Clear roles and responsibilities in strategy implementation are important - a no-brainer - right? But what does the reality look like? Strategy is usually a matter for the bosses. For example, the vice president of operations or the head of manufacturing is simultaneously appointed project manager for the development of a new site in Eastern Europe.
My experience: Having operational line responsibility, i.e. managing the business and developing the business at the same time, usually doesn't work. My tip as a proven alternative: Bring talents and high performers beyond the hierarchy onto the stage of strategy implementation - 100% released from other tasks and day-to-day business.
Experience has shown that these talents feel truly honored and newly motivated by this appointment. Especially if the boss has been blocking their supposed path to advancement for years, following the Peter Principle. This gives them a wonderful opportunity to prove themselves away from the hierarchies and buried in the invisibility of the line organization. And above all: The talents automatically bring a higher degree of personal responsibility and commitment to the strategy implementation than an overloaded boss who, controlled by the Outlook calendar, rushes from meeting to meeting at 140% capacity.
And: The high-performers in question are not only waiting in the company's own line organization, but also bring the necessary carefree attitude and fresh wind with them from other divisions and departments. How do you find them beyond your own area of responsibility? The superheroes are usually buried in the top right quadrant of the most recently conducted talent and performance ratings in the HR databases.