Ever heard a leader explain their strategy and thought, What the hell does that even mean?
I have. Too many times. With AI, VUCA, Machine Learning, etc everyone talks of “future-proofing your organization”. The jargon is too much to keep up with. All you need is a simple, clear strategy.
As Mr Strategy, I get many opportunities to occupy frontline seats during strategy discussions. I once sat in a boardroom where a senior executive proudly unveiled their new strategy: “Leveraging technology capabilities to drive scalable efficiencies within a disruptive market paradigm.”
No one knew what to do next. Because that wasn’t a strategy was some TED Talk in corporate lofty gibberish.
Here’s the brutal truth: If your team can’t explain the strategy at lunch, it’s too complicated. And if it’s too complicated, no one will execute it.
The clarity challenge
Simon Sinek says, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” They buy your purpose. I’ll take it further people can’t execute what they don’t understand. Strategy execution fails because people do not understand the “strategy” in the first place.
A fast-moving consumer goods manufacturing client I worked with had a strategy deck full of charts, buzzwords, and abstract goals. When I asked their operations team what the strategy meant for them, they shrugged. “No idea. We just keep doing what we’ve always done.” The Ops manager added, “Leverage technology.” When I asked a follow-up question, “How.” Again he had no idea. “What kind of technology do you use?”, no idea. “Do you have sensors along the plant manufacturing lines for temperature and or pressure or even product flow?” He said we are not yet at that level. I was left wondering “How do you leverage” technology that you do not have or know you have?
The execution had already failed before it started. Not because people were lazy. However, leadership made the strategy unreachable.
Why do leaders do this?
- Executives mistake complexity for intelligence. A simple strategy feels too basic, so they load it with jargon to sound impressive.
- They fear being wrong. If a strategy is vague, no one can prove it failed. It’s a built-in escape hatch. Leaders want to keep their options open which gives them an escape route when things turn bad. When you clarify, or reduce options, you “expose” yourself. That is what most leaders fear to be exposed.
- They don’t test for clarity. They roll out the plan in fancy slides but never check if frontline teams get it.
The fix is to say it simply for a 10-year-old to understand
A great strategy is like a great story clear, compelling, and easy to repeat. Here are the three tools to help you fix yours:
- The “lunch test”
If your employees can’t explain the strategy over lunch without looking at a PowerPoint or a report, it’s too complex. Simplify it until they can. Strategy is simply a choice of how you plan to win.
- Turn jargon into action
Instead of “leveraging synergies,” say: “We’re cutting costs by merging IT and Operations.” Instead of “customer-centric innovation,” say: “We’ll reduce response time to 5 minutes or less.”
One bank I worked with had a goal: “Enhance customer-centric digital transformation.” When we rewrote it as “Simplify it so that customers never have to visit a branch unless they want to,” the team finally understood what to do, and they started asking what their role was in the journey. This created clarity and ownership.
- Tie everything to a single priority
Great leaders simplify and simplify their messages so that they are understood. Jeff Bezos had one: Make Amazon the most customer-obsessed company in the world. Every decision flowed from that. What’s your simple, unmistakable priority?
A lesson from the frontline
A struggling retailer I advised once had a strategy that no one could explain beyond, “We’re going digital.” That could mean anything. So, we redefined it: “Every customer should be able to buy online in under three clicks.”
That clarity changed everything. Marketing stopped generic “digital transformation” campaigns and focused on one thing removing friction from checkout. IT simplified the interface. Sales trained on upselling within those three clicks. Customer care staff focused on guiding customers on how to easily register and set up their accounts to facilitate digital transactions. Everyone supported the other staff’s work.
Sales doubled in a year. Not because of magic. But because everyone finally knew what winning looked like.
If your strategy sounds impressive but doesn’t drive action, it’s worthless. Simplicity wins. Every. Single. Time.
Your people don’t need more vision statements. They need clear instructions on what to do Monday morning. Review progress on Friday evening and refocus.
Now, go take your strategy and strip out every word that wouldn’t make sense to a 10-year-old. Then watch your execution skyrocket.
Until next time,
Mr. Strategy
