Moving from ideation to results
Translating a strategy into an implementation plan can initially feel rather overwhelming. It is not unusual for teams to just start “doing” as time is of the essence and the pressure to deliver results can be intense.
The risk of this “organic” approach is that tasks are completed out of sequence and often require “re-doing” later. If there are multiple parties involved, things can also get pretty chaotic and at cross purposes. Alternatively, it’s easy to just procrastinate or ponderously delay. In any case, the outcomes can be costly and ineffective.
So how do you implement quickly, efficiently, and effectively? I like to say that going slow for some up-front planning allows the team to go fast once you get started.
Consider the scenario of launching a new company to deliver services to a target group of healthcare purchasers. Where do you begin?
Step 1: Categorize the Work
To avoid the pitfalls of the organic approach to implementation, start with identifying key categories or “buckets” in which to toss various activities as they come to mind.
This step begins the process of deconstructing the big strategy concepts into a tangible and manageable set of tasks. It is much easier to remember a handful of categories rather than 100’s of tasks.
Here are some categories that could apply to our scenario of starting up a new company:
- Governance
- Operations & Infrastructure
- Finance
- Human Resources
- Marketing & Business Development
Set these categories aside for a moment as we will come back to them in Step 3.
Step 2: Take Manageable Bites
Not everything needs to happen at once and, in many cases, there are numerous critical interdependencies that, if not taken into account, can result in wasted time and money.
One example is implementing an expensive software tool before you have any data and then paying a subscription fee for something you are not yet ready to use. Another would be to hire someone before you have clarified what that person will be doing and whether the company is at a stage of activity to keep them engaged.
Here are some general examples of common phases that apply to our scenario:
- Launch
- Stabilization
- Optimization
We will revisit these in Step 4.
Step 3: Identify the Tasks
This is the step teams tend to jump straight to without a framework for organizing what will invariably be a significant number of activities. Asking your team members to contribute what they think are the tasks that belong in each category can be a powerful engagement exercise.
By inviting them to participate in the brainstorming of implementation tasks, you are enabling them to put their fingerprints on the strategic plan. This level of connection can result in pride of ownership and a greater likelihood that your teammates will feel accountable for making sure things get done on time and on budget.
Table 1 includes a limited number of example activities by category for our scenario. At this stage, the goal is to be as comprehensive as possible in identifying these tasks – be specific and actionable so you can feel confident about checking off a box once a task is completed.
As you continue with your implementation journey, you and your team will inevitably identify new tasks to add to the list. You will also determine what level of detail is necessary.
Step 4: Prioritize
Now that you have a list of known tasks and activities, label each with the appropriate Phase you identified in Step 2 (i.e., Launch, Stabilization, Optimization). Once you’ve completed this, you’re ready to format your implementation plan into something that various members of the team can look to over time so they stay coordinated.
You don’t need to be a project manager or have sophisticated project management tools to organize your plan. Using a spreadsheet tool can be more than adequate as you can create filters and use sorting functions to quickly update and reformat multiple views of your emerging plan (Figure 1).
Attach time horizons for completion of each activity. This can be as general as years, quarters, or months and as specific as a particular calendar date. These due dates may evolve or need to be adjusted over time but by nature of committing to them, you are prioritizing the numerous tasks.
Step 5: Check & Adjust
This final step is all about accountability. The plan you have created (Figure 2) now needs to be worked relentlessly with laser focus until everything has been completed. Assign owners to the various tasks and determine the best way to check-in on status updates such as a periodic, recurring weekly meeting with relevant leaders.
Some common status labels include:
- On track. Started and expected to be complete by the assigned due date
- At risk. Started but may not meet the assigned due date
- Off track. Started and is not expected to meet the assigned due date
- Not started. Dependent upon the completion of other steps before initiating and/or timing dictates initiating later
Applying color coding can provide a quick visual cue for team members. Status check-ins should focus on At Risk and Off Track items to maximize the value of team check-ins by focusing team members on the items that require troubleshooting. For example, if a task is Off Track because the owner is waiting for another team member to complete their assigned task(s), this can be identified quickly, discussed and a remediation plan coordinated. This also helps team members be sensitive to the dependencies on completing their task(s) on time. Or, sometimes an adjustment in the timeline may be required.
Summary
With a prudent dose of patience and upfront, coordinated planning, any strategy can be implemented at speed in a cost-effective manner.
Remember these 5 steps and you will be set up for successful translation of your strategy into results:
Step 1: Categorize the Work
Step 2: Take Manageable Bites
Step 3: Identify the Tasks
Step 4: Prioritize
Step 5: Check & Adjust
For questions or to find out how EverSparq can help, contact info@eversparq-com.
