According to a McKinsey report, 70% of large-scale transformation programs fail despite having a defined strategy and plan!
It’s not just the plan; it’s “where” that plan is created. Too often, strategies are formulated on the go by people buried in day-to-day project execution. And that’s the problem. When you’re focused on reacting to immediate issues, the broader perspective is lost, setting your program up for failure.
If you’re doing this, you’re marching your program straight into the disaster.
Strategies for medium to large IT programs need to be crafted in the Boardroom, not on the ground. Let’s explore why through a battlefield analogy.
The Battlefield Analogy: Chaos vs. Clarity 🎖️
Picture yourself in a chaotic battlefield, smoke everywhere, bullets whizzing by, and explosions shaking the ground. It’s noisy, confusing, downright terrifying, and you’re scrambling to survive. At that moment, do you start thinking about a grand strategy? Probably not. In that moment, your focus is on staying alive, not plotting your next major move.
This is exactly what happens when strategies are made in the heat of project execution. You’re so busy tackling immediate threats that long-term thinking goes out the window.
In contrast, military commanders plan in the safety of a war room—calm and collected. Military leaders have a panoramic view of the battlefield. They can analyze troop movements, enemy positions, and terrain from a high vantage point, with access to tactical insights, maps, and expert advice.
Commanders adapt thoughtfully, allocate resources, and focus on the big picture — winning the war, not just surviving the battle.
War Room vs War Field 🧠 vs 💥
In a war room, military leaders:
1. See the big picture: They have a panoramic view of the battlefield, understanding the overall situation.
2. Access details: They know where every resource is and who’s available for backup.
3. Get expert opinions: They consult with intelligence officers, strategists, and other key personnel.
In contrast, soldiers on the battlefield focus on “execution”—not grand strategy. They follow the orders make real-time adjustments as needed, but don’t get bogged down in strategy.
After all, no one can do yoga while dodging bullets, right?
IT Programs and the Battlefield Are very similar
Imagine you’re managing a huge IT program, and things are getting out of control. Servers are down, bugs are cropping up in the software, integrations are not compatible —everything’s on fire. You react quickly, making decisions to fix immediate issues. Sounds productive, right?
Wrong. In firefighting mode, you lose sight of long-term goals and fall into the trap of short-term fixes. It’s like solving a jigsaw puzzle with only a few pieces in hand.
Just as an analogy to the battlefield, in the Boardroom, leaders can zoom out from the trenches of daily work to see the overall program landscape. This allows for better strategy-making, where long-term goals take precedence over immediate fixes.
Here’s why “ground-level strategizing” doesn’t work:
1. Limited Viewpoint: On the ground, surrounded by immediate issues, it’s hard to look beyond the current obstacles.
2. Reactive Mindset: You’re putting out fires instead of planning ahead, much like trying to fix leaks in a sinking boat without addressing the hole.
3. Short-Term Focus: You might fix one problem only to encounter another. In this cycle, long-term goals and program vision take a back seat.
4. Fragmented Approach: Multiple team members strategizing on the go can lead to inconsistent decisions and confusion.
5. Conflicting Decisions: When everyone starts playing strategist, you get conflicting orders, undermining the program’s direction.
The key takeaway: soldiers (or IT teams) should focus on “execution”, while leaders (you) should handle “strategy”.
The Boardrooms: For Winning Strategies 🚩
Boardrooms, as in the war analogy, are relatively calm, structured, and full of a holistic perspective. Here’s why you should strategize from the Boardroom:
1. Holistic view: In the Boardroom, you get a 360-degree view of the entire program. 🚁 You can see all the moving parts and how everything fits together, thus ensuring that every decision supports long-term goals.
2. Access to insights: Just like in a war room, you have access to market trends, resource allocation, and overall risks. You can relate to challenges & opportunities from different case studies across the industry.
3. Distanced from chaos: Unlike the people fighting bugs in the code, you’re distanced from the immediate issues. This lets you make well-informed, thoughtful decisions.
Think of it like this: when you’re making strategies in the Boardroom, you’re mapping out a journey before hitting the road. 🗺️ You aren’t just reacting to roadblocks; you’re ensuring a smooth ride to the destination.
The Ground: To Execute Strategies 🎯
Once the strategy is set, the program team on the ground should focus solely on execution. Their job is to tackle day-to-day challenges, ensure deadlines are met, and adapt to real-time issues within the boundaries of the plan.
Here’s what your execution team should focus on:
1. Align to the strategy: Follow the plan & strategy that was finalized in the Boardroom, like following a recipe. Deviating too much can ruin the dish.
2. Adapt with boundaries: Frontline teams have the flexibility to adjust to unexpected situations, but any changes must align with the overarching plan. Think of it as improvising while still playing the same tune—stay within the framework.
3. Keep the communication flowing: Regular updates are essential, sharing real-time feedback about successes, obstacles, and overall progress with leadership. But remember, the goal is to inform, not to start creating new strategies mid-project.
Major strategic shifts? Those go back to the Boardroom. You need a broader view to adjust course, just like in war.
The Big Lesson: Strategizing MUST happen in the Boardrooms
Whether it’s a battlefield or a large IT program, the key to success is “where” and “how” strategies are crafted. Your team on the ground is focused on fighting daily fires, meeting deadlines, and pushing through obstacles. They’re the tactical force.
Does that mean that none of the execution teams are part of strategizing? Absolutely NOT.
A few of the core members of the execution team can also be part of framing the strategies. However, not at the ground level, but back in the Boardroom, where all can zoom out to see the full landscape.
So, next time you’re faced with chaos on the ground, remember: step back, head to the Boardroom, and re-strategize. Keep your team focused on execution and keep your strategy-making where it belongs—” in the boardroom”.
You can read my other articles related to Strategy & Exceptional leadership @
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