Establishing a meaningful way of measuring, tracking, governing, and reporting provides necessary discipline to stay the course and make adjustments for successful execution. This is the fourth area of the Middle Ground®. And the pattern should be clear by now: you cannot establish meaningful measurement beyond the usual lag indicators without first having built out the plan that preserves your …

Truly understanding the magnitude and nature of change is core to successful strategy. Change is implicit in the execution of every strategy and could encompass structural, operational, behavioral, and cultural change. This is the third area of the Middle Ground®. And here’s the reality: you cannot diagnose the true extent of change without first having built out the plan. Why …

Engaging hearts, minds, and hands across the organization is more complex than scheduling quarterly town halls. This is the second area of the Middle Ground®. But here’s what’s critical: you cannot effectively engage people without first having built out the plan that preserves your competitive strategy. Why Engagement Depends on the Plan Most organizations default to a presentation, tell-style format. …

It’s critical that the competitive strategy doesn’t get lost or diluted in the rush to identify action. This is the first and most foundational area of the Middle Ground®. Without this step done well, everything else—engagement, change management, measurement, capability building—becomes guesswork. Why the Plan Is THE Foundation Building out the plan to preserve the strategy’s winning edge is the …