Most strategy leaders agree: collaboration is crucial to success. But if that’s the case, why do so many strategic plans fail because of poor collaboration?
That’s the question Jonathan Morgan (SVP of Operations) and Joe Krause (SVP of Strategy Consulting) tackle in the latest episode of The Strategy Gap podcast. As part of their multi-part series exploring the State of Strategy Execution report, this episode dives deep into the second theme from the research: collaboration.
It’s an insightful and often humorous conversation that peels back the layers of what “collaboration” really means inside high-functioning organizations—and why so many leaders still struggle to get it right.
The Silo Problem: Obvious, Persistent, and Costly
One of the report’s most striking stats sets the stage: 77% of strategy leaders say departmental silos hinder both execution and innovation.
And yet, many organizations struggle to break those silos down in meaningful ways.
Krause shared a relatable scenario: “People are going to start thinking that their silo is the company. They’re going to start being protective over what they’re doing. And no matter what they’re doing, it’s always the best, and every other department’s encroaching on their little kingdom.”
This kind of internal territorialism creates blind spots—ones that often go unnoticed until it’s too late. Without intentional, early collaboration across departments, organizations risk duplicating efforts, missing interdependencies, and developing plans that are destined to stall.
Morgan adds, “Most of the time you’re working off of the information from a small circle, as opposed to working with a broader audience on what we should be doing in our plan.”
Collaboration isn’t just about being nice—it’s about building smarter, more informed strategies that are less likely to unravel during execution.
The Right Way to Plan Collaboratively
True collaboration doesn’t mean letting everyone’s ideas into the plan or having endless consensus-driven workshops. In fact, that’s a recipe for chaos. What Morgan and Krause advocate for is structured inclusion—a process that honors voices without letting groupthink water down priorities.
“There’s the Moses analogy,” Krause jokes. “Leadership comes down with, ‘Here’s what we’re doing. Like it or not.’ And then there’s the other extreme—‘What does everybody think?’—and you end up with a big mess of a plan that has no direction.”
The solution lies somewhere in the middle. Krause cites the Leading from the Center model developed by Duke University, which breaks down planning roles into three types:
- Architects – Senior leaders responsible for setting vision and priorities.
- Translators – Mid-level leaders who bring operational insights and ground truth.
- Doers – Team members responsible for executing the plan.
“You have to include your translators,” Krause says. “Because if you don’t… your plan, not mine. And I’ll ride this thing out.”
Transparency is key to maintaining buy-in—especially when tough decisions need to be made. As Krause puts it, “If we have 15 ideas and we can only pick three, 12 of you are going to feel some sort of way at the end of this. And I want you to know that it’s not personal. This is what has to happen for us as business leaders.”
Setting that tone upfront disarms conflict and builds trust, even when not every idea can make the cut.
Why Collaboration Fails During Execution (And How to Fix It)
Planning is just the beginning. Real collaboration is tested during execution—and this is where most organizations fall short.
According to the same report, organizations with strong cross-functional collaboration were twice as likely to meet their strategic goals. Yet despite this, 79% of failed initiatives were attributed to poor collaboration.
So what goes wrong?
Morgan offers one major culprit: the lack of visibility. “Collaboration starts at the ground floor,” he says. “It’s making sure that people actually are used to talking to each other and know what people are working on… What I see a lot in organizations is people are trying to figure out something and a different department did the same thing two years ago.”
When plans are hidden or inaccessible, teams unintentionally repeat mistakes or miss opportunities to coordinate. This makes progress slow, fractured, and often redundant.
The solution? Increase access, encourage transparency, and don’t overcomplicate it.
“Whether it’s sharing access to your plans in AchieveIt or having the ability to quickly Slack or hop on a call… it starts with knowing what’s going on,” Morgan says.
Consistency > Complexity: Making Collaboration a Habit
One of the simplest ways to improve execution is to make collaboration routine. That means scheduled check-ins, regular strategy reviews, and cross-departmental updates.
Sounds obvious—but it rarely happens.
Krause warns, “You can give yourself maybe two reschedules before it’s never going to get scheduled. And as a result, you’re going to blink, a year has gone by, and you’re going to be no closer to your plan being executed.”
He suggests repurposing a portion of your existing leadership meetings—just an hour a month—as dedicated time to review strategic progress.
But scheduling alone won’t solve the problem. Those meetings need to be useful.
“If you’re going to run the meeting, make it a good meeting,” Krause urges. “Send an agenda, start on time, have the conversation, cut people off if they’re talking too much, call on people who aren’t talking.”
This level of intentional facilitation turns what might otherwise be a dreaded status update into a forum for real connection, alignment, and course correction.
Final Thoughts: Collaboration Takes Work (But It’s Worth It)
Despite near-universal agreement on its importance, collaboration is still one of the most common strategy execution pitfalls. Why? Because it’s exhausting, messy, and often feels like it’s slowing things down—especially early on.
But as Krause reminds us, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
Leaders who commit to collaborative practices—who schedule the meetings, make them valuable, build transparency, and include the right voices at the right time—see better execution, stronger teams, and fewer blind spots.
You don’t need a dozen new systems to get started. You need structure, consistency, and a willingness to stay the course—even when collaboration feels inconvenient.
As Morgan puts it, “It’s not rocket science. It’s the basics—and doing them consistently.”
Want more insights like this?
Listen to the full episode of The Strategy Gap, featuring Jonathan Morgan and Joe Krause, for real-world tactics on breaking silos, boosting alignment, and building strategy execution that works. Available wherever you get your podcasts.
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