Strategy vs. Execution. More us and them!

Strategy is necessary if we are to succeed over any significant period of time. Execution is the place where strategy is brought to life.

In so many businesses, I notice a distinct "us and them syndrome" occurring at the virtual line painted between "business" and "delivery" cultures.

If both strategy and it's effective execution are necessary conditions for long term success, then why do we paint the line? Surely it would be better to have a stronger, more collaborative relationship between those focusing on delivery and those focusing on strategy.

The line between the business and delivery cultures is painted primarily by:

1. exclusion - people from one camp are not invited to the other camp's ideation / design or reflection ceremonies
   

2. opaque strategy - strategy may well have been presented at some point, but delivery people can't access those in-the-know when needed.
   

3. opaque delivery - busy delivery people don't elicit regular strategic feedback on their output. The process of delivery is a mystery outside of delivery area.

4. birds of a feather - hardened roles for business people and technical people alike coupled with organizational hierarchy and status encourages exchanges with peers, rather than regular cross-cultural sharing and learning.

5. absent feedback loops - no formal feedbacks exist with representatives from both cultures, inspecting progress towards strategy, and adapting both strategy and execution.

I put it to you, that we need to get better at disrupting the divide between strategy and execution, if we are to improve quality, speed and aptness of delivery.

If you're interested to explore ways to improve visibility and interactions surrounding both strategy and execution, take a look at our Flight Levels page.