What is the common approach to strategic planning among executives?

The effectiveness of a business strategy can be measured in several ways. Some of the most common methods include tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), monitoring financial results, conducting customer satisfaction surveys, and analyzing market share changes. Additionally, the achievement of strategic goals and objectives set at the beginning of the strategy implementation can also serve as a measure of effectiveness. It's also important to assess the adaptability of the strategy in response to changes in the business environment.

Businesses can better equip their executives with the skills needed for adaptive strategic planning by encouraging them to accurately evaluate the predictability and malleability of their environment. This involves understanding that achieving goals often depends on factors beyond their control. Additionally, executives should be trained to build adaptive capabilities to address unpredictable environments. This could involve shifting their strategic planning approach from setting a goal and analyzing how to get there, to being more flexible and adaptable in their planning. They should also be encouraged to value the speed of decisions, especially in fast-paced environments.

Common pitfalls in strategic planning include misplaced confidence and unexamined habits. Misplaced confidence can lead to overestimating one's control over achieving goals, while unexamined habits can result in a lack of adaptive capabilities for unpredictable environments. These pitfalls can be avoided by accurately evaluating the predictability and malleability of the environment, and by building adaptive capabilities to address unpredictable environments. It's also important to value the speed of decisions in fast-paced environments.