The Implementation Stage
The Implementation stage plays a very crucial role in the strategic planning process. However, the success of this phase solely lies with the structures and values in place. As always, the structure should always follow the strategy underpinning the need for a change management process. This paper aims to highlight the importance of applying methods and theories of leadership, change, and advocacy as success indicators in the strategy implementation phase.
Importance of Change Management
Strategy implementation results in the transformation from the traditional way of doing things, as such change management is critical at this stage. Change touches on every aspect of the organization including the values, human resources, or even the structure. As Homan (2016) argues, a management strategy implementation results in filling the void between the formulation and the implementation stage. These gaps often relate to the use of traditional systems and the existence of four barriers during the implementation phase. He further identifies these barriers as unrealistic mission and vision statements, unmatched resource allocation with the strategy, and feedbacks that are somewhat operational other than strategic.
Employee Alignment and Motivation
As such, individual employee goals should always be derived from or modified to reflect mission, objective, and the overall strategy of the organization as a whole. Through this action, employees can understand their everyday roles lead to the achievement of the organization's overall goal (Homan, 2016). Achieving compatibility between the organization's objectives and individual's tasks in the implementation phase tremendously motivates staff hence a higher degree of employee retention.
The Role of a Dedicated Leader
The strategic implementation stage requires a well-dedicated leader who is familiar with the processes and systems involved (Homan, 2016). Besides, the success of the strategy majorly depends on the manager’s ability to motivate his or her team members. As such, a leader’s duties in the strategy implementation phase includes but not limited to communicating plans, delegation, monitoring and evaluating the strategy execution process, and more importantly encouraging the staff.
Effective Communication and Matching Skills
Strategy execution begins with communication and helping workers set their own realistic and ambitious goals. But first, prioritize the objectives of putting critical resources at the worker's disposal. Above all, it is prudent to explain the process in a clear manner, therefore making communication skills a must for this stage (NOHS, n.d). On the other hand, a manager should be able to match roles with specific skills of the employee to achieve maximum success. Nonetheless, a leader should be involved in all the aspects of the implementation process. For example, asking questions to have an in-depth understanding of what the staff is working on, conduct periodic assessments to monitor the progress of the execution process.
Documentation, Flexibility, and Motivation
A leader should be able to carefully document all the processes to ensure future reference by other staff members (NOHS, n.d). Flexibility is also another critical aspect for the leader at this phase, where the set goals are found out as overly ambitious or out of context, it is essential to give room for modifications. A lot of care should also be taken, as micromanaging might not be received well by the employees and might affect their morale. Lastly, the most crucial element of a leader is the ability to motivate staff, as one's attitude is highly contagious. Leaders should conduct themselves with decorum in ways that employees would want to emulate. More importantly, focus on aspects that significantly improve the worker's productivity.
References
Homan, M. S. (2016). Promoting community change: Making it happen in the real world(6th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage.
National Organization for Human Services (NOHS). (n.d.). Ethical Standards for HS Professionals. Retrieved from https://www.nationalhumanservices.org/ethical-standards-for-hs-professionals
