Are Your Managers Making Decisions that Move Your Strategy Forward?

The Real Decision Makers While most agree that the executive team is responsible for setting the strategic direction, too many employees are confused about who is responsible for moving the strategy forward. We believe that the real engine of strategy execution resides with line managers who make day-to-day decisions.  Line managers are "on the ground" and close to customers. They can readily see what needs to be done and when. To meet increasing customer expectations, there is often little time to follow lengthy and time consuming protocols or to wait for decisions from the C-Suite.  Ineffective Decision Making When managers are disconnected from what matters most and how work should be accomplished, even well-crafted strategies can falter. Ideally, each and every decision throughout a company should help to move the strategy forward. Are your managers up to the task?  What This Means for Business Leaders If you want your managers to make the right decisions, you need to connect the dots between where the company is headed, how the work should be accomplished, and their unique contribution and purview to make it happen.  To improve decision making: Be Clear:  Clarify decision-making authority so managers know where, when, and why they are free to make decisions Be Thoughtful:  Develop decision-making guidelines and protocols so managers know how to make decisions Be Smart:  Hire and develop managers capable of making meaningful decisions at the right level Be Open:  Allow for independent execution in pursuit of corporate priorities and encourage the constructive debate of ideas The Bottom Line A leadership team can announce a strategy, but that strategy will only be fully executed if line managers understand it, believe in it, and can make aligned decisions.  Leaders need to actively involve managers in the strategy design and then connect the dots with the right decision-making guidelines, skills, and empowerment to succeed. To learn more about creating the management capabilities to move your strategy forward, download

7 Management Actions to Create Alignment with Goals

About LSA Global
Founded in 1995, LSA Global is a leading performance consulting and training firm that helps high growth technology, services, and life-science companies create a competitive advantage by powerfully aligning their culture and talent with their strategy. Learn more about getting aligned