Activating Strategy
MAKING
STRATEGY SHIP
The Pattern
You just got a beautiful strategy from McKinsey/Bain/BCG (or built your own). Leadership is aligned on the strategy. Teams stare at the deck and don't know what to do differently on Monday.
Three months later, you’re still "socializing" the strategy. Six months later, executives frustrated nothing has changed.
One client called it "a snake swallowing a rat"—so much content delivered at once, the organization chokes trying to digest it.
The real problem: Strategy decks describe *what* to build. They don't redesign *how* you work. And if how you work doesn't change, strategy doesn't ship.
What’s it worth?
Industry benchmarks
— Companies with aligned operating models are 54% more likely to achieve net profit margins of 10%+
— Organizations that align strategy with operations see 20-30% productivity increases
— 15% average reduction in operational costs from process optimization
Example
A $500M revenue company targeting 20% growth needs aligned execution. If misalignment causes 6-month delay in strategic initiatives, that's $50M in delayed revenue. Getting execution right is worth millions.
Your business
$50M annual revenue company, 15% waste from misalignment = $7.5M
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Strategy Activation Sprint $85K
Productivity Boost 20%-30%
Value Captured $5M-$10M
What I do
Translate strategy into action
Turn abstract strategic pillars into concrete 90-day plans
Redesign operating models
Change structure, processes, decision rights, and metrics to match where you're going
Break it into chunks
Digestible pieces your organization can actually absorb
Stay embedded
Partner through implementation, not just final presentation
Result
Strategy that actually changes what people do, not another deck on a shelf.
Ways to start
-
2-3 weeks | $25K
You have a strategy deck, but teams don't seem to be executing it. You're not sure where the disconnect is.
What we deliver
— Map showing execution gaps
— Bottlenecks with severity ratings
— Recommended next steps with ROI estimatesExpected value
Identify whether you have a $1M problem or $10M problem. Avoid investing in the wrong solution. Typical finding: 15-20% of resources misallocated = $3M-6M for $50M revenue company. -
3-4 weeks | $85K
Teams say they understand the strategy, but when you look at their work, it doesn't match. They need translation, not just communication.
What we deliver
— Strategy translation: what it means for each function
— Operating model changes required
— 90-day implementation plan with owners
— Change management approachExpected value
Accelerate strategy execution by 6-12 months. For company targeting $10M new revenue from strategy, faster execution = $5M-10M value captured sooner. Reduce resource waste by 10-15% = $5M-7.5M for $50M company. -
12-18 weeks | $275K
Your strategy requires fundamentally different ways of working. You need someone in the trenches guiding the transformation.
What we deliver
— Complete operating model (structure, process, metrics, culture)
— Implementation roadmap
— Change management program
— Executive coaching through transition
— Team training on new ways of workingExpected value
Research shows companies with strategically aligned operating models achieve 54% higher probability of 10%+ margins. For $100M revenue company at 8% margins, reaching 10% = $2M additional profit annually. Plus 20-30% productivity gains = $5M-10M in efficiency. Investment pays back in 1-2 months.
Case Studies
Biotech
Operating Model
A biotech company with some recent smashing successes sought a new operating model to help their operations scale 10x—while staying true to the culture that got them there.
What we did
We translated their strategy into 12 cultural mindsets that explain how they work and how teams are meant to work together. We then baked the mindsets into onboarding, training, and team rituals. And ultimately, redesigned their operating model around those principles.
Result
Operating model now supporting an unprecedented drug development ambition—launching 5 new drugs in 5 years. New employees understand "how we work here" within first month (previously took 6+ months). Estimated value: $50M+ in avoided scaling friction, faster onboarding, retained culture as company grew.
— General Counsel: "Nailed it. I couldn't describe it before, but this is exactly who we are."
European E-commerce Transformation
Had three-pillar strategy ("personalization, broad selection, and a brand people love") so broad it was effectively useless. Three top leaders couldn't agree on what it meant. Teams building products that didn't align.
What we did
Conducted fresh research to anchor the strategy in something the leaders could all agree on—the opinions of their customers. We designed concrete user experiences to make the strategy tangible, and got three warring leaders to align on future vision.
Result
After a year of conflict, the leaders aligned (avoided executive departures = $1M+ each). Created a vision that product strategy teams could actually build against. Company grew from 0.5% to 4% of European fashion market over 2.5 years (8x market share growth). Revenue impact: €3.5B additional market captured.