Tangible vs Intangible- where do you focus ?


When you are setting up a new team or business unit, or want to bring about change in an existing setup, what do you do ? create/modify structures and processes - those which are tangible and measurable. Intangibles like people's perceptions, feelings, assumptions and beliefs are difficult to work with. Quite often, these intangibles make or break change programs and business goals.

I found this excellent article on HBR that uses the tangible-intangible conundrum in explaining the execution-strategy gap - 'It is important to focus on what people think rather than what they do'

https://hbr.org/2017/10/closing-the-strategy-execution-gap-means-focusing-on-what-employees-think-not-what-they-do


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