Strategy Execution Capabilities Assessment

Thank you for taking the time to participate in this important assessment!

Assessment Purpose:

The assessment is aimed at benchmarking the maturity of strategy execution capabilities compared to best practices. Given the increasing level of uncertainty in the business environment, it's more crucial than ever for organizations to bullet proof their strategies by sharpening their capabilities to execute flawlessly on their strategic plans.

Your Privacy is Our Priority:

No email addresses or personal data will be collected unless you opt to provide it, ensuring your core responses remain anonymous. If you do choose to provide your email, we will only use it to schedule a video call with you based on your request for a complimentary assessment review session.

About the Assessment Questions

It should take about 7-10 minutes to complete the assessment. There are three parts to the survey:

The first part is a few demographic queries to contextualize your responses.
The second part is the benchmarking where you will rate the maturity of 10 dimensions of your organization's strategy execution practices on a scale of 1-10. In addition to the numerical rating, we ask that you share the rationale for your rating in a few words. We've also provided further guidance that clarifies the maturity scale by providing a description of Levels 1 and 10 for each strategy execution dimension to be rated (visible when the slider is near these values).
In the final part of the survey, you have the option to share your views on both the biggest barriers and opportunities for strategy execution.

INSTRUCTIONS

Answer all of the 10 survey questions based on your experience with a single organization. In selecting the single organization, choose the one that you're most familiar with over the past three years.
Only consider implementation of your strategic plan and its key objectives.
Be honest and thoughtful in your answers.

Demographics

Help us contextualize your responses.

What industry do you work in?*

How many employees work at your organization?*

What is your organization's approximate annual revenue?

What is your current level of seniority within the organization?*

What level of annual budget responsibility do you have?

What role do you typically play in your organization's strategy execution process?*

What continent are you located in?

Benchmarking Questions

Rate the maturity (1-10) and provide rationale for each domain.

Guidance is shown when the slider is set to Level 1 or Level 10.

DOMAIN 1: Strategy Execution Model

The Strategy Execution Model captures the executive team's understanding of all the key levers that the organization will use to achieve the strategic plan as well as the key risks and uncertainties in the business environment that can impact success.

Rating (Guidance on the scale is provided when the slider is set to Level 1 or Level 10)

Implicit mental modelsExplicit visual model

5

Rationale for your rating of Strategy Execution Model*

DOMAIN 2: Business Model Alignment

Business model alignment means people across the organization have clarity on how success will be achieved and what the priorities are for implementation action. This is essential for effective and efficient strategy implementation. Misalignment results in uncoordinated—or even conflicting—actions that waste precious resources and ultimately produce mediocre outcomes.

Rating (Guidance on the scale is provided when the slider is set to Level 1 or Level 10)

Confusion on critical driversAligned on critical variables

5

Rationale for your rating of Business Model Alignment*

DOMAIN 3: Transparent Assumptions

Assumptions about the elements and structure of the business model only become transparent when they are made explicit. When assumptions are unstated it isn't possible to examine them.

Rating (Guidance on the scale is provided when the slider is set to Level 1 or Level 10)

No list of key assumptionsAll assumptions transparent

5

Rationale for your rating of Transparent Assumptions*

DOMAIN 4: Challenging of Presumptions

Challenging presumptions about how uncertainty and risk will impact success is essential for healthy deliberation on strategy execution decisions.

Rating (Guidance on the scale is provided when the slider is set to Level 1 or Level 10)

Reluctant to challenge assumptionsThoroughly challenge and test

5

Rationale for your rating of Challenging of Presumptions*

DOMAIN 5: Risk Quantification

Quantifying risk enables you to gauge the impact on your strategy's chance of success as well as the relative contribution of various implementation actions and risk mitigations. Relying exclusively on qualitative assessments of risk is problematic because our brains are prone to so many cognitive biases. This is especially true when it comes to making strategy executions decisions in circumstances that are unfamiliar or characterized by high complexity or uncertainty.

Rating (Guidance on the scale is provided when the slider is set to Level 1 or Level 10)

Qualitative risk assessment onlyQuantitative risk assessment

5

Rationale for your rating of Risk Quantification*

DOMAIN 6: Clear Action Priorities

It's critical to isolate the drivers that can materially move the needle on success in either a positive or negative direction. This allows you to focus on the handful of issues that are most critical for achieving your strategic objectives while also avoiding failure scenarios of your strategy. By de-prioritizing issues that are not really material to success, you conserve your time and energy for those actions that genuinely merit your attention.

Rating (Guidance on the scale is provided when the slider is set to Level 1 or Level 10)

Unquantified driver impactFocused on material factors

5

Rationale for your rating of Clear Action Priorities*

DOMAIN 7: Tracking Key Drivers

Measuring and monitoring key variables provides management with a clear view of how well individual implementation actions are performing. This is critical information for validating assumptions about the business model and guiding necessary course corrections.

Rating (Guidance on the scale is provided when the slider is set to Level 1 or Level 10)

No tracking systemClear measurements and tracking

5

Rationale for your rating of Tracking Key Drivers*

DOMAIN 8: Risk Reduction

Risk reduction actions work to mitigate the degree to which specific risks and uncertainties will affect the successful achievement of our strategic objectives and make our business strategy resilient.

Rating (Guidance on the scale is provided when the slider is set to Level 1 or Level 10)

No risk reduction strategiesResilient risk reduction strategies

5

Rationale for your rating of Risk Reduction*

DOMAIN 9: Contingency Plans

Contingency plans are playbooks and capabilities that we put in place in case major risks or other foreseeable situations arise that would have a material impact on our strategy's success. They are essential to avoid being caught flat footed by changes in the business environment.

Rating (Guidance on the scale is provided when the slider is set to Level 1 or Level 10)

No contingency plansWell developed contingency plans

5

Rationale for your rating of Contingency Plans*

DOMAIN 10: Signposts

Signposts are indicators that warn us our risks are reaching a critical threshold that foretells the potential for our business strategy to fall short or fail. They trigger a conversation about whether a course correction is required and if so, which contingency plans to activate.

Rating (Guidance on the scale is provided when the slider is set to Level 1 or Level 10)

No signposts identifiedClear measurable signposts

5

Rationale for your rating of Signposts*

Additional Reflective Questions

Which strategy implementation decisions consistently take longer than they should, and why?

What's the most frustrating aspect of how major strategy implementation decisions get made in your organization?

Where do you see the greatest potential for cost savings through more structured strategy execution?

General Reflections

General Reflections

Complimentary Review Session (Optional)

Risk Awareness Week participants are entitled to receive a complimentary review of their assessment results with Steve Uhl or Diana Del Bel Belluz. If you wish to get answers to your questions about adopting a systematic approach for strategy execution, please provide your email address and we'll send you a link to book a session at a time that works for you.

Email Address