Strategy and execution are equally important for business success. If you find yourself stuck on one, find a way or a designate a person to attend to the other.
If you looked at the last day, week or month, how much of your time are you spending on execution vs. strategy? Is it a surprise? A disappointment? How does it align with your best skills?
Also if you think about your energy level – how are you feeling? Does this relate to where you are spending your time? Are you excited about your area of focus? Should you adjust the amount of time you are spending on either?
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking the answer relates to your position!
Although CEO’s are likely to spend more time on strategy, it is something we all should focus on. Actually when I ask CEO’s this question, the answers are not much different than the rest. They wish they focused on strategy but get sucked into execution. Of course, execution is critical – the best strategies fail in execution. And, we need people who love both. If you aren’t going to focus on one of these, you will need to hire, train and develop people who do.
This topic isn’t one to gloss over. There is no wrong answer. Dig into what will work for you. And consider what is needed for the success of your company or supply chain? Put the two together and develop a path that achieves a win-win.