How can you make your employees accountable for your strategy?

1. Involve them in strategy formulation. Then it's not your strategy, but their strategy. 2. As a leader provide all tools and support. Work together and review together.

In my experience, some tips of strategy communication within the organisation are involving everyone in the organisation (focussing on promoters and motivated employees), gamification, dialogue and repetition. There are some differences when communicating strategy to capital markets and investors! Each organisation and industry is different, but without a common North Star there is no future. “What is not communicated does not exist “.

Step one is to involve your employees in the development of the strategy then they will feel valued and motivated to deliver it. In terms of communication, use simple tools such as a VMOST pyramid that helps articulate mission, vision, objectives and strategy and how they all interlink....right down to setting individual KPI's. Having visibility of how they contribute to the strategy in their everyday world is paramount.

Hoshin Kanri and Bowlers help both in strategy deployment and bring in accountability and alignment Further a good visual control and daily management helps to ensure that on daily basis actions are being taken , deviations to true north are being corrected and accountability is being reinforced

In my 50,000+ hours of management experience, I've seen strategies fall flat simply due to poor communication. I recall a digital marketing campaign where the vision wasn't clear to the team. We revisited, simplified our language, and used real-life examples. The result? A team that was aligned, motivated, and delivered beyond expectations. Remember, clarity is the first step to accountability.

The three E principles suggested by Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne are very useful for a world-class execution process. First E - Engagement: Involving people in strategic decisions that affect them Second E -Explanation: Providing an explanation after following the first step. Third E - Expectation clarity: crystal clear about expectations

During a strategic overhaul for an online business, I invited team members to brainstorm. Their insights were invaluable! By involving them, not only did we craft a robust strategy, but they felt a sense of ownership. When employees see their ideas in action, they're more committed to the vision.

If the employees whom you lead do not buy into or understand the 'Strategic Vision' then it can lead to a greater risk of failing in executing the strategy. The clear benefits and positive outcomes need to be communicated clearly using simple English and no waffle or wishy washy sentences/words.

This is backwards. First you involve you employees in the strategic process, then you digest and distill the inputs and come up with strategy. Then, you can communicate strategy at all levels, but that communication needs to explicitly explain not only how it affects the high level goals, but the day to day.

This is important. I use the principles of the Four Disciplines of Execution (4DX) where every employee gets to set their wildly important goals (WIGs). This way they take more ownership of it. Managers can veto if the WIG doesn't fit in the overall strategy, but cannot dictate. Once everyone agrees on them, then every week you set an accountability mtg to go over the leading and lagging indicators, if milestones were met or not met, and next steps.

An effective strategy is drawn up from a clear, well-defined mission & vision. Too often we see the shifting of goal posts and interim milestones, inevitably creating ambiguity for the team. Furthermore this makes tracking progress & performance tricky. While pivots with a strong business-case are commonplace in today's environment, drastic shifts fuelled by individual dynamics and lacking transparency must be regularly identified and corrected.

Setting clear and measurable goals and monitoring progress is easier said than done. If staff does not know how to develop adequate strategic action plans to address who, what, when, and how, then the other four factors mentioned won't have maximum benefits. Action plans should be developed so employees can be held accountable for short and longer-term results, and others can learn from a standardized approach. Some basic project management tools are key to effective and feasible strategic action plans.

Once, while developing an operations strategy, we set ambitious goals. But without clear metrics, we were flying blind. We then broke down our goals, assigned them based on strengths, and tracked progress. The outcome? A strategy that was executed flawlessly. Always remember, what gets measured gets managed.

Breaking a larger strategy into clear, measurable goals is great, but too often the subjects are activities rather than results. And soon, line employees (and managers) tire of the endless stream of activities that do not seem connected to their world of delivering outcomes. Aspects of any strategy can be narrowed to real business results that employees can be empowered to address and deliver. And not just recommendations, plans, or analyses; task them to deliver the actual bottom line results and then let them exercise discretion and judgment to achieve it. Thereafter, instead of communicating about hypothetical possibilities inherent in the strategy, you'll be able to name names and real outcomes they achieved.

With my clients I follow the OMTI - Objectives/Including Mission, Measures, Target and Initiatives. This ties up the Strategy with actioning well. Gartner's golden quadrant is a reminder that few companies are good at both strategy and implementation.. A good scorecard which cements both is essential.

In my role as a corporate trainer, I've seen the difference the right resources can make. During a strategic shift, we provided our team with the necessary tools and training. This not only boosted their confidence but also the strategy's success rate. Investing in your team's growth is investing in your strategy's success.

I find leading by example and setting the high standards always creates a strong foundation to work upon. The ability to coach, demonstrate execution and showing a clear pathway in how to achieve the strategy execution will always pay dividends in the long run.

Training continues to be one of the biggest barriers to success in strategy. You can create a great strategy, a great framework, a great operational structure, but if your teams aren't trained, don't have the support, the backup of infrastructure and understanding you are bound to fail. Start with onboarding and ensure new hires know the why and the what, and offer continual training and updates throughout the year.

Supporting a team during a major strategic initiative, I noticed that some were struggling with new tools and processes. By providing additional training and resources promptly, their confidence grew, and they were able to contribute effectively. This taught me the importance of having the right support structures in place.

On the point of "creating a culture of learning": I believe that as a leader it is of utmost importance to acknowledge and openly admit that you might enter unchartered territory as well and might not have all the answers at a certain time - this will not only make you more approachable and authentic, but help foster an environment where team members are more confident in expressing concerns, points that remain unclear to them or just give honest feedback. Treat this as a learning opportunity for yourself as well.

Execution is often lacking, while strategy and operations is not. This is why I absolutely love the strategy side, but then building a team I can get in the trenches with and execute against it. The key to execution? Rewarding them. Even if you don't work in a culture that is big on rewards, as a manager you can find ways to keep people rewarded and engaged

“Hold your employees accountable.” How does your perspective shift, if reframed as “enabling employees accountable”? It invites new questions and provides clarity around the strategy. Enabling accountability requires leaders to generate collective agreement around: - Direction: Understanding the path forward - Credibility: Having the credentials and resources to successfully activate the strategy - Connection: Facilitating radical candor check-ins, getting guidance and if necessary support - Success: Owning and hopefully excited about the desired outcomes, goals and metrics, and seeing how the work contributes The reframe helps create a culture of accountability. Versus the time consuming management task to hold people accountable.

Foster a culture of peer accountability around strategic alignment and execution within employee pods, lead by example, and encourage collaboration. These things become how things are viewed, aligned, and get done. Often overlooked reward mechanism is the street cred peers earn when they move the strategy forward, get noticed and get to do more of it in more challenging and rewarding ways.

Accountability and recognition go hand in hand. In a project, when a team member went above and beyond, we celebrated their success. This not only motivated them but set a benchmark for others. A culture of recognition ensures everyone is driven to contribute their best.

Here one needs to make sure the right people are given the right responsibilities based on their capability, skills, enthusiasm, interest and most importantly passion. Passion and enthusiasm can help to learn something unfamiliar far quicker in my experience.

Strategies aren't set in stone. Once, we noticed a dip in our digital business performance. Instead of sticking to our guns, we took feedback, adapted, and pivoted our strategy. The result? A turnaround in performance. Being adaptable ensures your strategy remains relevant and effective.

Again, enroll your team. As you're executing the strategy does the team have insights on potential on areas where the plan isn't going as expected? Engage them to understand the contributing factors, using that insight to course correct. Don't be afraid to be vulnerable. As the team for their perspective.

As companies grow/shrink, we change. Strategies may become outdated, less impactful and disconnected from the overall vision. That’s why it’s important to solicit feedback regularly and keep everyone informed of any changes. My client was able to improve their strategy during Covid because they sought feedback early on. This course correction allowed the team to determine which product/services still made sense for the business and how to maintain a clear breakaway strategy from the competition. This action proved to be a key step in keeping the business - “in business.”

When they know their voices are heard and their feedback is valued, they become more invested in the strategy's success. They understand that their insights can lead to positive changes and better results.

Maneuverability goes beyond leadership; it's a collective team effort. Strategies must be agile and adaptable, and adjusting them isn't a sign of weakness but a demonstration of resilience and foresight. Like a ship's crew working together to change course and avoid disaster, organizations must regularly revisit their strategies to assess their relevance in the constantly shifting internal and external environments.

You can't make your employees accountable for YOUR strategy. But you can help them to create their personal strategies to support yours.

The shift from a VUCA to a BANI environment necessitates a change in mindset, where organizations & employees embrace uncertainty, value adaptability, & continuously learn from their experiences. Fostering Psychological Safety is key in ensuring the employees are accountable for strategy. When employees feel psychologically safe, they are more likely to speak up, share ideas, and take initiative. This psychological safety is a foundational element for accountability, as individuals are more willing to take ownership of their roles and responsibilities without fear of severe repercussions for honest mistakes and view them as steppingstones to improvement.

Creating accountability starts with clear expectations and a shared vision. ?? Provide resources, encourage ownership, and celebrate achievements. Address issues quickly to maintain momentum. ??? For more insights, explore “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” by Patrick Lencioni and “Drive” by Daniel H. Pink. ?? #TakeAction #EffectiveLeadership #Strategy

Use the word ACCOUNTABLE sparingly. Successful execution depends on everyone understanding expectations of them, so it's vital to make it very clear who is actually ACCOUNTABLE for any given task within your strategy. It is the "buck stops here" role and is ideally only one person. Unlike the people RESPONSIBLE for tasks, the "doers", accountability cannot be delegated. Using a tool like RACI (or other responsibility assignment matrix) will clarify expectations for everyone on your team, setting the stage for successful execution.

Employees here should include all top management. An approved strategy which later translates into annual operating plan should have buy-ins and support from cross functional managements. There should not be silo mentality of taking care own department's KPIs while neglecting the big picture for the company. This is where an effective CEO comes in and most often seen in founder-led CEOs in ensuring everyone including his top ranked executives are all aligned together. Tone from the top is very important, otherwise there will be useless internal battles & frictions when the real fight is out there.