title: The execution trap. Drawing a line between strategy and execution almost guarantees failure.
abstract: The realization of a strategy depends on countless employees. So it's no surprise that when a strategy fails, the reason cited is usually poor execution. But this view of strategy and execution relies on a false metaphor in which senior management is a choosing brain while those in the rest of the company are choiceless arms and legs that merely carry out the brain's bidding. The approach does damage to the corporation because it alienates the people working for it. A better metaphor for strategy is a white-water river, in which choices cascade from its source in the mountains (the corporation) to its mouth (the rest of the organization). Executives at the top make the broader choices involving long-term investments while empowering employees toward the bottom to make more concrete, day-to-day decisions that directly influence customer service and satisfaction. For the cascade to flow properly, a choice maker upstream can set the context for those downstream by doing four things: explaining what the choice is and why it's been made, clearly identifying the next downstream choice, offering help with making choices as needed, and committing to revisit and adjust the choice based on feedback. When downstream choices are valued and feedback is encouraged, employees send information upward, improving the knowledge base of decision makers higher up and helping everyone in the organization make better choices.
authors.affiliation: Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. martin@rotman.utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Roger L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000288:Administrative Personnel; D003132:Commerce / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006801:Humans; D010559:Personnel Management