I recently facilitated a workshop session requiring attendees to link our discussion to the organisation’s strategic objectives. The results were interesting.
Only a handful of participants were able to tell me their organisation's four key strategic priorities.
Does this surprise you? If so, it probably shouldn’t. The evidence shows that very few of our staff – managers included – know and consciously apply big-picture strategic objectives in their work. Which isn’t good news for making strategy a reality. It’s hard to walk the talk when you can’t remember what the talk is.
Strategy is not something we do and put in a box. It’s one of those things where the habit is the result. Making trade-offs between important, meaningful choices to propel ourselves forward is bloody hard work—and without clarity about the criteria for making those trade-offs, it’s almost impossible.
Prioritisation takes place every day, in every organisation. But if these priorities are not set, modelled and reinforced at the highest levels, the buck gets passed on. Judgement calls get pushed down the chain for staff to make. Aside from being unfair, strategic priorities don't drive trade-offs. They're driven by capacity, capability and unpredictable external factors.
My thoughts: organisations should worry less about selecting the wrong priorities and more about failing to prioritise and make it stick. We set ourselves up to fail when we don't walk the strategy talk and provide clear direction. If everything is treated as a priority, then nothing is.
How To... Make Strategic Priorities Meaningful
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Get people involved in priority development – this creates skin in the game.
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Integrate strategic priorities into operational and strategic decision-making – think report templates, business cases, project plans, and budgets.
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Lead by example – make strategic priorities and trade-offs a visible part of your leadership and decision-making.
Alicia McKay