The Line Manager's Role in Strategy Video

Want to understand more about strategy execution? Wondering what your role as a line manager should be?

All will be revealed in this handy guide to the line manager's role in strategic success.

1. Understand the Strategy

Step one is to make sure you understand the strategy yourself.

When you're clear on the strategic vision and purpose, you need to interpret and translate these into something meaningful for your team.

You can do this by turning them into objectives, activities and tasks that are clearly linked to team, department and organizational goals.

Make sure the objectives that you set are specific and measurable.

Use Key Performance Indicators, performance-review processes, and one-to-one meetings to check progress along the way.

2. Be a Change Champion

New strategies mean you need to be a champion for change.

You can do this by:

• Recognizing and supporting the need for change.
• Quickly adapting to new ways of working.
• Being optimistic about the improvements and opportunities that the change can bring.

Are some team members struggling to adapt?

Guide them through the process by helping them see the benefits of change, and offering your support as needed.

3. Communicate Key Messages

Communicating key messages clearly is vital to successful strategy implementation. Let your team know about any developments or changes to the strategy as soon as possible – and always check their understanding.

Remember to communicate up as well as down. Pass on team, customer and other stakeholder feedback to senior managers. Strategies evolve, and your input, as a line manager, is important.

4. Share Knowledge

A new strategy can mean your team members need to refocus, develop new skills, and adapt to different working methods.

So, look for ways to capture and share knowledge, ideas and best practice.

This can be as simple as circulating notes from meetings, or setting up a dedicated area on your company intranet or internal comms platform.

By encouraging openness and collaboration, you can prevent silos from forming.

Employees can also learn faster and move on from mistakes.

5. Put the Right Processes in Place

Existing processes and procedures will often need to be revamped, or new ones created.

Avoid the temptation to implement short-term solutions.

And take the time to thoroughly examine what's actually needed. This will ensure that what you and your team come up with is robust, as well as time- and cost-effective.

Always ask yourself, "Why are we doing this? And how does it feed into the business strategy?"

And finally, when it comes to supporting strategy, you need to be a role model for your team. Demonstrate the behavior and skills that are needed to make the strategy a success, and your team will follow your lead.