7 Steps for PMs to Bridge the Gap Between Strategic Planning and Execution

Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez is a leading expert in project management and strategy implementation, recognized by Thinkers50 with the prestigious award “Ideas into Practice.” He is the creator of concepts like The Project Economy and the Project Manifesto. He is author of Lead Successful Projects (2019, Penguin) The Project Revolution (2019, LID) and The Focused Organization (2012 Gower). He has been teaching project management for more than a decade to senior executives at Duke CE, Skolkovo, Solvay Business School, and Vlerick. Antonio has held executive PMO positions at PricewaterhouseCoopers, BNP Paribas, and GlaxoSmithKline. Former Chairman of the Project Management Institute, he is the co-founder of the Strategy Implementation Institute and the global movement Brightline.

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Topics: Career Development, Innovation, Leadership, Stakeholder Management, Strategy, Talent Management

In the realm of organizational success, the alignment of strategic planning with execution stands as a critical yet often elusive goal. The PMI Pulse of the Profession® 2024 report[1] underscores the importance of adaptability in project management approaches and the evolution of work arrangements, highlighting the shift toward flexible, fit-for-purpose project delivery practices.

This evolution is a response to changing work environments and a strategic imperative to bridge the gap between planning and execution. This article explores how project managers can serve as the pivotal bridge, ensuring that strategic plans are not just visionary documents, but roadmaps to tangible outcomes.

The Strategic Planning and Execution Divide
Strategic planning serves as the compass for an organization, guiding its direction and decisions on resource allocation to pursue its overarching strategy. This critical process outlines where the organization aims to go and how it plans to get there, setting the stage for future growth and success.

However, the journey from strategic planning to realizing goals is fraught with challenges. The actual test for any organization lies in crafting a well-thought-out strategy and its execution—the ability to transform strategic visions into actionable tasks and measurable outcomes.

The divide between strategic planning and execution is…

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