Most strategic plans, digital transformations, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) do not end up realizing their intended value. Is that because they were poorly developed? In some cases, yes, but in most cases, no. On my first day in engineering school, the dean told us to remember the following:
“Reality is a special case of the theoretical”
Restated, it means that most strategic plans, digital transformations, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) do not end up realizing their intended value. Is that because they were poorly developed? In some cases, yes, but in most cases, no. On my first day in engineering school, the dean told us to remember the following:
“Reality is a special case of the theoretical”
Restated, it means that the future state as defined by the business strategy—the theory–will be determined by how it is implemented—the reality. Level 2, Knowledge and Change Management is the bridge between strategy and results and is about stakeholders, their knowledge, and their ability to master change management so theory can be turned into reality.
Figure 18 Bridging the Gap Between Strategy and Results
Notice in the above figure that this level is focused on people. If they are not aligned, in agreement, and accountable to the MIG, the business’s strategies, and the roles they play in implementation, reality will be far different from the theory. It is incumbent on leadership to make sure that the stakeholders in the business have the proper tools, training, and resources to be successful. They must also be involved! The elements of Level 2 are shown below.
Figure 19 The Elements of Level 2
Level 2 is primarily the domain of middle-level leaders who are responsible for enhancing leadership skills, optimizing the organizational design, and providing the skill sets required to close operating gaps and strategic gaps.
Early in my career I had the honor of spending the day with Peter Drucker. During that day, he looked me in the eye and told me he felt sorry for me. Puzzled, I asked him to hum a few more bars of that song. He went on to tell me that I was successful because I was the go-to person for information, coordination, and authority. He believed that because of technology, his twelve-year-old granddaughter was going to have everything she needed at her fingertips and was not going to accept me as the funnel for information and coordination but was going to rely on me for leadership. So, unless I figured out a way to lead differently, I was no longer going to be successful, and I was going to struggle as the leader of a new generation of stakeholders. We see that everywhere today. Technology has unleashed information at an alarming rate, doubling every two years, and that information is mostly available to everyone.
There are some things that have not changed much over the last forty years and one of them is people. No matter how good your technology is, we still need people to run a business and they have needs, and those needs differ by generation, education, and a bunch of other factors. There are some things we all need and one of them is leadership.
Today’s stakeholders want to understand the what, the why, the when, and the how for the things they do. They also want to know what is in it for them. Everyone wants to be led, wants to be appreciated and wants to contribute in their own way, and know they are making a difference. This has been the case in every project we have done in Group50®, and during my entire career in corporate America.
The expected outcome of the work in Level 2 is that all leaders will have fully developed plans for training, organizational structure, and attracting the right talent across the entire organization. Executing the elements of Level 2 needs to be managed via a performance management system that will be discussed later in this section.
that the future state as defined by the business strategy—the theory–will be determined by how it is implemented—the reality. Level 2, Knowledge and Change Management is the bridge between strategy and results and is about stakeholders, their knowledge, and their ability to master change management so theory can be turned into reality.
Figure 18 Bridging the Gap Between Strategy and Results
Notice in the above figure that this level is focused on people. If they are not aligned, in agreement, and accountable to the MIG, the business’s strategies, and the roles they play in implementation, reality will be far different from the theory. It is incumbent on leadership to make sure that the stakeholders in the business have the proper tools, training, and resources to be successful. They must also be involved! The elements of Level 2 are shown below.
Figure 19 The Elements of Level 2
Level 2 is primarily the domain of middle-level leaders who are responsible for enhancing leadership skills, optimizing the organizational design, and providing the skill sets required to close operating gaps and strategic gaps.
Early in my career I had the honor of spending the day with Peter Drucker. During that day, he looked me in the eye and told me he felt sorry for me. Puzzled, I asked him to hum a few more bars of that song. He went on to tell me that I was successful because I was the go-to person for information, coordination, and authority. He believed that because of technology, his twelve-year-old granddaughter was going to have everything she needed at her fingertips and was not going to accept me as the funnel for information and coordination but was going to rely on me for leadership. So, unless I figured out a way to lead differently, I was no longer going to be successful, and I was going to struggle as the leader of a new generation of stakeholders. We see that everywhere today. Technology has unleashed information at an alarming rate, doubling every two years, and that information is mostly available to everyone.
There are some things that have not changed much over the last forty years and one of them is people. No matter how good your technology is, we still need people to run a business and they have needs, and those needs differ by generation, education, and a bunch of other factors. There are some things we all need and one of them is leadership.
Today’s stakeholders want to understand the what, the why, the when, and the how for the things they do. They also want to know what is in it for them. Everyone wants to be led, wants to be appreciated and wants to contribute in their own way, and know they are making a difference. This has been the case in every project we have done in Group50®, and during my entire career in corporate America.
The expected outcome of the work in Level 2 is that all leaders will have fully developed plans for training, organizational structure, and attracting the right talent across the entire organization. Executing the elements of Level 2 needs to be managed via a performance management system that will be discussed later in this section.
