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MLI | Kompass-Leistungen

Strategy Implementation 
What does it mean?


Strategy Implementation refers to the practical realisation of strategic corporate goals within an organisation.

This includes identifying levers for success, allocating resources, defining responsibilities, implementing concrete actions and continuously monitoring progress. Effective strategy implementation ensures that the desired target state is actually achieved and the competitiveness of the company increases.

Anchoring the strategy in the success-critical moments of everyday work is crucial. Doing this will ensure that work is carried out in one direction at all levels and that the available resources are used effectively.

Attention is the bottleneck for successful Strategy Implementation


Never have people been as exposed to so many information impulses and mental distractions as they are today. In hectic everyday working life, priorities can quickly be lost. For successful strategy implementation or transformation, it is crucial to continually focus attention on the results that will bring the greatest strategic benefit. 

Leadership sprints ensure that all key people work on specific outcomes at the same time. In the sprint planning workshop lessons are learned from experiences, the future pathway to success is determined and an approach is coordinated. 


Facts show how difficult strategy implementation can be:

  • 9 out of 10 strategic initiatives do not meet the expectations placed on them.
  • More than 30% of all strategic programmes fail completely.

We asked more than 250 decision-makers:

Why does Strategy Implementation fail?*


  • Too much complexity - 72%: Participants are not clear of their specific contribution to the strategy’s overall success.
  • Poor communication - 63%: Top-down communication does not lead to an anchored understanding and inner commitment, managers become bottlenecks.
  • Conflicts of goals and interests - 38%: Too many misaligned priorities lead to confusion and dysfunction
  • Unclear roles - 30%: Cross-departmental collaboration requires clear rules and responsibilities.

*MLI survey 2018-2022; Multiple entries were possible

Leadership sprints give Strategy Implementation an effective stucture


With a wealth of experience from more than 100 transformation projects, we offer you tailor-made advice on strategy implementation. 

The MLI approach uses the experiential knowledge of those involved and group dynamic processes to achieve beneficial results more quickly than with conventional approaches. To do this, MLI combines scientific findings with the OKR (Objectives & Key Results) target framework – a tactic used by many successful companies including Intel, Google, Adobe and FlixBus. 

Quarterly iterations reduce complexity. The focus on measurable key results guarantees results-oriented implementation. Clearly structured formats such as planning workshops, monthly check-ins, reviews and retrospectives ensure effective communication. Misunderstandings and hurdles are anticipated, conflicts of goals and interests are made transparent and resolved constructively.  

Working on goals in cross-departmental mission-driven teams ensures role clarity and binding rules. 

MLI services for Strategy Implementation

Umsetzungs Analyse Icon

Implementation analysis of the existing organisation, leadership culture and strategic objectives. Identification of central activation points along the value chain.

Zielbild Icon

Development of eye-catching visualisation of the strategic roadmap – Change on the Page and Strategy on a Page

Strategiewerkstätten in Design Thinking Icon

Cross-departmental workshops that will solidify the activation points of a strategy. Design thinking principals will be used to create a representation of strategic value creation in the form of a customer and/or employee experience.

Leadership Sprints mit OKR Icon

The creation of organisational framework. Process moderation of a quarterly, agile approach to implementing important milestones with selected key people.'

Selbstführung Icon

Planning Workshops

 Planning Workshops 

Establish priorities, key results and responsibilities for the next sprint.

Netzwerk von Experten Icon

Refinement

 Detailed Planning 

The planning of essential actions that will achieve the key results.

Menschenführung Icon

Check-Ins

 Monthly Check-ins 

Monthly discussions on
the progress of
objectives and key results.

Teamführung Icon

Review & Retrospektive

Review
Review of the technical results - assessing impact and celebrating progress.

Retrospektive
Reflection on collaboration to optimise interaction within a team.

Strategy Implementation: What our customers say


In the last two years our company has more than tripled in size. An essential part of our growth was our collaboration with MLI. The structured approach with OKR was a real game changer for us as a management team.“
David Neuhaus, CEO SocialHub

David Neuhaus

The board member of a company commented on the leadership sprints as follows:
„Although we pursue ambitious goals and sometimes have tough discussions, I always leave the planning workshop feeling elated and encouraged.“ 


We want to give you this momentum when it comes to mastering the challenges of the times.


Machen Sie den Schnelltest für Agile Strategieumsetzung


Sie möchten Ihre Erfolgshebel bei der agilen Strategieumsetzung einschätzen? Bewerten Sie ehrlich auf einer Skala von 0 (überhaupt nicht) bis 10 (voll und ganz):

Please rate each statement on a scale from 0 (not at all) to 10 (completely):

MLI - Agile strategy implementation works!


Development of a newly established B2C business

Sales future energy home

2017 to 2021

at our customer EON
in MIO. €

80
600
+750%
Project duration 4 Years

What makes Leadership sprints effective?


Managing complexity:


Starting from a common target goal, we think and work in a hypothesis-oriented manner. Manageable time periods ensure concentration, motivation and a positive sense of urgency. Complex strategic projects are implemented measurably faster than with conventional programme management methods.


Alignment with value creation and concrete outcomes:


Our focus is not on tasks, but on measurable results.


Cross-divisional collaboration:


Key people organise themselves around strategic implementation goals, objectives. Effective collaboration is achieved with agile methods. Key personnel involved are formed into a strong, cohesive team.

Individual responsibility:


Responsibility for the implementation of goals and key results is binding. Those responsible are sure of the group's solidarity. There is no finger pointing, but rather a responsible culture of support.


Focus:


A clear, understandable system of complementary goals and key results delegates responsibility and creates clarity. In addition to operational tasks people can, on average, keep an eye on only a maximum of three priorities at the same time.


Continuous practical learning:


The dynamics of the environment are reviewed every quarter to find which new influences and may be relevant for successful implementation.

“Agile strategy activation connects all ongoing measures and ensures focus and rapid adaptation to new findings with clear formats such as sprint planning, stakeholder reviews and retrospectives. As with a train timetable, a uniform clock ensures more reliability, better coordination and fewer frictional losses.”

Why use the OKR target framework for Strategy Implementation?


If you want to put a strategy into action, you must overcome existing organisational structures and network the thinking of the participants involved. This can be achieved with brain-friendly goals and an activating implementation mechanism. Perhaps you remember Steve Job’s famous, straight-forward, goal for the iPod – “A thousand songs in your pocket.”

The purpose of the OKR's target framework is to achieve consistent prioritisation and outcome orientation in an organisation and to structure overarching collaboration.

OKRs have proven to be particularly effective when implementing complex strategies. The abbreviation OKR stands for Objectives and Key Results.

The target system is so effective because it combines common sense with scientifically proven facts:

  1. It's simple and transparent.
  2. It promotes psychological safety and stimulates creative, unconventional thinking.
  3. It’s disciplined but flexible enough to respond to new insights.
  4. Nobody works on more than three important things at the same time. Human consciousness does not allow for more focus. 
  5. It promotes collaboration in teams across organisational structures.
  6. It is not directly tied to financial incentives for employees. Therefore, they can adopt an open, learning attitude when assessing progress and are not influenced by the possibility of bonus renumeration.


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Sebastian Morgner

Sebastian Morgner

Managing partner, leadership expert & strategy coach.

+49-8807-244446-0

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FAQ Strategieumsetzung

Was ist Strategieumsetzung?

Strategieumsetzung bezieht sich auf den Prozess, bei dem eine Organisation ihre strategischen Ziele und Pläne in konkrete Maßnahmen und Handlungen umsetzt, um diese Ziele zu erreichen. Da es sich meistens um komplexe Herausforderungen in einem sich ändernden Umfeld handelt, muss das Vorgehen explorativ sein und schnelles organisatorisches Lernen unterstützen.

Warum ist Strategieumsetzung wichtig?

Die Strategieumsetzung ist entscheidend, um sicherzustellen, dass die strategischen Ziele einer Organisation tatsächlich erreicht werden und sie damit ihre Zukunftsfähigkeit in einem Umfeld sichert, das von technologischen, gesellschaftlichen, politischen, marktbezogenen und wirtschaftlichen Entwicklungen kontinuierlich geprägt und verändert wird . Ohne eine effektive Umsetzung bleibt die Strategie oft nur auf dem Papier und hat keinen Einfluss auf die Ergebnisse.

Welche Schritte sind bei der Strategieumsetzung wichtig?

Die wichtigsten Schritte einer wirkungsvollen Strategieumsetzung sind: 

  1. die Festlegung klarer Ziele 
  2. die Identifikation der adäquaten Schlüsselergebnisse und Lösungswege
  3. die Zuweisung von Verantwortlichkeiten
  4. die Erstellung eines Zeitplans
  5. die Überwachung des Fortschritts und 
  6. die Anpassung des Vorgehens zur Zielerreichen, sofern dies nötig ist.

Warum benötigen Führungskräfte im Rahmen der Strategieumsetzung ein Leadership Coaching?

Leadership Coaching ermöglicht Führungskräften, persönliche Hürden zu überwinden und in der Führungspraxis die nötigen Fähigkeiten zu entwickeln, um die strategische Veränderung glaubhaft zu kommunizieren, vorzuleben und ihre Teams optimal darauf vorzubereiten. Die Leadership Coaches des MLI verfügen selbst über breite Erfahrung bei der Strategieumsetzung und können daher als Sparringspartner und Coaches auf Augenhöhe agieren. 

Wie kann man Hindernisse bei der Strategieumsetzung überwinden?

Hindernisse können durch eine klare Kommunikation, die Motivation der Mitarbeiter, die Identifizierung von Risiken und die Nutzung von Ressourcenbewertungen überwunden werden. Flexibilität und Anpassungsfähigkeit sind ebenfalls entscheidend. Die wichtigste Voraussetzung hierfür sind geschützte Räume, in denen alle Schlüsselpersonen gemeinsam den Fortschritt und die nächsten wichtigen Schritte reflektieren und ihre Vorstellungen aufeinander abstimmen.

Welche Tools und Methoden stehen für die Strategieumsetzung zur Verfügung?

Es gibt eine Vielzahl von Tools und Methoden, darunter Projektmanagementsoftware, OKR (Objectives and Key Results), Balanced Scorecard und regelmäßige Strategie-Reviews. Die Auswahl hängt von den spezifischen Anforderungen und Ressourcen der Organisation ab.

What do you think when you look at this initial overview?

Do you have the time and interest to discuss with us how you can implement strategic topics in an agile and cross-functional manner?

Your contact person: Sebastian Morgner