How 9 words took strategy from talk to action
In most organizations, strategy is framed around big ideas:
→ “Deliver the best service”
→ “Be the fastest”
→ “Innovate for the future”
These phrases look good on paper.
Not only that …
They sound spectacularly ambitious! These strategies are designed to inspire. Here are some more:
→ “Disrupt the industry”
→ “Be the market leader”
→ “Revolutionize everything”
They sound like winning moves. But are they?
Honestly, they are awful.
I mean, have you tried some of them?
How well did it work when you wanted to “innovate for the future”?
The problem is it has no meaning. (Or worse, it means vastly different things to everyone.)
The Result?
Confusion!
Employees are left to guess:
→ What exactly is “best”?
→ How fast is “fast enough”?
→ What does “innovation” really mean here?
No wonder that teams struggle to make the right decisions.
That they waste time and resources in debates and discussions (or worst of all, through inertia).
Most organizations think they have a strategy, but really, they only have a cool sounding slogan with no clear path to guide decision making.
Their strategy is not actionable.
As a result, even the most ambitious strategies crumble in the day-to-day.
Ambition without a clear path leads to debates, not progress.
I’d even argue that without clear, actionable steps, your strategy might be worse than having no strategy at all.
You’ll observe confusion, missteps and frustration across the entire organization.
Meet FedEx.
They did it a little differently.
Their early strategy was to be the most reliable carrier. But instead of grandiose words, they distilled their strategy into a clear, actionable statement in plain English:
When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.
Notice something?
There’s no mention of being a “market leader” or even being “reliable.”
Yet, this statement says so much more.
Let’s unpack why …
→ “When” implies urgency.
→ “Absolutely, positively” leaves no room for debate.
→ “Has to be there” presents a clear outcome.
→ “Overnight” provides a specific, measurable timeframe.
Each word is purposefully crafted to be tangible.
This changes everything.
FedEx’s statement isn’t just an ambition.
It’s a commitment to how choices are made.
Throughout the entire organization.
The right choice is no longer a debate.
It’s obvious.
The packet has to be there overnight!
Clarity = action.
Because the strategy was so clear, employees didn’t hesitate.
They knew exactly what to prioritize and how to act, without second-guessing.
Clarity led to consistent action, and consistent action built customer trust.
FedEx’s results speak for themselves.
The team delivered not just packets but trust, reliability, and consistency.
Customers trusted FedEx because their employees intuitively knew what to do in every scenario.
The strategy worked.
Imagine if your team had that same clarity.
Every team member, in every situation, knew exactly how to act in a way that aligns with your ambition.
Most strategies fail here.
Not because the concept is flawed, but because the actions aren’t clear enough.
They fail to tell employees how to act in alignment with the ambition.
Does your strategy?
An actionable strategy is one that makes the right choice obvious.
It eliminates ambiguity and empowers employees to make decisions that move the company forward every time.
How to get there:
- Simplify your language: Cut the jargon. Use plain and simple English.
- Align it with everyday decisions: Do your words illustrate what a right choice looks like?
- Test it: Can everyone in your organization act on your strategy without second-guessing?
When your strategy becomes actionable, it becomes a powerful tool to turn ambition into progress.
That’s the difference an actionable strategy makes.
It doesn’t just sit in a binder.
Or in the leadership’s minds.
It lives in the daily decisions of your team.
PS: If you want to learn how the right words can make your strategy actionable, check out my new book “The PATH to Strategic Impact”