Strategy Implementation & Execution Flashcards
7 cards from real SPP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Strategy Implementation & Execution flashcards as text
Which framework is most useful for diagnosing gaps between intended strategy and actual execution outcomes?
Answer: McKinsey 7-S Framework
The McKinsey 7-S Framework evaluates seven interdependent organizational elements—strategy, structure, systems, staff, skills, style, and shared values—to diagnose execution gaps.
A company's new market-entry strategy is failing because regional managers are reverting to old habits. This is best described as which execution barrier?
Answer: People barrier
The people barrier occurs when key personnel lack the skills, motivation, or accountability required to execute a new strategy effectively.
What is the primary purpose of a strategy execution office (SEO) or project management office (PMO) in large organizations?
Answer: To coordinate, monitor, and support cross-functional strategy execution
A strategy execution office or PMO provides a centralized function to oversee portfolio alignment, track initiative progress, and resolve cross-functional dependencies.
When translating corporate strategy into business-unit plans, which principle ensures vertical alignment?
Answer: Cascading goals and objectives
Cascading goals breaks corporate-level objectives into progressively specific targets at business-unit, team, and individual levels to ensure vertical alignment.
A balanced scorecard initiative stalls because managers treat it as a reporting tool rather than a management system. What is the root cause?
Answer: Lack of executive sponsorship and cultural change
When leaders fail to champion the BSC as a strategic management system and drive cultural adoption, it degrades into a mere compliance report.
Which action best addresses the 'resource barrier' to strategy execution identified by Kaplan and Norton?
Answer: Linking budget and resource allocation directly to strategic priorities
Overcoming the resource barrier requires aligning annual budgets and capital allocation with strategic initiatives rather than historical spending patterns.
An organization uses 'strategy reviews' monthly and 'operational reviews' weekly. What is the key distinction in focus between these two meeting types?
Answer: Strategy reviews assess initiative progress and learning; operational reviews address short-term performance variances
Strategy reviews focus on learning whether strategic hypotheses are valid and initiatives are on track, while operational reviews address near-term performance gaps.