When strategy delivery fails, it can of course be for many well documented reasons. it\u2019s rarely because leaders don\u2019t care. Could it be because they don\u2019t see<\/strong> strategy delivery as a capability<\/strong> that their organisations that needs to build?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ask any executive if strategy execution is important, and they\u2019ll agree. Ask whether their organisation needs to improve it, and you might get a pause. Why? Because raising the perception of a need to improve strategy delivery is one of the hardest challenges in modern leadership.<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Even when data, missed goals, or frustrated teams make the problem visible, many organisations struggle to act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s discuss why \u2014 and why we need to start a different kind of conversation than simply beating ourselves up on strategy delivery issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many leaders see the creation of a strategy as the achievement itself. The launch gets celebrated; the delivery gets delegated and assumed. Planning is high-status, visible, and intellectually engaging \u2014 whereas execution is messy, political, and often thankless. The mindset of \u201cwe have a strategy \u2014 job done\u201d<\/em> remains surprisingly common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Humans are wired to believe our own story. Leaders often overestimate how well the strategy is understood or supported. Confirmation bias reinforces a sense that things are \u201cmostly on track,\u201d even when warning signals are clear. It\u2019s not denial \u2014 it\u2019s psychology. But it means the case for improving delivery must cut through optimism and ego with evidence, empathy, and clarity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s face it \u2014 admitting weak execution can feel risky. It raises questions about leadership, competence, and performance. In many organisations, challenging the status quo can feel like \u201crocking the boat.\u201d<\/em> When things look \u201cgood enough,\u201d there\u2019s little appetite to dig deeper. Yet this is where complacency hides \u2014 and where transformation should start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Execution data is often fragmented or inconsistent. Without a shared picture of delivery performance, it\u2019s easy to assume things are fine. This lack of transparency creates false confidence<\/strong> \u2014 we can\u2019t fix what we can\u2019t see. Integrated governance and performance information \u2014 like that championed by the BIG Body of Knowledge <\/strong> \u2014 can make strategy delivery visible, measurable, and actionable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under pressure from quarterly targets or daily operations, strategy delivery feels abstract. The urgent eclipses the important. But without sustained investment in long-term delivery capability, organisations simply keep repeating the same cycle \u2014 new strategies, same execution gaps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many leaders are rewarded for planning, financial outcomes, or BAU performance \u2014 not for ensuring the strategy is delivered<\/em> effectively. Until accountability systems value delivery as much as design, effort will stay skewed toward the front end of the strategy lifecycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Activity often gets mistaken for progress \u2014 workshops, KPIs, dashboards \u2014 without connecting those efforts to genuine outcomes. We celebrate motion, not impact. It\u2019s time to change that. The implications from above are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Culture challenge 1: Until we stop throwing plans \u201cover the wall\u201d to progress, the delivery gap will persist.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Culture challenge 2: Until we shift to progressing strategy delivery using evidence and clarity along with empathy \u2013 our opinion-based arguments around being \u201cmostly on track\u201d will continue to mislead us.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Culture challenge 3: Can we develop a psychologically safe environment and raise the perception of need to do something \u2013 without disrespecting someone\u2019s story or appearing to throw stones at big grizzly bears?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Culture challenge 4: Can we get over tendencies for \u201cDon\u2019t Tell\/Don\u2019t Ask\u201d and enable us to \u201chear and see evil\u201d \u2013 so we can talk of that professionally, not emotionally?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Culture challenge 5: Can we give priority to all of our workloads to enable managers, team leads and staff members to make the right day to day choices for what might provide reward tomorrow?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Culture challenge 6: Can we reward people based on achieving strategic and performance-based objectives?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Culture challenge 7: While it is important to manage the steps – can we keep objective and goal central to agendas for progress and control?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If we can unpack why strategy delivery is so hard to talk about<\/strong>, frameworks like IASP BOK<\/strong> and BIG BOK<\/strong> can then<\/em><\/strong> help your organisation turn strategy into a living capability \u2014 not a static document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because improving strategy delivery isn\u2019t about another framework \u2014 it\u2019s about creating the conditions and processes for effective strategy conversations, agility, and accountability<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognising the strategy delivery problem is the first step, and grasping the cultural issues is vital before offering solutions. That\u2019s why our upcoming presentation at the BIG Conference<\/strong> will call for starting the journey with safe conversations about cultural issues as much as mechanical ones.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re an executive, strategist, governance or change professional who\u2019s ever felt the pain of \u201cgreat plans, poor delivery,\u201d this session is for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\uddd3 BIG Conference \u2014 November 2025<\/strong> Presented by David Booth<\/a> and David Worsley<\/a><\/span><\/strong> from the International Association of Strategy Professionals. David Booth is author of ‘Strategy Journeys \u2013 a guide to effective strategic planning<\/em>‘, and David Worsley is Rail Strategy Manager at Transport for the North. Introduction below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\ud83d\udd0d 1. Success is still measured by Planning, not Delivery<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\ud83e\udde0 2. Overconfidence and Cognitive Bias<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\ud83e\uddf1 3. Culture and Politics get in the way<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\ud83d\udcca 4. Poor Visibility of What\u2019s Really Happening<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\ud83d\udd04 5. The Tyranny of the Short Term<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\ud83e\udde9 6. Misaligned Incentives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\ud83e\ude9e 7. The Illusion of Progress<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\ud83d\udca1 <\/strong>Cultural Challenges<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\ud83d\udca1 So what can we do about It?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\ud83d\udd14 Join us<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\ud83c\udfa4 Session: Strategy Delivery: Rigour vs. Agility \u2014 Do We Need Both?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n