Why good plans lose momentum

I recently accepted an invitation to speak at the International Association of Strategic Planners annual conference in Winnipeg. The theme of the event was “Leading Transformation with Momentum.” Several hundred senior executives from around the world were in attendance and represented multiple industries.

Since nobody can predict the future, all of us have to be comfortable with change and adapting to the changes that affect our lives and businesses. From my work guiding leadership teams to sharpen how they think about customer value, I see this as a particularly important topic given the significant changes in recent years.

In my experience as an executive, and in my current consulting role, this topic affects organizations across all sectors.

Since the purpose of any business is to stay in business, there must be structure and capability to implement plans successfully and adapt accordingly. Many organizations spend months creating a strategic plan and only days thinking about implementation. Yet implementation is where value is created. A brilliant plan poorly executed delivers less value than a good plan executed consistently.

Organizations do not struggle because they cannot create plans. They struggle because they cannot sustain momentum long enough to realize the value of those plans.

When your teams become busy, meetings and reporting increase, projects multiply and the strategy rarely advances successfully. Too many organizations interpret motion as momentum but momentum only exists when the activity creates measurable progress toward the intended objectives and outcomes.

The main point of my “Momentum Leakage” presentation was leaders often mistake activity for progress.

I highlighted examples where organizations slowly lost momentum through overload, drift, confusion and competing priorities. My key point was momentum is lost gradually and knowing what causes this leakage is the first step in stopping it and determining the next course of action. Furthermore, sustaining momentum requires more than execution discipline.

Organizations must be able to interpret progress accurately, detect early warning signs, distinguish activity from traction, adapt without abandoning direction and build learning into implementation.

As I listened to the other speakers and interacted with attendees, it became clear what the conference reinforced about why organizations struggle to execute.

First, the need for proper evaluation is always the first step. You must diagnose your activities and related results before making any decisions or adjustments so you are acting on relevant and accurate information. Care must also be taken in selecting the right tools and gathering a broad range of inputs to pinpoint the issues to address.

Second, implementation deserves as much attention as planning. Great strategies are not built overnight. They are crafted thoughtfully and built carefully to provide the best possible chance for successful implementation.

Many organizations celebrate completion of the strategic plan as if the hard work is done. In reality, the plan is only the starting point. Implementation requires establishing clear priorities, accountability, communication and regular review before taking action to ensure momentum is going can be sustained.

Third, momentum is created through alignment, not activity. Change is hard and making successful change is even harder. Therefore, the ability to bring everyone in your organization to a consistent understanding of how their role can contribute to the plan’s success will increase your chances of achieving your goal. Every employee must know how their role fits within the plan.

An important takeaway from every conference I have ever attended is there is never an exact blueprint presented that is going to work 100 per cent of the time in every organization. This is why it is important to apply a filter and select the insights that will work for your organization now and in the future.

I also strongly discourage absolute implementation of an entire process without adequate diagnosis within your organization. If you simply adopt what is provided, you will only reinforce the “chasing the shiny object syndrome” that afflicts too many organizations.

Momentum is rarely lost in a dramatic moment. It is usually lost through a series of small decisions, missed signals and competing priorities that pull people away from the original intent. Leaders who recognize these signs early give themselves the best chance to keep moving forward and celebrating a successfully implemented plan.

Tim’s bits: There is a line that I often use with clients: “Prescription without diagnosis is malpractice.” While I earned this from a medical perspective, the concept applies in business when you are trying to correct a failed or failing plan. If you misdiagnose the reason for the problem, you run the risk of making the problem worse. Proper diagnosis increases your likelihood of improving your plan’s implementation success and stopping momentum leakage.

Tim Kist is a certified management consultant, authorized by law, and a Fellow of the Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Manitoba

tim@tk3consulting.ca