Tasks Completed ≠ Value Realized
Strategy is not the problem. Execution is.
SteerCos keep asking: "Are we on track to meet our timelines?" Is that even the right question? Just because we meet our timelines, does it inherently mean we have achieved the value we set out to achieve?
The numbers are difficult to ignore
- 70% of transformations fail (McKinsey)
- Only 20% of strategies succeed (Harvard Business Review)
Most organizations assume the issue lies with the strategy. In most cases, the strategy is sound , the problem lies in how execution is managed.
Execution in most organizations quickly becomes a focus on tasks, timelines, and status updates. Teams track activities, close action items, and report progress against project plans. However, very few organizations actively track something far more important: whether the initiative is actually delivering the value it was designed to create.
What gets measured
- Work gets completed
- Milestones get checked off
- Project dashboards turn green
Yet the expected business outcomes often never materialize. The gap exists because execution is frequently managed as a project management exercise, rather than a value realization discipline.