Strategy That Works

Chapter 3: Translate the strategic to Everyday

This chapter discusses how we can translate our committed identity into everyday
practice. In the previous chapter, it was discussed that identifying the company’s true and
unique identity is very important factor for the success of an enterprise. It was discussed that
each employee must be committed and aligned with this identity and must maintain over the
long term.

After committing to an identity, the next step is to identify capabilities related to this
identity and translate it into everyday practice. In order to translate this identity into everyday
practice, an enterprise must build their distinctive capabilities. Building capabilities is not an
easy one. Most companies went through years of hardships and failures to come up with their
capabilities system. They build their powerful capabilities system after scrapping their existing
and unlearn their old ways and learn new ones that are linked closely to their strategy and
identity.

But how to build such powerful capabilities like these big companies did over a long
time? This chapter provides three main activities in order for a company to start and keep
improving over a long period. First activity is to create a blueprint of your capabilities system.
Articulate the nature of the capabilities you need to develop, how they would interact and add
value, what they would look like in action and what would be required to make them work.
Second is to build the capabilities system you need. Used focused interventions, breakthrough
innovation and continuous improvement. And lastly, take it all to scale. This is a far more
involved and participative process than many executives expect. It involves organizing activity
across functions.

Though the specifics may vary from one company to another, these three activities are
very relevant to all enterprises. The activities require a disciplined focus that goes beyond
business as usual. When you follow this path, then people who work with you will internalize
their capability-building activity as a form of engagement and creativity.

People see themselves as what they do, so as they see their connection to the
capabilities of your company and these capabilities become ingrained in day-to-day activities
and habits. Indeed, the essentials of your capabilities system will become core elements of the
culture of your company.
Application/Reflection:

The activities discussed in this chapter are a task done not by a single person but a
group of individual including top management. It requires time and effort to accomplish these.
My part as a leader is to maintain and be consistent on the capabilities identified and make it
translated down the line into everyday practice. Monitoring and making sure that this will
become an everyday practice is my vital role.

Another reflection as a leader is that I must unlearn the old ways and be focus into
learning the new ones. I have the responsibility to keep on improving the system over a long
period. I must push myself to learn and learn, read more articles and books in order to gain
more knowledge and more best practices that can be adopted into my operation.