4.1
By Pia Fuglsang Bach, Community Manager at CfL, updated June 2024
When CfL provides advice on strategy and execution, we always put the company’s unique situation and organizational context first. The tools come second — but having said that, you might as well get used to the name Bungay. Stephen Bungay.
He is one of the international leadership experts CfL relies on because his method — simply put — combines strategy and execution into the same process.
Stephen Bungay is known for the bestseller The Art of Action, which was published in Danish in 2011 under the title Handlingens Kunst.
Why Stephen Bungay? What is the method about?
“First of all, Bungay challenges the mechanistic thinking that people simply do what they are told. Not because we are stupid, lazy, or sluggish, but if we are literally just told what to do, we stop bringing our brains to work,” says Ejner Jacobsen, former Chief Advisor at CfL, and adds:
“In a knowledge society, we need all competencies and all input, which means that what we see, think, and hear — not just at work, but also outside — influences how we work.”
The former Chief Advisor highlights another key element in Stephen Bungay’s thinking, which is about first setting the direction — developing the strategy — and then breaking it down to what it means at different levels of the organization. How does the strategy look from the CEO’s perspective, or from the middle manager’s point of view?
“It’s about establishing the right communication, which, put simply, means that everyone — regardless of level — needs to bring their brain to work and do the right thing. Or as Bungay says: Even if you get the wrong instruction, you must still do the right thing. He calls it independent, thinking obedience.”
Stephen Bungay is one of the few experts who connects field strategy and leadership. He is also a historian and has researched how and why some armies have performed exceptionally well compared to others.
Linking military strategy to modern leadership may seem odd, but nonetheless, Bungay provides a conceptual framework that is practically applicable in the transition from strategy to action.
He works with three critical gaps:
Alignment Gap: The gap between what we want people to do and what they actually do.
“This is where independent, thinking obedience comes into play. You could also interpret it as learning and being encouraged to trust our own common sense. It means that as leaders, we must let go of control and avoid planning everything from start to finish.”
Knowledge Gap: The gap between what we want to know and the information we actually have.
“To ensure that actions lead to the expected outcome, we tend to ask for more information. But more details do not necessarily provide more insight, and the risk of demanding more information is that it leads to more instructions and tighter control. That risks not only slowing things down but also undermining trust and motivation.”
Effects Gap: The gap between what we expected and what actually happens.
“Strategy work does not follow a straight line. What you planned to do does not always happen because counter-demands or changes may arise. And even if you knew everything — even if you did exactly as planned — unforeseen events occur, and gaps emerge. You have to navigate along the way and be ready to change direction.”
“It is also a misconception that measurements are the same as results. If we decide to measure conversations about sick leave, that is not the same as reducing illness. The same applies to measurements of customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction,” says CfL’s former Chief Advisor.
The article continues below the box, where you can read about briefing and backbriefing.
Is an international leadership expert, historian, and author of the bestseller The Art of Action, which was published in Danish in 2011. He is one of the few leadership experts who connects field strategy and leadership, and he is the one who translated the concept of mission command into a general strategic.
Another Bungay-inspired tool that CfL frequently uses is the concept of briefing and backbriefing, which can be explained as follows:
Briefing is about translating the purpose:
Briefing is about translating the strategy — the direction and purpose — to every level of the organization. And the purpose varies: for a CEO, it might be about achieving 30% growth; for the sales department, it might be about finding a new customer segment; for a business unit, it might be about generating more sales from existing customers.
“The purpose needs to be translated. If you simply present the 30% growth goal to a department, people will rightfully ask questions about for whom, how, and how fast.”
Backbriefing sets the thinking free:
Backbriefing is about getting everyone in the organization to think along. The purpose is clear, but how do we succeed? As a leader, you should avoid providing the solution — for example, telling someone which customer to call on what day. Instead, the employee comes back and explains how they will pursue the goal with their own customer portfolio.
“This is the difference between micromanagement and leadership. Have you turned your employees into machines, or have you given them the skills and framework so they know what to do?” says Ejner Jacobsen, emphasizing that briefing and backbriefing is an ongoing dialogue.
He summarizes Bungay’s thinking in three key lessons:
The ability to communicate direction
Mastering briefing and backbriefing
Building a culture of independent, thinking obedience
“It’s really about setting employees free — doing the right thing even if you received the wrong instruction. It’s only when you’re in the real situation — for example, facing the actual customer — that you know what to do. You have to act in the moment and not believe you can control everything in advance.”
The article continues below the box, where you will find 3 useful tips on execution.
This is how CfL works with strategy — from purpose and analysis to execution.
If we briefly move away from Bungay and ask CfL’s former Chief Advisor to share his many years of experience with strategy and execution, his recommendations fall into three areas:
1. Communication
2. Freedom
“You need to trust that you’ve hired skilled employees, and they should solve the tasks themselves. As a leader, you must dare to stay in your role and not be tempted to act like a know-it-all. At the same time, you should also be able to point out if something can be improved. That too is a leadership responsibility.”
3. Culture
Stephen Bungay is an international leadership expert, historian, and author of the bestseller The Art of Action.
Bungay works with three critical gaps: the alignment gap, the knowledge gap, and the effects gap.
According to Bungay, you must first set the direction — develop the strategy — and then break it down into what it means at the different levels of the organization. It’s about establishing the right communication, which can be translated into ensuring that everyone — regardless of level — brings their mind to work and does the right thing.
Briefing is about translating the purpose — meaning direction and objectives — to every level of the organization. Backbriefing is about getting everyone in the organization to think along. The purpose is clear, but how do we achieve it?
As a leader, you should avoid providing the solution by telling someone exactly which customer to call on which day. Instead, it’s up to the employee to come back and explain how they will pursue the plan using their own customer portfolio.
The three best tips on execution, according to CfL’s former Chief Advisor, are to focus on communication, freedom, and culture. It’s about breaking messages down for different target groups, trusting that you’ve hired competent employees, and creating a culture where people can speak openly.