At the sound of the starter’s gun, runners spring from the starting blocks in a classic relay race. Conventional wisdom teaches that the team with the fastest runners on the field will win the day, but that is not always the case in a relay race. In addition to speed, which is of course important, a team of four in a relay race has to execute three passes of the baton. The first runner passes to the second, the second to the third, and the third to the fourth (or “anchor”) runner.

For each pass, the approaching runner and the outgoing runner have to match speeds and coordinate their movements in the handoff zone. Fumbles or improper handoffs can cost precious time and even penalties, more than making up for the advantages of pure speed alone. So important is skill in the handoff zone that a team’s skill in passing the baton can actually offset another team’s speed advantage. In fact, the baton’s travel time around the track can actually be slightly less than the combined lap times for each of the four runners on the team (the baton “gains” a step in a well-executed pass). Successful coaches know that fast runners are important, but having the best talent is only the first step. The talent has to work well in the handoff zone to reap the full benefits of their speed. Successful relay coaches make sure they have the right runners in the right legs of the race, but then they drill their teams to succeed in the handoff zone.

This book offers an introduction to one of the most critical aspects of the leadership role: guiding the translation and execution of strategy from the senior ranks of the organization down to the level of individual employees. As is the case with a relay race, successful execution of strategy requires successful passing of information and priorities through each level of the organization. Vision and strategy, critical though they are, are virtually useless without consistent execution right down to the front lines. In developing this image of strategic execution as a relay race, throughout this book we put special emphasis on the handoff zone — the space in which the baton is passed from one runner to the next (or from one management level to the next).

For the purposes of this book, we have identified three primary management levels — senior, middle, and line — as well as a level beneath line management consisting of all other non-managerial employees of an organization. We describe the typical promotion path, along with the shifts in role and skills that define each step. We also offer simple steps that managers at each level can take in order to successfully receive, translate, and pass the strategic baton.

In addition, we present a simple process that will help you analyze a receiver’s ability to take the handoff and then fit your coaching approach to his or her needs. Often, simply having a structured process such as the one we present can remind a busy manager to be sure that the receiver understands what is expected and has the resources to carry it out.

Many of the tools in this book ultimately help in managing accountability. If the strategic focus is clear, priorities are reasonably established, and managers are developed, it can be easier to recognize and define accountability issues.

Outline of the Book

Chapter One provides an overview of what information is in the strategic baton that must be passed from top to bottom of an organization, and gives an introduction to each of the three handoff zones: senior to middle, middle to line, and line to the non-managerial organization. We describe common problems we’ve seen clients face in executing strategy and begin to analyze the causes of these challenges. Chapter Two covers the first challenge of strategic execution: sizing up the field. We introduce a hypothetical company, Biggs & Bucks, which we use as an illustration throughout the book. In particular, we use Biggs & Bucks to describe stages of organizational growth and introduce a simple systems perspective to better understand those stages. In order to continue growing, Biggs & Bucks has to integrate three growth perspectives: the organizational, the leadership, and the personal. No organization can outgrow its leadership; leaders must grow personally in order for the organization to continue to grow.

Chapter Three describes the second challenge, which involves sizing up your team and having the right runners in the right roles. We define the roles of senior, middle, and line managers as they are commonly described in various sources, and delve into more detail about each of the three handoff zones, describing the promotion path and common challenges that result in dropped strategic batons at each handoff.

Chapter Four describes the third challenge: anticipating problems in the handoff zones as they apply to your organization. We provide the Role Alignment and Handoff Model©, which illustrates both ideal role alignment across the three levels and common patterns of misalignment. In addition, we look at common ways that misalignment develops, each of which raises the likelihood of fumbles in the handoff of strategy through these three levels.

Chapter Five outlines the fourth challenge: translating the strategic baton. We provide a detailed analysis of what the content of the strategic baton should be — those things that each person in the organization needs to understand. And we return to the Biggs & Bucks case study, creating a strategy map to illustrate the importance of creating line-of-sight relationships among the major elements of strategy.

Chapter Six covers the fifth challenge: translating the strategy into expectations to avoid fumbles at each level. This is perhaps the most critical handoff challenge. In this chapter, we offer you a practical process for passing the strategic baton, looking at the translation of each of the elements of the baton into the language and goals of the respective levels. We present simple methods to aid in engaging people at each level to increase their commitment and to better translate the strategy into practical plans.

Chapter Seven gets down to the nitty-gritty of coaching and developing others to carry out their roles in strategic execution — the sixth challenge. We offer a primer on coaching and performance management, as these are central to smooth execution of strategy, and we introduce you to the six performance hurdles that must be cleared by each manager in your organization. We refer in this chapter to our Four Dimensional Leadership© model, which should help you understand the general role expectations that face each individual you are tasked with coaching. Finally, we provide a simple decision- tree process to help you identify and manage potential barriers to role performance.

Chapter Eight highlights the seventh challenge and one of the more difficult aspects of the management role: guiding execution without micromanaging. Finding the right balance between dumping and micromanaging is a core skill for working in the handoff zone. Many books and training programs have focused on the pitfalls of micromanagement; fewer have discussed the drawbacks to the other extreme management behavior of dumping. We believe this is one of the only resources that provides specific tools to help managers operate effectively somewhere between the two.

Chapter Nine will help to guide your thinking about the strategic hand-off.We have pulled all of the guidelines and tools discussed in this book together in summary form to make it easier for you to address each of the challenges facing you and your organization. This book has been long in the making, and it has benefited from the input and support of many clients, friends, and colleagues. We hope that you find it as thought-provoking to read as we did to write.