The Execution Trap

The Effective Organization: The most brilliant strategy in the world won´t do any good if you can´nt deliver on it.
Drawing a line between strategy and execution almost guarantees failure.
The idea that execution is distinct from strategy has become firmly ensconced in management thinking over the past decade.
Making a distinction between strategy and execution can do great damage to a corporation.
 When workers are made to feel empowered, the whole organization wins.
A cascade of better choices:
 Unlike with the strategy-execution approach, in which leaders dictate set strategies and expect subordinates to mechanically follow, the choice cascade model has senior managers empower workers by allowing them to use their best judgment in the scenarios they encounter. But to effectively enable those individual choices, a choice maker "upstream" must set the context for those downstream. At each level, the choice maker can help his employees make better choices in four specific ways.

1- Explain the choice that has been made and the rationale for it.
   Too often we mistakenly assume that our reasoning is clear to others because it is clear to us. We must take the time to be explicit about the choice we have made and the reasons and assumptions behind that choice, while allowing the opportunity for those downstream to ask questions. Only when the people immediately downstream understand the choice and the rationale behind it will they feel empowered then artificially constrained.

2- Explicitly identify the next downstream choice.
   We must articulate what we see as the next choice, and engage in a downstream discussion to ensure that the process feels like a joint venture that in informed by hierarchy. Those upstream must guide and inform those downstream, not leave them to make decisions blindly.

3- Assist in making the down-stream choice as needed.
   Part of being a boss is helping subordinates make their choices when they need it. The extent of help required will vary from case to case, but a genuine offer should always be a part of the process.

4- Commit to revisiting and modifying the choice based on downstream feedback.
   We cannot ever know that a given choice is a sound one until the downstream choices are made and results roll in. Hence, the superior has to signal that his choice is truly open to reconsideration and review.

HBR July-August 2010 pages 63 to 71