Strategies are developed to guide the overall direction of an organisation in achieving its goals and objectives. It involves the planning and execution of decisions and actions for desired results.It is usual for Global Institutions (GIs), Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Multi-national Corporations (MNCs), nations, and companies to make reference to strategic plans they have developed to guide them in the bid to achieve their goals. It is also common for organisations to officially launch their strategic plans with pomp and pageantry.While most organisations have a clearly stated corporate vision, mission, goals, and objectives, as well as an accompanying strategic plan to guide the realisation of the vision, recent studies by Prof. Rebecca Homkes of the London Business School and others have found that only 25% of organisations are able to execute their strategic plans to achieve the intended results.This article looks at the causes of the huge failures and recommends what organisations can do to change the phenomenon with the deployment of the holistic strategy execution framework.A lot has changed since Michael Porter’s groundbreaking work in strategic management in the 1980s, rendering the regular strategic planning process the easiest thing to do, and execution for results the most challenging and, at the same time, the determinant of success or failure.Myths:Considering the mere development and launch of a strategic plan as an end in itself and not a means to achieving the intended results is one of the major reasons for strategy failure. Neglect of execution leads to automatic failure.Secondly, to think it is enough to have an action plan of activities and objectives aligned up and down the organisation’s hierarchy through KPIs, without coordination across multiple functions, departments, and most importantly with external stakeholders, is a myth.Thirdly, the one-size-fits-all approach to strategy management no longer holds. Execution for results has become necessarily nuanced. As change has become the order of the day, perpetual vigilance and agility are required to maintain the different levels of alignment, coordination, and adaptation to guarantee successful execution.Strategy execution is inextricably linked to the whole strategic management process. To that end, every part of the planning process must keep execution in view. Thinking they can be neatly separated is the fourth myth that must be dropped.Finally, sticking to the vertical and cascading approach to strategy execution has become moot because of the need to take multiple decisions and actions at different levels of the organisation simultaneously. Ignoring horizontal alignments and coordination in execution condemns the strategy to failure.Execution Framework:In today’s ever-changing world, where speed and accuracy are required to execute for results, it is necessary for leadership teams to take a holistic view of execution and share the same with members at all levels. Depending on the structure of the organisation, the strategic, tactical, and operational team members must all be in the loop.The shared context goes beyond mere communication, as propounded in the traditional theories. Rather, it is the thorough appreciation of the execution plan, as well as the role each team member is required to play at every level, with ample space for discretion every step of the way, that yields results.It is crucial that processes that secure performance commitments up and down the organisation, across departments and units, and with external stakeholders are robust and perpetually coordinated. So too must tools, motivation, materials, cash, human resources, and executive hours allocated for execution of the strategy be coordinated.Execution Culture:The debate over prioritising execution culture over performance culture is yet to be settled, as authorities are sharply divided on both sides. But this writer supports the execution culture, which consists of bundles of knowledge, attitudes, practices, and values that create the enabling environment for effective and efficient execution regardless of uncertainties.While performance is a key success factor, it is more rewarding if it is embedded in an execution culture. In other words, performance as a monitoring and evaluation tool must not stand alone. It must be linked to the overall execution of the organisation’s strategy.Clearly, a most critical element in this framework is the thorough appreciation of the context in which the organisation says and points to where it is heading, and how all the parts (strategic, tactical, and operational) contribute their quotas to getting it there. That way, the priorities are collectively determined and shared for execution in a coordinated manner. The context must always be well understood at all levels.Getting It Right:When the holistic execution framework is set, the execution culture and communication context are clearest, as they are linked to the allocation of resources such as cash, logistics, personnel, managerial commitment, as well as priorities for continuous coordination.One of the key advantages of prioritising the execution culture lies in how it allows for innovation and creativity, while the culture of performance tends to promote selfishness, low commitment from other departments, turf wars, non-cooperation, and neglect of the collective goal.Accurate Data:Finally, with the ever-changing environment in which organisations operate today, time is of the essence in strategy execution. It is therefore crucial that inputs for the development and execution of strategies are based on clean data.William Dowokpor is a Management Consultant at GiBS-Accra. Email: william.dowokpor@gibsaccra.com