“You’ve got to think about big things while you’re doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.” —Alvin Toffler
“Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.” —Jack Welch
“Look beyond today, find your place, go for it” – David Barrett
Imagine… me, Toffler and Welch quoted together!
Today is the official release date of our new book 7 Elements of Strategy Execution.
www.7-elements.ca
I approached my friend, Mona Mitchell, about two years ago with the idea of co-producing a book on strategy execution. Why? Because this, in my mind, is the next frontier for project managers.
Strategic planning is a very well covered, written about, consulted on and discussed topic. Back in the 1950/60‘s organizations woke up and realized that their futures were no longer certain and that they had better put some thought to the next decade of their existence. So, they started planning – strategically. Unfortunately they stopped there.
Millions of strategic plans were built and published. But then many things happened:
- the senior management team went back to work, leaving the execution to anyone and everyone else
- everyone else went back to work because they had to
- no one was told about it
- no one was set up as ultimately in charge
- no one was held accountable
- no measurements were put in place to track progress and potential success or failure
and the list goes on.
That’s the problem. So, what’s the solution?
We need to now focus on the execution of the plan.
- how to communicate the plan, to whom and how?
- how to track progress
- how to create an environment of accountability
- how to create clarity on what we are trying to do
- how to build a team that can make it happen
In a nutshell, how to create an execution culture that can ensure success.
So, why is this the next frontier for project managers? Because this is what we are perfectly aligned to do! This is us. Really, strategic plans are just large and sometimes very large projects and/or programs. These plans need us. We have been trained to do everything these missed strategies need:
- plan
- track
- communicate
- manage risk
- manage change
- manage stakeholders.
Project managers… this is your time! Go sell yourself as a ‘Strategy Execution Specialist’. Get involved in the execution of the strategic plan – not just the project plan. Take a step into the new frontier.
Oh, and if you want some help…
Click here for the Amazon link
.99 cents today and tomorrow only (8pm June 20 through to 8pm June 21).
