What Startups Can Learn from General McChrystal about Combining Strategy and Execution

To get to a point where you trust almost anyone to make decisions on their own because you believe they have the same information and objectives you do.

• Conduct a network analysis of the company.   A series of targeted surveys to help expose where the key influencers and evangelists are and how decisions truly get made, regardless of what the org chart might imply.
• Increase transparency of projects and process.  By having inclusive and regular processes for Planning, Deciding, Monitoring and Assessing activities, more people within the organization can come to understand the goals, strategies and learnings.
• Combining Strategy and Execution. Combine the process of talking about strategy with the communication of that strategy to leaders and employees.

Are the methods for combining strategy and execution work:

• The goal of strategy meetings is to create an understanding of the challenges and priorities of everyone else.
• Promoting an understanding of what resources and challenges others have, facilitates in people solving their own problems.
• Meeting should have a clear structure. Include a facilitator to keep it on task and on schedule.
• Allow for quick updates to identify challenges and issues.
  
• The meeting’s frequency should match the pace of change in your environment.