Why Strategic Execution Feels Broken- And How to Bring JOY Back to Change

The Execution Struggle: Why Strategic Change Feels Exhausting

Strategic execution is supposed to be exciting—it’s the process of turning vision into reality. Yet, for many organizations, execution feels like a frustrating, slow-moving burden. Instead of momentum, confidence, and impact, teams experience burnout, wasted effort, and stalled progress. Why does this happen?

The reality is that most organizations struggle not because they lack insights, but because they lack execution maturity—the ability to take action in a structured, high-velocity way.

Leaders don’t just need more data—they need the capability to act on it with precision and speed.

Execution Frustration = Low Organizational Maturity + Poor Execution Insights

Most execution failures stem from two critical gaps:

1️⃣ Organizational Maturity: The organization’s ability to execute effectively—its leadership alignment, processes, and structure.

2️⃣ Execution Insights: The clarity and prioritization of the right actions to take based on available data.

📌 The real problem? Many organizations receive execution insights but lack the maturity to act on them effectively.

Low Execution Maturity = Low Joy in the Workplace

Strategic execution isn’t just a technical problem—it’s a human energy problem.

When execution is broken, it drains energy, motivation, and belief in strategic change. Employees become frustrated with unclear priorities, wasted effort, and constantly shifting focus. Instead of feeling momentum, they feel stuck.

Execution Level: High Execution Maturity

Experience of work: Clear priorities, momentum, visible progress = JOY & ENERGY 🚀

Execution Level: Low Execution Maturity

Experience of work: Unclear priorities, wasted effort, project fatigue = FRUSTRATION & EXHAUSTION 😫

📢 Key Insight: The more an organization struggles with execution, the more joy is drained from its teams, and the more strategic change becomes a dreaded chore instead of a competitive advantage.

The Four Execution Failure Scenarios

The most common failure patterns emerge when organizational maturity and execution insights are misaligned:

The Blind Spot | Organizational Maturity: High & Execution Insights: Low

Impact: Teams are execution-ready but lack clarity on what to prioritize.

The Overload | Organizational Maturity: Low & Execution Insights: High

Impact: Leadership sees execution gaps, but teams aren’t structured to act.

The Chaos Zone | Organizational Maturity: Low & Execution Insights: Low

Impact: No structure, no clarity—execution is random and reactive.

The RE"JOY"CE Zone | Organizational Maturity: High & Execution Insights: High

Impact: Execution is structured, fast, and energizing.

📢 Organizations that reach the REJOYCE Zone experience a cultural shift:

✅ Decisions are faster, ✅ Work feels easier, ✅ Momentum is tangible

Case Study 1: Honeywell’s Execution Transformation

Between 2002 and 2017, under CEO David Cote, Honeywell underwent a significant transformation. The company faced challenges integrating diverse workforces and practices due to previous mergers. Cote introduced the "One Honeywell" initiative, emphasizing a cohesive internal culture and aligning all stakeholders toward common strategic goals. This approach not only improved operational efficiency but also revitalized employee morale and engagement. By fostering a unified culture, Honeywell's market value soared from $20 billion to $120 billion, and investment in research and development increased substantially. This transformation underscores how enhancing organizational maturity by unifying culture and strategic vision can lead to both financial success and a more energized workforce. (ft.com)

Case Study 2: Boeing’s Challenges with Diluted Engineering Culture

In contrast, Boeing's experience illustrates the pitfalls of diminished organizational maturity. Post its 1997 merger with McDonnell Douglas, Boeing's management shifted focus toward financial metrics, leading to a dilution of its engineering-centric culture. This change resulted in engineers feeling isolated and disengaged, with reduced involvement in decision-making processes. A 2024 report highlighted that this cultural shift contributed to safety management issues and a loss of internal cohesion. Boeing's struggles demonstrate how neglecting organizational maturity and cultural alignment can lead to operational challenges and a decline in employee morale. (ft.com)

Introducing the Six Dimensions of "Execution Joy"

To truly move from execution fatigue to execution energy, organizations must mature across six key dimensions:

1️⃣ Strategy & Leadership: Do leaders align execution with long-term vision?

2️⃣ Operations & Process: Are teams structured to deliver execution at scale?

3️⃣ Technology & Innovation: Is execution intelligence supported by automation & AI?

4️⃣ Talent & People: Do employees feel clarity, ownership, and confidence in their work?

5️⃣ Customer & Market: Are execution priorities aligned with external needs and opportunities?

6️⃣ Financial & Performance: Are execution efforts driving measurable business impact?

📢 High-maturity organizations don’t just track execution—they optimize it dynamically across all six dimensions.

How Organizations Move from Execution Burnout to Execution Joy

The solution isn’t just fixing a single KPI—it’s about building an execution system that continuously improves. There is no real shortcut, but there is a path that organizations must move through in order to achieve world class execution capability...

Here are the transformation execution maturity stages:

1️⃣ Basic/Ad Hoc: No structured execution, inconsistent results.

2️⃣ Standardized: Teams operate with clear processes and documented execution workflows.

3️⃣ Automated: Execution is software-driven with reliable, real-time insights.

4️⃣ AI-Augmented: AI assists in execution optimization through predictive insights.

5️⃣ World-Class Execution: Execution intelligence links KPIs dynamically across all systems, enabling future-forward decision-making.

Research Backing: The Role of Maturity Models in Enhancing Execution

The Project Management Institute (PMI) emphasizes that maturity models serve as benchmarks for assessing organizational capabilities and identifying areas for improvement. Case studies from Australia, New Zealand, and the United States have shown that organizations utilizing structured maturity models like OPM3 benefit from structured assessments, benchmarking data, and clear improvement opportunities. (pmi.org)

📌 Coming Next: The Science of Execution Maturity

"Now that we understand why execution maturity matters, how do we measure it? In our next post, we’ll introduce the structured maturity model that helps organizations assess their execution capability and identify clear steps to improve."

Cited Resources:

Honeywell transformation case study: Financial Times
Boeing cultural challenges: Financial Times
Execution maturity models research: Project Management Institute