Business Strategy 12: Step 9 Develop an Effective Implementation Process

This continues our series about John M. Bryson’s strategic planning cycle

“Just creating a strategic plan is not enough. The changes called for by the adopted strategies must be incorporated throughout the system for these strategies to be brought to life and for real value to be created for the organization and its stakeholders. Thinking strategically about implementation and developing an effective implementation plan are important tasks on the road to realizing the strategies.” (John M. Bryson, Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organization, p 50)

Purpose of an Effective Implementation Process

“If strategies and an implementation plan have been developed for a single organization, particularly a small one, or if the planning is for an inter-organizational network or community, this step may need to be incorporated into step 7, strategy formulation.”

“Action plans should detail the following:

• Implementation roles and responsibilities of oversight bodies, organizational teams or task forces, and individuals
• Expected results and specific objectives and milestones
• Specific action steps and relevant details
• Schedules
• Resource requirements and sources
• A communication process
• Review, monitoring, and midcourse correction procedures
• Accountability procedures” (p 51)

Process for Developing an Effective Implementation Process

The following guidelines may help (p 249-255)

1. “Consciously and deliberately plan and manage implementation in a strategic way”
2. “Develop implementation strategy documents and action plans”
3. “Try for changes that can be introduced easily and rapidly”
4. “Use a program and project management approach”
5. “Build in enough people, time, attention, money, administrative and support services, and other resources to ensure successful implementation”
6. “Link new strategic initiatives with ongoing operations”
7. “Work quickly to avoid unnecessary or undesirable competition with new priorities”
8. “Focus on maintaining or developing a coalition of implementers, advocates, and interest groups intent on effective implementation of the strategies and willing to protect them”
9. “Be sure executive and administrative policies and actions facilitate rather than impede implementation”
10. “Think carefully about how residual disputes will be resolved and underlying norms enforced”
11. “Major changes, and even many minor ones, entail changes in the organization’s culture”
12. “Emphasize learning”
13. “Hang in there!”

Tuesday we will discuss how to reassess strategies and the strategic planning process