Strategy discussions often fail to distinguish between making a usable strategy and using it once it is made. Resolving the confusion requires aligning the multiple perspectives and vocabularies that key players bring with them.

1. Realizing Strategy
Creating The Change
© 2014 Malcolm Ryder / archestra research

2. How to use this notebook
The following series of notes is
a line of thought untangling the
persistent confusions in discussing
implementation of strategy.
All information presented is
a compilation of
direct observations.
No external citations are included
or necessary in this notebook.
All text and images in the notebook are copyrighted.
©2014 Malcolm Ryder / archestra research

3. The essence of Strategy
A “strategy” starts out as an assumption that a desired future state
needs to be deliberately approached. That much is true regardless of
where the assumption came from, what the desires are, or why they
are desired.
The most critical notion in the assumption is that the desired future
state has a high risk of not arriving unless there is a deliberate approach
to reaching it.
Therefore, all strategy essentially concerns goal-driven practices, and in
turn, is therefore about motivated activity.

4. Vocabulary: back to basics
Each of the following may be a true or false aspect of a current circumstance. In discussing
strategy, combining these terms in various ways does not change their respective basic
meanings.
• strategy: a current plan for reaching the intended future state
• change: a modification of the current state
• implemented: installed as the operational means
• managed: actively constrained to align with requirements
• requirements: prescribed conditions, rules, and preferences; regarding materials, actions
and outcomes
• organization: the arranging, or arrangement, of the designated parts of a structure

5. Making Strategy Practical
A strategy is a conceptual invention that may or may not ever become “realized” in the
form of managed (or at least regular) activity.
Discussions about an “existing” strategy usually fall into one or both of two areas:
• What strategy to choose and why
• How to activate it once it is chosen
The vocabularies for “activation” frequently include and confuse terms such as
implementation, execution, delivery… and other ways of indicating that effort is being
applied under expectation of “progress”.
However, the fundamental message is that the idea of the strategy must be put into
practice.
“Executing the strategy” means producing the strategy itself.
“Executing the business” can be done according to the strategy.

6. Activating Strategy
When a strategy already exists, practices can intentionally adhere to the strategy.
That calls for being able to identify relevant practices and identify when and how
they should adhere.
The challenge of adhering to strategy includes several basic efforts that are
“realization capabilities”. They must each be developed, confirmed, and
manageable. Net result: the ability to execute the overall scheme for realization.
understanding
the strategy
organizing for
the strategy
operating in accord with
the strategy
Capability of Capability of Capability of

7. Implementation Framework
The necessary capabilities for progressing from “idea” to “operation” must be
produced and coordinated to “realize” the strategy in practice.
The required components of a phase allow it to be determined, approved, installed
and controlled in practical workstreams. The components must be distinct enough
to assure that their presence and influence can be confirmed.
An overall framework of
decisions, events and
items identifies the types
of “components” of the
capabilities, used for
activating the strategy.
©2014 Malcolm Ryder / archestra research

8. Strategy as Operation
Guided by the framework, the actual specifics applied as components for moving
the strategy from idea into operation become the scheme for realizing the
strategy.
The “components” of activating the strategy are usually already occurring but they
need to be aligned for the purpose of progress.
Execution of the scheme requires
responsibility for producing each phase
of progress, and accountability of the
progression across phases.
©2014 Malcolm Ryder / archestra research

9. Executing the Scheme
PRODUCING THE
FUTURE STATE
ACCOUNTABILITY
Conceived Defined Proposed Accepted Supported
RESPONSIBILITY
Controlled scenario model plan delivery evaluation
Installed concept version objective organization maintenance
Approved value configuration impact negotiation prescription
Determined distinction specification purpose request option
The Semantics of operationalizing Strategy
As shown here, each phase of progress, from idea to realization,
has its own characteristic, documented, manageable components.
That reflects the key reason why the vocabularies for discussing the adoption
of a strategy are so varied yet target the same basic meanings.
An overall framework of
decisions, events and
items identifies the types
of “components” used for
activating the strategy.
©2014MalcolmRyder/archestraresearch

10. © 2014 Malcolm Ryder / archestra research
mryder@malcolmryder.com