant idea will involve some money and using important resources, which are probably already stretched. A simple question: “How does this help get us to our measures of success, exactly?” If their response is vague, with some humming and hawing, then your answer should be a quick and solid, “No”.

Without these concrete outcomes and well defined steps to meet them, you’re basically throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks. It’s not exactly the best way to run a business.

3. Measuring Progress: The GPS of Strategy

Here’s a fun fact: You can’t really measure progress if you don’t know what you’re measuring. It’s like driving with a GPS that just says, “You’re somewhere, keep going.” Not very helpful, right?

When you define how you’re going to measure success, you’re essentially setting up the GPS for your strategy. Now, instead of wondering if you’re making progress, you can see it in real-time. Are we hitting our targets? Are we on track? Or do we need to make a U-turn before we end up in the middle of nowhere?

And let’s not forget, having clearly defined steps makes those quarterly reviews a whole lot easier. Instead of vague discussions about how everyone feels the strategy is going, you can point to hard evidence. Were those steps accomplished? Has product quality improved? Numbers don’t lie, and they’ll give you a clear picture of whether you’re headed in the right direction or need to adjust your course.

The Bottom Line: Don’t Skip the Measuring Tape

In the end, implementing a strategy without clearly defining how you’re going to plan for and measure success is like building a house without a blueprint and measuring tape. Sure, you’ll put up walls, but will the doors fit? Will the roof keep out the rain? Who knows – good luck!

So, before you dive headfirst into your next big strategy, take the time to develop clear, concrete outcomes and steps. It might seem like an extra chore, but trust us, it’s the difference between just doing something and actually doing something that gets you somewhere in good time.

Remember, plan, measure twice, implement once—because in the world of business, you can’t afford to miss the mark.