The topic of the Research Paper
The area of research is strategic management. “Strategic management can be used to determine mission, vision, values, goals, objectives, roles and responsibilities, timelines, etc” (Management faqs, n.d.). The topic selected for my research is Strategy Implementation in the Strategic management process.
Abstract
The importance of strategy implementation in the field of strategic management process is very high. The effective implementation only can result in the success of the management of the strategies planned. The study involves identifying the various processes involved in the strategy implementation and determining the aspects of successful implementation.
Introduction & Background
The strategic management is a stage of decision-making job in defining the aims and objectives. For an efficient approach to the strategic management, a well-defined strategy implementation process has to be accomplished. Strategic Implementation is defined as “the process by which strategies and policies are put into action through the development of programs, budgets and procedures” (Strategy implementation, 2009, para.1). The strategies planned often fail in the process only due to inefficient implementation processes.
Objectives of the Research Paper
The strategic implementation in the strategic management process is the key to unlocking the success in the process. The strategy implementation process is always associated with the whole strata in the firm starting from the manager to all employees below him. The efficiency in implementation defines the output from each of the employees and thus the strategy implementation becomes significant.
Literature Review
Strategy Implementation
Strategic implementation offers the main track to the activities and is intimately related to the field of strategic management. “Thinking strategically about implementation and developing an effective implementation plan are important tasks on the road to realizing the strategies developed” (Bryson, 2004, p.50). The identification of the activities to be carried out and set a plan based on those identified strategies are not sufficient. Even a most efficient plan can result in failure, if the plan is not implemented properly. The recognition of strategies accompanied by effective implementation is essential for success.
Strategy is defined “as the framework of choices that determines the nature and direction of an organization” (Brache, & Bodley- Scott, 2005, p.5). The framework should be implemented using a proper implementation plan set prior to actual implementation process.
The distribution and organization of all the resources and launching substitute arrangements for fractious functioning are all to be arranged according to the requirements of the strategies. Each strategy should be assigned to the correct individuals or groups who possess the necessary skills to reach the successful completion of the strategy. Monitoring and training are the other requirements of the strategy implementation process. The main necessity in the field of strategy implementation is the consistency of all involved in the process.
Components of Strategy Implementation
The strategy implementation is executed using the components defined for it. The book mentioning strategy implementation named “Implementation: how to transform strategic initiatives into blockbuster results” by Alan P. Brache, Sam Bodley Scott clearly identifies and explains the eight components of strategy implementation. “Inside the business, surrounding strategy, are the eight components of strategy implementation: leadership, business processes, goals and measurement, human capabilities (people skills), information/knowledge management, organization structure and roles, culture, and issue resolution” (Brache, & Bodley- Scott, 2005, p.8).
Leadership
The leadership should be a group of experts who can develop a plan which always seeks success. The leadership alone is responsible for the formulation of various strategies and action plans. The overall success of the strategy implementation process depends on the efficiency of the plan.
Business processes
The different processes in the field of business also influence strategy implementation. The position in the market, rivals, challenges etc in the business affect the strategy implementation process.
Goals and measurement
The setting of goals is a very important factor in the strategy implementation. It is very important to have a clear picture as to what is to be achieved at the end. The measurement of the distance remaining from the actual goal can be analyzed frequently.
Human capabilities
The inherent talents and abilities of the employees along with the leadership groups play an important role in strategy implementation. The poor level of human resources can result in the failure of the entire plan. Proper learning, as well as training, is essential for developing talents and skills for accomplishing the assigned strategy.
Information/knowledge management
The knowledge about the entire plan and the techniques required to meet those strategies is an essential component in the case of strategy implementation. Lack of information about it may lead to poorer results of strategy implementation.
Organization structure and roles
The structure of an organization has various vertical as well as horizontal levels. The horizontal levels include the peers who are working in parallel with vertical levels from top to bottom. The communication and link gaps between the different groups are also a component of strategy implementation. The roles for each individual in the organization are having an importance that cannot be replaced by another.
Culture
The culture and emotional backgrounds of the managers, as well as the employees, affect the implementation process. Each should have actively committed motivation to reach the needed result for every strategy.
Issue resolution
Issue resolution is an essential component for carrying out the correspondence and follow-up in the strategy implementation. “Successful use of the process ensures that employee concerns are addressed, increasing trust and open, honest communication among all employees” (Issue resolution, 2009). The maximum exploitation of the procedure is necessary for succeeding to meet the goals set. It is a component with strength of the voice of ideas from all levels of the organization which improves the implementation process.
Supporting Factors of Strategy Implementation
Organizations successful at strategy implementation effectively manage six key supporting factors. They are:
- Action Planning
- Organization Structure
- Human Resources
- The Annual Business Plan
- Monitoring and Control
- Linkage.
Action Planning
Any objective to be met should undergo various steps of action which require development of a plan to work it out. The action plan development should involve a real idea about the various strategies to be implemented and who should carry out those. Each strategy should be sketched out with exact clarity.
Organization Structure
The analysis of the required environment for accomplishing the set strategies is essential which evaluates whether the present atmosphere of the organization is adequate for the process. This is much essential for successful implementation.
Human Resources
The main and foremost factor that results in the success or failure of the implementation process is the human resources without which nothing is possible. The different strategies may need different skills and approaches. The human resources should meet those in the course of work. For this, sometimes training and conquering of new skills are required or brushing up of the skills already present is required.
Annual Business Plan
The expenditure for each strategy should be identified at the time of planning itself. These should then be linked to the annual business plan so that the budgeting of the expenses on each strategy is well defined. The annual business plan thus eliminates the confusion that may occur at the phase of budgeting.
Monitoring and Control
“An important part of strategy implementation is monitoring” (Birnbaum, 2009, Monitoring your progress, para.1). The implementation carried out should be supervised constantly in order to have an idea of the process carried out. The pace of work, any failure in between, lack of expected skills etc are determined so that the required alterations can be done for the best results. The control over the employees for reaching the required point of work by the scheduled period and time becomes essential in several aspects of implementation. If the drawbacks at the initial stages are identified, the strategy implementation becomes a more efficient one. Further developments can thus be initiated accordingly.
Linkage
Linkage, as the name indicates, involves the joining of all the steps and activities in the process so that the real-time success in the process can be attained. Action Planning, Organization Structure, Human Resources, Annual Business Plan and Monitoring & Control should be associated in such a way that each helps to the success of the other. Both vertical as well as horizontal linkages are required. Vertical linkages refer to the relation from the top to the bottom while the horizontal linkage is the relationships between the peers. “Linking creation and implementation support the overall process, and thus a dynamic strategy emerges and evolves” (Kotelnikov, n.d., Linking creation of a strategic intent with its implementation, para.1).
Strategic Initiatives
The strategic initiatives are the real processes to be carried out to achieve the virtual goals set. It is those initiatives that are depicted as various strategies accomplished. “Apart from the identification of strategic objectives, the selection of strategic initiatives is the most important component. Initiatives are much more important than metrics, which are simply a mechanism for monitoring progress toward strategic goals” (Creelman, 2009, The importance of strategic initiatives, para.1). The identification of the goals and the conceptual ideas towards the reach of goals is followed by the planning of different strategies. These strategies are realized by the strategic initiatives. So, the defining process of the initiatives is of great importance.
Killers of Strategic Implementation
The real enemies of the successful strategy implementation are identified in different ways by different persons and organizations. They are: “Top-down senior management style; unclear strategy and conflicting priorities; an ineffective senior management team; poor vertical communication; poor coordination across functions, businesses, or borders; and inadequate down-the-line leadership skills and development” (Beer, & Elsenstat, 2003, para.2).
A gap between the higher and lower levels of organization can lead to an unsuccessful strategy implementation. The poor leadership from the part of the top layers can result in a complete failure of the launch of strategies. The blurred ideas of various strategies and least effective communication in the organization can result in utter failure. The reduced management and developmental procedures within the firms are of great threat. Another killer in the field of strategy implementation process is the information load. This is seen in most of the scenarios in the management sector worldwide. “Information load is defined as ‘…a complex mixture of the quantity, ambiguity and variety of information that people are forced to process. As load increases people take increasingly strong steps to manage it’ (Weick, 1995: 87)” (Flood, 2000, p.20).
Roles of Strategic Implementation
The strategy implementation process is the realization of the concepts set by managing groups after the identification of various strategies and leading to the development of strategic initiatives. “Organizations are complex social systems with entrenched ways doing things; systems, behaviors and cultures. They are inertial, which means that they will tend to go in the direction they are heading already unless potent forces direct them otherwise” (Loizos, 2000, para.2). Since the implementation is carried out by individuals from different environments, the success in the process can be attained only by directing all those from different backgrounds to work in a similar way with a single aim.
The strategies set for the implementation may be very much efficient, but the output received is according to the capable method of implementation. Thus, it is clear that implementation is of most importance in the field of strategic management.
Findings and Analysis
Strategy implementation is the most important step in the strategic management field. The process of implementation is influenced by the emotional and environmental aspects of the manager as well as the employees. The relationship within the organization is a very essential factor in strategy implementation. The effectiveness of the strategic plan can be of use only if they are implemented properly within the stipulated time.
The strategy implementation phase can succeed only if the entire levels in the firm are aware of the goals, strategies, their outcome and the course of the work carried out. The time stipulation is of great importance and this significance should be conveyed to each of the individuals involved in the real implementation process. Uniformity has to be maintained within and externally so that the business aspects are met with ease.
“Many companies repeatedly fail to truly motivate their people to work with enthusiasm, all together, towards the corporate aims. Most companies and organizations know their businesses, and the strategies required for success” (Strategy implementation and realization, 2004, para.1). The potential of an organization becomes of least valued, if the coordination in the implementation of strategies cannot be met. The entire firm should be well organized and harmonized so that the goal set should be the aim for each of the individuals and the strategy should be carried out with full commitment.
The killers of the successful strategy implementation should be eliminated to maximum limit and the keys for the success should be identified and achieved. The entire level of the organization should work in a fully harmonized relationship. The atmosphere at the workplace must be pleasant and calm so that no emotional attacks occur. The involvement of the employees in each and every phase of strategy implementation is necessary for victory over the killers of strategy implementation process.
A strategy plan becomes competent only when the implementation of those strategies is done in a proficient manner. “Fuzzy thinking, fuzzy focus, unwillingness to deal directly with difficult issues, lack of attention to integration and follow-up after an acquisition, and not having the right team at the table early in the game are all symptoms of implementation gone awry” (Giuliani, n.d., p.4). The start of accomplishing the strategies to the completion of the entire process after achieving the goals set is only according to the strategic plan but with the process of strategy implementation.
Conclusion
The study on the topic ‘Strategy Implementation’ leads to the awareness that the interrelationships and communication between the higher and lower levels of the organization are much essential for succeeding in strategic management. The killers are to be identified and killed with parallel implications of useful factors. The time and resource limitations are to be made clear along with the different strategies. Only with the effective strategy implementation, the strategic plan becomes significant; else of least value. Thus, it becomes clear that the absence of a proper implementation process is the real reason for the failure of many of the good projects launched.
Reference
Beer, M., & Elsenstat, R A. (2003). The silent killers of strategic implementation and learning. Many Worlds: Thought Leadership for Business. 2009. Web.
Birnbaum, B. (2009). Strategy implementation: six supporting factors. Birnbaum Associates. Web.
Birnbaum, B. (2009). Monitoring implementation of your strategic plan: Monitoring your progress. Birnbaum Associates. Web.
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Bryson, J M. (2004). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: a guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement: Step 9: develop an effective implementation process (3rd ed.). John Wiley and Sons.
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Kotelnikov, V. (n.d.). Strategic achievement: Liking creation of a strategic intent with its implementation. 2009. Web.
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