From Strategy To Execution Closing The Gap

According to the Institute of Directors NZ, high-performing boards not only set direction but actively monitor progress and hold management accountable for delivery.

I’ve seen this first-hand:

One business I work with translated their growth strategy into quarterly priorities with clear owners. Within 18 months, revenue doubled without adding headcount.

Another set up a rolling 90-day plan reviewed at every board meeting. It shifted the focus from firefighting to consistent progress on the things that mattered most.

The idea wasn’t to do the role of management, but help them keep execution front of mind & offer support where needed.

What Good Governance Looks Like in Execution

It’s not about thick strategy binders gathering dust. It’s about clarity, rhythm, and accountability. 

 
Here’s what I see working best: 

• Quarterly Priorities — a short list of must-deliver items, aligned to the annual strategy. 
• Regular Review Rhythm — monthly or bi-monthly board meetings that check progress against strategy, not just operational detail. 
• Linked Performance Metrics — KPIs that directly track execution of strategic goals. 
• Clear Ownership — each priority has a name beside it, not just ‘the business’.

Where It Goes Wrong

Too often, governance stops at the whiteboard: 

• Strategy is discussed once, then forgotten until the next planning day. 
• Board meetings slip into operational reporting — chasing fires, not shaping the future. 
• Accountability is vague — ‘someone’ should do it, but no one is responsible. 

 
The result? Strategy drift, wasted energy, and frustrated owners.

How to Strengthen Execution Through Governance

Try these practical shifts:

• At each board meeting review progress against business priorities.
• Use a simple 90-day plan that links actions to the strategy.
• Assign ownership to individuals, and track it every month.
• Encourage directors to challenge when execution slips — that’s where the board adds value. 

When governance ensures strategy is lived in the business — not just talked about — results follow. 

Questions to Ask Yourself

• Are we tracking our strategic priorities regularly, or only once a year?
• Do our KPIs tell us if we’reactually delivering on strategy?
• Who owns the execution of each key initiative — and do they know it?

Things You Can Do Now

• Share this with your board or SLT and ask: ‘How do we link our strategy to what’s actually happening each quarter?’
• Introduce a rolling 90-day plan to your next board agenda.
• Make accountability visible — names, dates, outcomes.

The moment governance shifts from ‘setting strategy’ to ‘driving execution’, is the moment it stops being a cost — and starts being a competitive advantage.