Balanced Scorecards and Operational Dashboards with Microsoft Excel, 2nd Edition

Chapter 7

Step-by-Step to Developing Your Implementation Plan

No decision has been made unless carrying it out in specific steps has become someone’s work assignment and responsibility.

—Peter Drucker

Management consultant

1909–2005

This is where strategy is translated into action. This is the point of translating objectives and initiatives into projects that go to budgeting, project management, and implementation.

To implement your strategy, you must have the buy-in, understanding, and creative problem solving of the managers and people who will make it work. The people on the front lines usually best understand how to improve their work. Without their motivation, understanding, and agreement, it is impossible to make strategic change permanent.

This chapter covers some methods of involving and motivating middle managers and subject matter experts (SMEs). They not only translate the strategic plan into action and carry it forward, but they also can add their own creative ideas.

Step-by-Step to Translating Initiatives into Projects

The following process works well to capture innovative ideas while building buy-in and personal commitment from mid-level managers and SMEs.

Your teams should have a diverse selection of people who are knowledgeable about existing projects and project management. Although these meetings usually involve eight to 16 people, they can sometimes involve as many as 40 people for a large, long-term project.

To follow the process described next, the teams should ...