{"id":47682,"date":"2020-08-12T11:17:34","date_gmt":"2020-08-12T09:17:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.turner.nl\/uncategorized\/purge-select-balance-2\/"},"modified":"2025-08-12T11:19:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T09:19:08","slug":"purge-select-balance-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.turner.nl\/en\/strategy-execution\/purge-select-balance-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Purge, select, balance"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Strategy = Execution<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Tough choices: Purge, select, balance<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Three steps from organised disappointment to a promising portfolio in strategic planning. Making tough choices is a basic requirement for successful strategy execution. In this blog, you can read how to do that.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

In just 3 strides from orchestrated failure to a strategic portfolio that maximizes your chances of success.<\/strong><\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Being selective is a precondition for maximizing your chances of success in strategy execution. This blog post will show you how. This is the step you take in Building Block 2 of the Strategy Execution Model.<\/p>\n

This building block, aptly named CHOOSE, guides you through the process of purging your portfolio of strategic initiatives every year. You need to be very selective so that you can set clear assignments and define unambiguous requirements in terms of their execution. I will tell you why it is so crucial to be selective in your portfolio-setting: you must attune your aspirations to their feasibility. Some discrepancy and overreach is good, but only in moderation.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Orchestrated failure<\/strong><\/p>\n

In my 20+ years as a strategy execution consultant, I have never heard organizations complain that their capacity exceeds their ambition. Suppose you have a 500-employee organization. This organization could opt to execute a mission, vision and strategy with four programs and ten projects, or with two programs and four projects. The former is likely to fail while the latter stands a real chance of success. Organizations often overestimate their execution or change capacity and launch far too many new initiatives while others are still ongoing. They let initiatives and expectations pile up without any real link to their actual ability to change, and in so doing set themselves up for failure. You should therefore cull, consolidate or cluster your portfolio of strategic initiatives. If this is not possible, it may be smart to compress, slow down or stop some initiatives.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Purge at least once a year<\/strong><\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Purging your portfolio is the shortest and the surest way to get results in strategy execution. Most organizations are overburdened by a host of rambling, sprawling, and overlapping projects. Some even have zombie projects, projects that sprawl because something is forever being added or subtracted. Such projects can almost grow into separate little businesses, with their own corporate culture.<\/p>\n

Purge your portfolio at least once a year, and preferably twice a year, at the start of your business planning meeting. That creates both focus and room to breathe. As a consultant, I insist on a preliminary phase, before starting on any transformation program. In this \u2018phase zero\u2019, the client and I weed out their current portfolio of projects and programs. It\u2019s something that doesn\u2019t happen nearly as much as it should. This two-week phase is one of the easiest ways for clients to save money. And more importantly, to free up time, change capacity and resources.<\/p>\n

Here are a few \u2018fun facts\u2019. In my experience,<\/p>\n