It is widely accepted that – at least for the foreseeable future – enterprise management processes and systems will change.  In particular, they are likely to be challenged with the management of a more distributed talent pool than ever before.  Whether driven by social distancing demands or realisation that technology-enablement can deliver greater productivity than proximity, many who gathered on a daily basis to work together will contribute from locations at, or near, their homes.  One of the key challenges that this will present is how to maintain performance oversight.  When the opportunity to observe work in progress is removed, alternative approaches will be required.

There are very many fantastic software tools available to support remote working, not least of which are the video-conferencing facilities that act as a substitute for some level of face-to-face interaction.  There are also very many productivity tools that support project management and collaboration.  All of these will have a role to play in getting things done during the “next normal”.  Among these tools is a family that exists to support organisations to manage strategy implementation.

Strategy design (or development) is an activity that organisations (other than RML !) typically undertake for themselves rather than for their customers.  Indeed, it is perhaps this characteristic that results in many – particularly smaller – organisations not addressing strategy in a structured, formal way.  For them, an informal approach to strategy i.e. not recording the strategy in a manner that enables performance management, has been adequate, when combined with the ability to observe activity on a daily basis.  That is perhaps why adoption of strategy performance management software tools has not been widespread.  However, in the “next normal”, this informal approach will be challenged.

Rather than imposing rigid office hours and protocols, the “next normal” will provide talent with greater freedom to determine how best they can make their contribution.  However, it will remain critical that the collective contribution remains aligned with strategy.  This will require active monitoring to ensure that performance drift is detected at an early stage and appropriate remedial action undertaken.  Cloud-based strategy implementation management software tools provide that visibility.  Once the strategic plan is committed to the tool, regular updates to the status of the goals and tasks therein, will ensure that strategy implementation status can be determined from anywhere and anytime.  This will provide talent with the mechanism through which to promote their contribution, whilst in turn providing management with the means to track – and ultimately reward – performance.

There are several cloud-based strategy performance management tools now available.  Whilst none of them were created specifically to address the next normal, this circumstance has amplified the case for adoption.

RML is delighted to offer our clients access to the Cascade platform, equipping them to deal effectively with the challenge of implementing strategy by leveraging the talents of a distributed workforce.  Our services include supporting organisations to design winning strategies that effectively respond to addressable opportunities within the "next normal" and - where appropriate - integrating the strategy within Cascade.