Keep Your Strategy On Track
Hi Reader
Two degrees off doesn’t look like much. Until you look up and you’re miles from where you meant to be.
That’s how strategic drift works. Subtle at first, but destructive if unchecked.
It doesn’t matter if you’re leading a business, leading a team, or working solo. Drift finds its way in.
You might be legitimately busy but momentum feels stalled. Or you’re hitting milestones and still not feeling closer. Sometimes the results land, but somehow they matter less than they should.
There are three kinds of drift at play here. Each carries subtle signs and different impacts. Knowing how to spot them early is what keeps your strategy alive.
Delivery Drift
This is the most visible. You set out with clear intentions, but the work doesn’t move at the pace you expected. Milestones slip. Obstacles repeat. Progress slows down.
The strategy may be sound, but execution is stalling. There's a gap between the velocity you imagined and the one you can sustain.
Spotting delivery drift early means noticing the signals before deadlines loom: what’s consistently getting in the way? Where are bottlenecks forming? And what actions will unlock real progress?
Outcome Drift
This one can feel painful. You’ve worked hard, you’ve delivered what you planned, but the outcomes don’t meet your expectations. It felt good in the moment, but the results don’t land as they should.
Outcome drift is frustrating because progress looks strong, but the payoff isn’t there. The real question is why.
Were your assumptions wrong? Does the execution need a tweak? Are you capturing the right signals? Outcome drift is about whether the effort is producing what you intended - and then interpreting the data to decide what your plans need next.
Context Drift
This one is subtler. You might be delivering on time, and the results might even be strong – but the context around you has shifted.
Suddenly, the outcomes you’re achieving are real but increasingly irrelevant as old assumptions expire. That shift might come from outside – market changes, new technology, shifting expectations – or from inside, as your own priorities and vision evolve.
Context drift reminds us that success in yesterday’s terms doesn’t guarantee relevance today. Strategy can never be “set and forget.”
Regularly step back and ask: are these outcomes still aligned with the strategy we now want? What signals suggest the destination itself may need adjusting?
Catching Your Drift
Strategic drift is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to cost you momentum if you catch it early.
Paying attention to the signs – whether in delivery, outcomes, or context – is about more than metrics. It is about keeping your energy, focus, and relevance intact.
The signs are always there. The question is whether you’re watching closely enough to notice. And taking the right action when it occurs.
Where is strategic drift creeping in – and what’s one action you could take this week to counter it?
Growth is easier when you’ve got support
→ If you’re ready to shape your strategic vision, create bigger opportunities, and meet them fully – that’s the work we do together in the Impact Accelerator. Find out more here.
→ And if you’re scaling something larger, let’s chat about how I can help you align strategy and execution. Just hit reply.
Stay ambitious.
Rob
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Sparked Ambition Ltd | linkedin.com/in/robstubbs