Mastering Strategy Execution: Combine Your Vision with OKRs for Accelerated Growth

Written by Pete Wilkinson

Last updated 24 October 2022 ·

Studies consistently show that 70 to 90% of organisations fail to execute their strategies successfully.

Why?

Misalignment, poor communication, and a disconnect between high-level strategy and ground-level action (HBS, 2023).

Heard of the award-winning 1-3-5® Framework? It’s not just another goal-setting tool. It’s a complete strategy execution system that unites your vision with actionable OKRs, creating a clear path from aspiration to actual achievement.

This framework has helped companies like Ashdown Care achieve more in 6 months than in the previous three years. How? By providing a structured approach that cascades objectives effectively throughout the organisation, aligning teams and driving focused performance.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to master strategy execution using OKRs and the 1-3-5® Framework. You’ll learn how to turn your business vision into reality, accelerate growth, and outpace your competitors.

Let’s go!

Contents

• The Strategy Execution Challenge
• The Building Blocks: OKRs and Vision
  • OKRs: Your Performance Engine
  • Vision: Your North Star
• Enter The 1-3-5® Framework
  • The 1-3-5® Framework explained
• The 1-3-5® Framework Advantage
  • Laser-Focused Alignment
  • Positive Accountability at All Levels
  • Accelerated Business Growth
  • Complete Performance Tracking
• Implementing the 1-3-5® Framework: Your Roadmap to Success
  • Step 1: Nail your Vision
  • Step 2: Pinpoint Three Core Objectives
  • Step 3: Define Five Key Results, per Objective
  • Step 4: Cascade Like a Boss
  • Step 5: Review, Adjust, Repeat
• 1-3-5® in Action: Real-World Success Stories
  • Nock Deighton: Aligning Distributed Teams
  • Castle Employment Group: Laying Foundations for Growth
  • Ashdown Care: Syncing Remote Teams
• The 1-3-5® Framework Supercharging Your OKRs
  • The 1-3-5® Framework Enhances Traditional OKRs
  • The 1-3-5® Framework Amplifies OKRs
  • When Combined, They Are A Winner for Businesses
• The Future of Strategy Execution: 1-3-5® Enhancing OKRs for Tomorrow’s Challenges
  • The 1-3-5® Framework: A Future-Ready Combination
• Embracing 1-3-5® for Exceptional Strategy Execution
  • Use Reclaro’s AI-Powered Strategy Simplifier Tool to Refine and Execute Your Strategy

The Strategy Execution Challenge

Strategy without execution is just wishful thinking. Yet, most businesses stumble when it comes to turning plans into action. The result? A cycle of endless planning with little to show for it.

The harsh reality is that up to 90% of organisations face a gaping chasm between strategic intent and actual execution when they attempt to implement their strategies.

The usual suspects behind this failure?

1. Communication breakdowns across the organisation
2. Teams and departments working at cross-purposes
3. Rigid plans that can’t adapt to market shifts
4. Poor progress tracking that leaves you flying blind

At the root of these issues? A disjointed approach to strategy execution. Companies have big goals and flashy visions but often lack a unified system to translate these into consistent, measurable actions.

What’s the fix? A cohesive methodology that connects high-level strategy to ground-level operations. A framework that doesn’t just set objectives but provides a roadmap for achieving them across every level of your organisation.

This is where it becomes pivotal that OKRs are linked back to the business vision. It’s not just about setting goals - it’s about creating a system that drives your entire organisation towards those goals, day in and day out. That’s the foundation of exceptional strategy execution.

The Building Blocks: OKRs and Vision

To nail strategy execution, you need two key ingredients: OKRs and a clear Vision. Together, they’re the rocket fuel for organisational performance and growth.

OKRs: Your Performance Engine

Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) are the go-to framework for high-performing organisations. They define what you want to achieve and how you’ll measure success. Made famous by Intel and Google, OKRs are now Business Management 101.

OKRs deliver…

1. Laser focus on what really matters
2. Team alignment across your entire organisation
3. Concrete metrics to track progress
4. A culture of accountability and engagement

But sometimes, you need a little more than OKRs alone to propel your carefully designed strategy into motion. This is where vision steps in.

Vision: Your North Star

A clear business vision is your organisation’s guiding light. It’s the big-picture aspiration that shapes your long-term strategy and decision-making.

A solid vision should…

1. Fire up your employees
2. Steer your strategic planning and resource allocation
3. Keep you on track when times get tough
4. Attract customers and partners who share your values

Here’s the catch: vision alone can feel abstract and disconnected from the daily grind. Many organisations stumble here, unable to turn lofty aspirations into concrete action.

The secret sauce? Bridging OKRs and Vision together for transformational results. This winning combination creates a direct line of sight between your long-term dreams and your immediate objectives. It ensures every action is purposeful and aligned with your overall strategy daily.

Enter The 1-3-5® Framework

The 1-3-5® Framework is your strategy execution Swiss Army knife. It seamlessly blends OKRs with your business vision, giving you a clear, actionable roadmap to turn strategic plans into results.

The 1-3-5® Framework explained:

1 Vision: Your ultimate destination This is your big, bold business aspiration regarding where you want it to go. It’s what gets you out of bed in the morning. It’s what success looks like for you and your organisation.

3 Objectives: Your strategic priorities These are your mission-critical focus areas. They refer to exactly what needs to be done to achieve your Vision. They’re the big moves that will drive you towards your vision. Each one directly relates to part of your Vision.

5 Key Results: Your measurable stepping-stone goals For each objective, you set five specific, measurable outcomes. These key results directly signify progress towards each of your objectives.

The 1-3-5® Framework creates a clear goal hierarchy. Your vision sits at the top, providing context. The three objectives bridge the gap, turning vision into concrete focus areas. The five key results for each objective give you day-to-day targets to work towards.

This structure creates a powerful feedback loop. Your vision inspires, while your OKRs provide practical steps forward. Each element reinforces the others, creating a robust execution engine that keeps you moving towards your ultimate goals.

By implementing the 1-3-5® Framework, you’re ensuring every action aligns with your long-term vision while maintaining the focus and measurability of OKRs.

Remember, one of the primary reasons strategies fail is ineffective resource allocation. Even well-formulated strategies can derail without proper financial, human, or technological resources; some studies put this casualty total as high as 70% (i-Nexus, 2024).

The 1-3-5® Framework combats poor strategy execution by providing a clear structure for allocating resources to your most critical priorities.

The 1-3-5® Framework Advantage

The 1-3-5® Framework isn’t just another strategy tool. It’s a game-changer for strategy execution.

Here’s why:

Laser-Focused Alignment

No more confusion about how daily tasks connect to the big picture. The 1-3-5® Framework draws a clear line from vision to action. Everyone, from the C-suite to the frontline, sees how their work drives the strategy forward. Result? Less silo mentality, more collaboration.

Positive Accountability at All Levels

Accountability isn’t a dirty word with 1-3-5®. Clear objectives and measurable results make tracking progress a breeze. There is no more finger-pointing or buck-passing. Instead, you get a culture where everyone owns their part in strategy execution and overall business success.

Accelerated Business Growth

A sobering fact: Lack of employee buy-in is a significant strategy killer.

Change resistance skyrockets when your team doesn’t get or commit to the strategy (L.E.K. Consulting, 2023). The 1-3-5® Framework tackles this head-on. It connects daily tasks to the bigger picture, sharing the vision across the organisation, encouraging a deeper understanding, engagement and commitment across the board.

By zeroing in on strategic priorities, 1-3-5® supercharges growth. No more spreading resources thin across countless initiatives. Instead, you channel energy where it counts most, maximising impact on your vision.

Complete Performance Tracking

1-3-5® gives you an X-ray vision of your strategy execution. Track progress from high-level vision all the way down to specific key results. This real-time visibility means you can course-correct fast, keeping your organisation locked on target.

Leverage these advantages, and you’re not just executing strategy. You’re mastering it.

The result? Faster growth and consistent achievement of your most ambitious goals.

Implementing The 1-3-5® Framework: Your Roadmap to Success

Ready to turbocharge your strategy execution?

Here’s your no-nonsense guide to implementing the 1-3-5® Framework:

Step 1: Nail Your Vision

Craft a crystal-clear, inspiring Vision. This should excite you. Make sure it’s concise, ambitious, and directional. This is your company’s North Star.

Step 2: Pinpoint Three Core Objectives

Based on your Vision, identify three strategic focus areas. These should be broad enough to cover everything required to achieve your vision yet specific enough to drive focused action.

Step 3: Define Five Key Results per Objective

For each objective, set five measurable outcomes. Make them specific, time-bound, and achievable within your set time frame (usually 6 or 12 months).

Step 4: Cascade Like a Boss

Spread the word. Share your vision company-wide, include it in morning meetings, team briefings, one-to-ones, etc. Communicate your objectives and key results amongst senior leaders, support teams, and individuals as they create their own highly aligned 1-3-5® plans that feed into the overall strategy and Vision of success.

Step 5: Review, Adjust, Repeat

Set up regular check-ins. Review progress, tackle challenges, and make adjustments as needed.

Keep the momentum going.

If you have your Vision already established and need help with the rest - try our AI-powered Strategy Simplifier™ - simply enter your Vision, then sit back and watch as this free online tool creates your highly bespoke Strategy Execution Plan, including OKRs ready for action, in less than two minutes!

Here’s a list of our curated best practices for 1-3-5® success:

1. Secure leadership buy-in and active participation
2. Train your people thoroughly on the framework
3. Leverage technology for tracking and visualisation
4. Celebrate wins and learn from setbacks

And here are our top tips to overcome common roadblocks:

1. Change resistance: Communicate benefits clearly and involve your team in the process. Often, no involvement leads to no commitment!
2. Over-ambition: Start realistic and adjust as you go. Plans can be ambitious, of course, as long as the motivation is there to power on and live out that ambition
3. Lack of follow-through: Establish a regular review cadence, identify any hurdles, find them and fix them fast!

Finally, here’s how to maintain long-term momentum:

1. Regularly reaffirm and recommit to your vision
2. Review and adjust objectives and key results as priorities evolve
3. Keep new team members in the loop
4. Use insights to inform future planning and execution

By following this roadmap, you’ll implement 1-3-5® effectively across your entire organisation, sidestep common pitfalls, and keep your strategy execution engine running smoothly for the long haul.

1-3-5® in Action: Real-World Success Stories

Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s how the 1-3-5® Framework has supercharged strategy execution for three diverse businesses:

Nock Deighton: Aligning Distributed Teams

Challenge: This estate agent, spread across nine offices, struggled with communication, alignment, changing priorities and lack of progress insight.

Solution: 1-3-5® Framework implementation.

Result: “We’ve created specific objectives and goals to move the business forward dramatically,” says Chairman Michael Nettleton. “Our regional teams are now highly aligned and focused on key priorities, driving progress and improving performance.”

Key Outcomes:

• Improved communication and alignment across 9 regional offices
• Enhanced focus on strategic objectives, driving growth
• Increased team engagement with the overall business direction

Castle Employment Group: Laying Foundations for Growth

Challenge: This award-winning recruitment group needed a better way to set and track goals across their team.

Solution: 1-3-5® Framework adoption.

Result: “We can now demonstrate quick ROI,” says MD Kerry Hope. “The framework has helped us lay the foundations for our ambitious growth plan, ensuring the right people take the right actions at the right time.”

“Since launching Reclaro and the 1-3-5® in our business, revenue has grown by 21% due to more effective communication, structured planning, team alignment and focus.”

Key Outcomes:

• Achieved 21% revenue growth through improved communication and planning
• Accelerated project completion, demonstrating ROI
• Established strong foundations for ambitious growth plans

Ashdown Care: Syncing Remote Teams

Challenge: Operating five care homes in different locations, Ashdown Care needed help with business alignment.

Solution: 1-3-5® Framework implementation.

Result: “We’ve achieved more in 6 months than in the previous three years,” reports owner Gary Candlish. “Our objectives are now cascaded among remote teams, engaging everyone in priorities and boosting time effectiveness.”

Key Outcomes:

• Accomplished more in 6 months than in the previous three years
• Enhanced business alignment across five care homes
• Improved efficiency and engagement among remote teams

These real-world examples show how the 1-3-5® Framework tackles diverse business challenges head-on. From communication breakdowns to goal-setting struggles, this approach delivers remarkable results, FAST.

The 1-3-5® Framework Supercharging Your OKRs

OKRs are a powerful tool. The 1-3-5® Framework takes them to the next level.

Here’s how:

The 1-3-5® Framework Enhances Traditional OKRs by…

1. Bridging the gap to your long-term vision
2. Streamlining goal-setting
3. Connecting strategic objectives to daily tasks across every level of the organisation

The 1-3-5® Framework Amplifies OKRs through…

1. Integrating vision into the OKR process
2. Focusing on three key objectives - cutting through the noise
3. Establishing five key results per objective - provides a clear structure
4. Creating a direct line of sight, that golden threat of accountability and transparency, from vision to daily actions.

When Combined, They Are A Winner For Businesses because they…

1. Simplify strategy execution
2. Drive organisation-wide alignment
3. alance long-term vision with short-term action
4. Facilitate easier tracking and goal adjustment

The bottom line: 1-3-5® doesn’t replace OKRs - it enhances them. It’s the turbocharger for your OKR engine, accelerating strategy execution and driving growth.

By using the 1-3-5® Framework, you combine your Vision with OKRs. You’re not just setting goals - you’re creating a comprehensive system for turning your vision into reality.

The Future of Strategy Execution: 1-3-5® Enhancing OKRs for Tomorrow’s Challenges

Strategy execution is evolving.

Here’s what’s on the horizon:

1. Agility is non-negotiable: Markets shift fast. Businesses must pivot faster.
2. AI and data analytics lead the way: Tech is revolutionising how we track and optimise strategy, whether we like it or not!
3. Purpose-driven strategies take centre stage: Companies are aligning with broader societal goals.
4. Employee engagement drives success: Aligned, motivated teams are the backbone of strategy execution.

A staggering number of strategies fail not because they are poorly conceived but because the people responsible for executing them don’t fully understand how to put them into action effectively. Don’t be one of them. Research shows that involving employees in strategy formulation dramatically enhances success rates by reducing miscommunication and building shared commitment to strategic goals. (Strategy in Action, 2023).

The 1-3-5® Framework: A Future-Ready Combination.

Thanks to…

1. A robust structure that enables quick strategy adjustments
2. Clear vision-to-task links to amplify engagement
3. Seamless integration with digital tools and analytics
4. The vision-centric approach aligns with purpose-driven strategies

Mastering strategy execution through 1-3-5®, combining Vision with OKRs is a game-changer. It’s the difference between companies that merely discuss strategy and those that execute it flawlessly.

Adopt 1-3-5® to solidify your Vision and enhance your OKRs, so you’re not just keeping pace - you’re setting it. In a business landscape that’s constantly evolving, those who excel at strategy execution will lead the pack.

Are you ready to join them?

Embracing 1-3-5® for Exceptional Strategy Execution

The 1-3-5® Framework supercharges OKRs, offering a robust solution to the ongoing strategy execution challenge. Connecting vision with actionable objectives and measurable results paves a clear path from aspiration to achievement.

Key benefits of this enhanced approach:

1. Organisation-wide alignment
2. Laser focus on strategic priorities
3. Heightened accountability and performance tracking
4. Accelerated business growth

In increasingly competitive markets, effective strategy execution isn’t just an edge - it’s non-negotiable. Organisations that consistently translate plans into results will outperform competitors and achieve lasting success.

The 1-3-5® Framework offers a structured yet adaptable approach, complementing OKRs across various industries and business sizes. It empowers leaders to articulate their vision clearly, enables teams to grasp their role in the bigger picture, and helps individuals see the impact of their daily work.

By embracing this framework to enhance your OKRs, you can revolutionise your approach to strategy execution, drive exceptional performance, and achieve your most ambitious goals.

Use Reclaro’s AI-Powered Strategy Simplifier Tool to Refine and Execute Your Strategy

Eager to get started and learn how to drive effective strategy execution in your company? Use our AI-powered Strategy Simplifier to create your very own bespoke 1-3-5® plan with the help of our AI tool. In less than 2 minutes, you will transform your Vision from a singular, stand-alone statement to a comprehensive, multi-layer strategic plan of action with relevant OKRs to be implemented immediately.

Ready to revolutionise your strategy execution and propel your business growth? Book a discovery call with Jill, our Head of Growth, and discover how the 1-3-5® framework can transform your organisation’s performance.

Learn how to implement 1-3-5® in your business and start your journey towards exceptional strategy execution today!

Sources

• Harvard Business School 5 Reasons Strategy Execution Fail, December 2023
• i-Nexus 11 Reasons Strategy Execution Management Is Challenging, January 2024
• Strategy in Action Getting it Done: Overcoming the Three Key Reasons Behind Strategy Execution Failures, December 2023
• L.E.K. Consulting Why Strategy Execution Fails: 4 Common Issues, November 2023