Harvard 
Business School states that over 90% of strategies fail. The authors describe in their study that “the ability to execute strategy was more important than the strategy itself.” Failure to execute not only lowers performance, it also prevents a company from breaking through a perilous growth inflection point. We call that point No Man’s Land.
No Man’s Land
Companies enter No Man’s Land as they grow past startup and enter “adolescence”. It’s a period of strategic confusion and inadequate resources, as Doug Tatum describes:
No matter how good their core business concepts, the companies I’ve seen have been pushed by growth into an uncomfortable situation where the resources and approaches that had allowed the firm to grow in the first place suddenly became insufficient and even an obstacle to further growth. Customers went away dissatisfied, and the entrepreneur in question felt disoriented, as if he or she were gradually and inexplicably losing control.
Teams out of sync on the No Man’s Land issues experience great difficulty getting the right things done. Great companies have teams that maintain effective execution habits so they can break through No Man’s Land.
The 5 Execution Habits of Great Companies
Habit 1: Get radically objective about the business
“Embrace the brutal facts,” as author, Jim Collins states. Great companies ask tough questions from the No Mans Land categories to get an accurate picture on the extent of team misalignment and the degree of urgency on each issue. Tough questions usually reveal tough decisions that must be made; decisions that stir the pudding but can also throttle the company through No Man’s Land.
Habit 2: Set a clear direction by focusing on a handful of priorities
More than 5 priorities result in no priorities. Strategy can be simple. Teams can focus and when they are responsible for a handful of priorities with actionable points and deadlines.
Habit 3: Align the team through routine communication
We have observed that over 98% of teams are out of sync on the No Man’s Land issues. On the other hand, companies experience at least a 20% increase in performance when teams are aligned and focused on the right priorities. Aligned teams can stay in sync with a routine review of priorities and key performance indicators.
Habit 4: Keep score to hold each other accountable
As stated previously, team accountability is rare; but it is at- tainable. A simple dashboard that includes priorities, assigned action points with deadlines, and metrics will provide the catalyst for team interaction. Offering the team an opportunity to vote on the priorities and action points can also fuel accountability.
Habit 5: Adapt and learn quickly
Our nation’s Special Forces utilize the same strategic decision process on every battlefield around the world. The foundation of their strategy is based on the team’s ability to make a decision and then quickly learn from their unfolding circumstances, outside information, and the evolving interaction with their environment. By using this process the team adapts and learns in order to choose their next move. In other words, they remain “agile” at all times. The Wall Street Journal described the need or a company to remain flexible:
Now, even though the economy is slowly picking up, those fresh habits aren’t fading. “This downturn has changed the way we will think about our business for many years to come,” says Steve Odland, Office Depot’s chairman and chief executive.
Walt Shill, head of the North American management consulting practice for Accenture Ltd., is even more blunt: “Strategy, as we knew it, is dead,” he contends. “Corporate clients decided that increased flexibility and accelerated decision making are much more important than simply predicting the future.”
From: Strategic Plans Lose Favor, Wall Street Journal, 1.25.10
Great companies have leadership teams that adapt and learn from their decisions. They are able to keep their strategy simple and remain focused on the top handful of priorities. They’ve developed the habits to execute.
The No Man's Land Diagnostic from Newport Board Group is the perfect tool to help you determine how well your team is aligned and whether you are focused on the right priorities. Click below to get started on receiving a customized report for you and your team.
