The DNA of Strategy Execution is a framework that provides a step-by-step approach for PMO and Project leaders looking to measure success and business value.
Embracing the DANCE
In his 2018 book, “The DNA of Strategy Execution,” Jack Duggal describes the reality of today’s business environment using the acronym DANCE:
- Dynamic and changing
- Ambiguous and uncertain
- Nonlinear
- Complex
- Emergent
The DNA of Strategy Execution
To deliver (and support delivery) in such environments, Duggal describes a model called The DNA of Strategy Execution, based on seven elements:
- Strategy – understanding the ‘Why’ and the outcomes
- Execution – understanding the ‘What and How’ and the outputs
- Governance – linking strategy and execution with oversight and guidance to steer and align.
- Measure – having the right feedback loops to measure success
- Connect – resolving disconnects and connecting people
- Learn – continously improve and innovate
- Change – develop change intelligence and prepare the business for change
The context for these seven elements is the customer. The organization only exists because of the customer, and customer proliferation is the ultimate goal of the DNA model.
By focusing on these seven areas, Duggal encourages a more fluid approach to strategy execution than many PMOs are used to and focuses on building what he refers to as Execution Intelligence. He notes that workflows can either block or lubricate execution. Far from standardization being anti-agile, he notes that an execution platform with standardized processes, tools, and flows can provide needed stability in a DANCE world.