Kakabadse

Strategy Execution Inventory

General Management Perspectives

The General Management group within an organization play an important part in the implementation of the organization’s strategy. The perceptions of General Managers regarding their level of input into the strategy formulation process, as well as the perceived quality of the leadership of the organization, can have a significant impact on how well a strategy is likely to be implemented; which is why it is important to take the views of General Managers across the organization into account in determining what could potentially work or not work.

The purpose of this tool is to gather data from the General Management group as a whole in order to ascertain these perceptions. The tool comprises of six key themes that have been identified as having a significant impact on the ability of the organization to successfully implement strategy:

Contribution – General Managers’ contribution towards strategy formulation and development, the extent to which their views are taken into account, and implementation
Engagement – focusing on the relationships of General Managers with others in the organization
General Manager Personal Qualities – how do General Managers view their own qualities
Leadership Qualities – how do General Managers view the quality of the organization’s leadership capabilities
CEO/MD Qualities – how do General Managers view the role of the CEO/MD in the process
Problem Solving – the ability of General Managers to handle issues that could obstruct effective strategy implementation.

Contribution

The participation and contribution of General Managers is a key component to successful strategy development and implementation, and we measure this through managers’:

Opportunity to give feedback/views on strategy
Consistency in interpreting strategy
Capability to implement strategy
Ability to take responsibility.

Engagement

In this section we gauge the quality of relationships with the General Management group, and the extent to which there are positive relationships with:

Other General Managers
Members of the Top Team
CEO/MD
Managers/Directors the next level down.

General Manager Personal Qualities

The qualities of General Managers are a key component to successful strategy implementation, and we measure this through managers’ ability to:

Communicate and interpret effectively
Utilise their know-how/skills
Operate effectively within the organization’s environment.

Leadership Qualities

Views on the leadership can have a significant impact on how well strategy is likely to be implemented, certainly with regard to perceptions of the leadership’s:

Flexibility/adaptability
Decisiveness
Openness/being engaged
Alignment
Innovativeness.

CEO/MD Qualities

The CEO/MD’s role in the strategy is pivotal, and in this section we assess their qualities in a number relevant areas including:

Communication/networking skills
Relationships with others
Ability to address issues/concerns.

Problem Solving

In this section we focus on the ability of the General Manager to deal with problems/issues as they arise, and the fine-tuning of the strategy implementation
process. We ask General Managers to rate issues in terms of their degree of concern and their ability to address such issues effectively. Such issues include:

Having the right systems and structures in place
Managing change
Monitoring implementation
Keeping informed on progress
Having adequate resources in place (e.g. budgets, staff etc.)
Motivating others.

In the example below, the qualities of the CEO/MD and organization’s leadership are rated quite highly, as are the qualities of the General Managers and their contribution towards strategy development and their capacity to engage. However, the ability of the General Management group to identify and address current issues/problems score low which could potentially have a negative impact on effective strategy execution.

If you would like to find out more about how this tool can be used to help your organisation, please contact us.