The Silent Killers of Strategy Implementation and Learning →

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"The Silent Killers of Strategy Implementation and Learning" is one of my all-time favorites. The barriers to strategy execution and learning it describes always resonate, and every organization probably has more than one or two.

In the past, I've thought about how principles from Lencioni's Five Dysfunctions of a Team might apply. In my latest reading, I was using a different lens. This time I was thinking about how my own mindset – the things I was doing (or not doing) – had gotten in the way of past change efforts.

More importantly, this reading has me really focused on Organizational Fitness Profiling, the process the authors recommend to unearth the root causes of strategy execution blockers, and to develop a workable plan.

"For a decade, we have conducted research focused on understanding the root causes of the difficulties that Becton Dickinson and others encounter when responding to shifts in competitive strategy. Using an inquiry and action-learning method we call 'Organizational Fitness Profiling (OFP),' we enlist a team of senior managers to serve as our co-investigators. The process provides a window for understanding deeply rooted barriers that are common to an array of companies."

…

"[OFP] is both an intervention method and a research approach. It unfolds over a series of meetings intended to promote an open and fact-based dialogue within the senior management team of an organizational unit, as well as between the top team and lower organizational levels. The process involves five steps."

  1. Create a statement about direction
  2. Collect data on barriers and strengths
  3. Develop an integrated plan for change
  4. Refine the plan
  5. Implement the plan

I love the idea of having a team lower-level managers investigate barriers and provide senior leaders with the unvarnished truth!

There's much more detail and context in the article, of course. While it's behind a paywall, if you're leading an organization that maybe could use a little change, I can't recommend "Silent Killers" more highly.