Everyday MBA Why Boardroom Strategies Break Down
Aug 29, 2026
Kyle Harkema, an executive professor and strategic consultant who studies how decisions translate into behavior, explores why strategy stalls after it leaves the boardroom. He discusses how daily choices undo plans. He explains the Strategic Orientation Index, the Monday morning test, and practical ways to make strategy show up in everyday actions.
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Strategy Fails Because Behavior Misaligns With Intent
- Strategy failure often stems from misaligned behaviors, not a bad plan.
- Kyle Harkema observed teams agree on intent but translate it into different departmental actions, so strategy stalls.
Communication Is Different From Translation
- Communication is not enough because people can understand a plan yet still wonder what to do differently.
- Kyle uses a thought experiment asking what each function would change on Monday to reveal lack of executable clarity.
Use Think Listen Act To Diagnose Execution
- Diagnose organizational behavior across three lenses: think, listen, act.
- Kyle's Strategic Orientation Index (SOI) inspects innovation posture, customer listening flow, and whether intended behaviors show up in decisions.
