Crafting A Strategy Execution Playbook For Teams

A roadmap is not a strategy! Yet, most strategy docs are roadmaps + frameworks. This isn't because teams are dumb. It's because they lack predictable steps to follow. This is where I refer them to Ed Biden's 7-step process: — 1. Objective → What problem are we solving? Your objective sets the foundation. If you can’t define this clearly, nothing else matters. A real strategy starts with: → What challenge are we responding to? → Why does this problem matter? → What happens if we don’t solve it? — 2. Users → Who are we serving? Not all users are created equal. A strong strategy answers: · What do they need most? · Who exactly are we solving for? · What problems are they already solving on their own? A strategy without sharp user focus leads to feature bloat. — 3. Superpowers → What makes us different? If you’re competing on the same playing field as everyone else, you’ve already lost. Your strategy must define: · What can we do 10x better than anyone else? · Where can we persistently win? · What should we not do? This is where strategy meets competitive advantage. — 4. Vision → Where are we going? A roadmap tells you what’s next. A vision tells you why it matters. Most PMs confuse vision with strategy. But a vision is long-term. It’s a north star. Your strategy answers: How do we get there? — 5. Pillars → What are our focus areas? If everything is a priority, nothing really is. In my 15 years of experience, great strategy always come with a trade-offs: → What are our big bets? → What do we need to execute to move towards our vision? → What are we intentionally not doing? — 6. Impact → How do we measure success? Most teams obsess over vanity metrics. A great strategy tracks what actually drives business success. What outcomes matter? → How will we track progress? → What signals tell us we’re on the right path? — 7. Roadmap → How do we execute? A roadmap should never be a list of everything you could do. It should be a focus list of what truly matters. Problems and outcomes are the currency here. Not dates and timelines. — For personal examples of how I do this, check out my post: https://lnkd.in/e5F2J6pB — Hate to break it to you, but you might be operating without a strategy. You might have a nicely formatted strategy doc in front of you, but it’s just a… A roadmap? a feature list? a wishlist? If it doesn’t connect vision to execution, prioritize trade-offs, and define competitive edge… It’s not strategy. It’s just noise.

In one year, an Inc 5000 CEO whose revenue growth had stalled grew to their highest revenue AND most profitable year ever. They focused on simplifying their execution system down to these 5 key elements. Here's their 'Vision to Results' Playbook: 1. Simplify The CEO eliminated multiple project tools, tracking spreadsheets, and complex workflow diagrams. They consolidated everything into one platform (ResultMaps) where teams could see priorities, progress and issues clearly. Pro Tip: When everyone sees the same picture of reality, people naturally begin making better decisions. 2. Focus on communication quality over quantity They replaced scattered status meetings, constant messages and reports with three powerful rhythms: - Quick 90-second daily updates in ResultMaps to keep everyone aligned  - One focused weekly meeting to track progress and solve problems - Quarterly business reviews Every update tied directly to company targets, so teams always worked on what mattered most. 3. Create clear ownership without micromanagement Rather than constant check-ins, they mapped clear accountability and let teams drive. Everyone could see how their work connected to company goals. 4. Let the data surface problems early With everything visible in one place, the team could spot trends and patterns before they became issues. No more surprises in projects and quarterly reviews 5. Build momentum through wins Teams could see their impact directly. The development team went from needing oversight to driving results independently. ________ Here's a real-world example of how this worked: Their development team began living in ResultMaps. The CEO could check progress anytime without interrupting work or calling meetings. Issues surfaced faster and got solved before becoming problems. ________ I'm sure many of you are thinking... "This sounds too simple to actually work." I get it. But consider this: Most companies make execution complex by adding more tools, more meetings, and more oversight. This CEO proved simpler is better - one platform, clear visibility, real results. The playbook is timeless and will work for any company that wants to: - Make vision shared by everyone - Create clear ownership - Drive more engagement - Drive real results Traditional approaches of tool sprawl and constant meetings will only get you so far. DM me if you'd like to learn more about implementing this playbook.

I've been thinking about a product team playbook for banks. Feel free to tear this apart, but given another run at this, I think I'd advocate more for building teams that move markets, not maintain them. Most banks are great at managing risk. But terrible at building product. Here’s an outline of a playbook to change that. 1) Stop Hiring for Process Most banks hire PMs to manage timelines, meetings, and roadmaps. That’s not product leadership. That’s project management in disguise. Hire for outcomes, not oversight. 2) Match PMs to the Right Phase Pioneers → Build from zero Settlers → Scale the chaos City Planners → Optimize mature products If you’re launching something new? Hire pioneers. Not city planners with 20-slide decks. 3)Build Firewalls Around Innovation New products will die inside legacy org charts. Create carveouts. Dedicated teams. Autonomous missions. Think seed stage structure inside an enterprise. 4) Define the Role - Before You Fill It Don’t hire a PM until you define: ✅ What they own ✅ How they’re measured ✅ What “great” looks like Otherwise, you’ll get confusion, not execution. 5)Obsess Over the Customer One customer call a week? Not enough. Make it daily. PMs should live in the problem, not just the roadmap. If they can’t finish the sentence “Our customers are struggling with…” don’t let them ship. 6) Invest in Quality as a Differentiator You won’t win on price. You won’t win on features. But you can win on experience. 7) Don’t Rush to Revenue Let usage grow. Let love compound. Revenue follows great products, not the other way around. Too many banks kill innovation by forcing ROI too early. Final Thoughts Banks love control. But real product velocity comes from trust. Trust your teams. Give them room to build. And don't treat innovation like a side project. This isn’t about running a project. It’s about creating a movement.

Stop creating strategy that lives in powerpoint. Start making strategy that lives in action. Having a great strategy is only the first step—activating it is where the magic happens. But strategy activation doesn’t just happen on its own. It requires intentional focus, clear priorities, and critical decisions. Here’s a breakdown of the 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 with key decisions for each element: 1. Empathy – Treat Employees Like Customers: 🤝 How can we lower the friction for employees to do the right thing? 🤝 How can we strengthen the connection between roles and strategy? 🤝 What tools and resources will address their needs effectively? 2. Insight – Understand the Real Employee Experience: 🔍 What are the root causes of current behaviors that may block progress? 🔍 What are the barriers to adopting new behaviors? 🔍 What obstacles and counterforces do we need to remove? 3. Service – Think of Strategy as a Service: 🛠️ How do we shape strategy as a tool that empowers teams? 🛠️ How can we foster permissionless action? 🛠️ What mechanisms can we use to help employees make decisions aligned with the strategy? 4. Alignment – Connect Strategy to Behavior: 🎯 What specific behaviors are critical for success? 🎯 How are these new behaviors different from today's behaviors? 🎯 How do we make these behaviors actionable and easy to adopt? 5. Environment – Change the Environment to Drive New Behaviors: 🌍 What environmental factors are reinforcing misaligned behaviors? 🌍 How do we design triggers and feedback loops to encourage desired habits? 6. Clarity – Tailor Your Communication: 🗣️ How do we adapt our messaging to meet employees where they are? 🗣️ What communication methods will make our strategy clear and engaging? 7. Advocacy – Recruit Strategy Ambassadors: 📣 Who are the key influencers we can empower as strategy ambassadors? 📣 What tools and training do ambassadors need to succeed in their role? 8. Iteration – Use Pilots and Replication: 🔄 Where can we run pilots to test and demonstrate the strategy in action? 🔄 How do we refine and replicate successful approaches across the organization? 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲: Strategy activation isn’t just about creating a plan—it’s about enacting intentional choices that empower your people and create momentum. Which element do you think is most important?