When You Can’t See Progress, You Can’t Drive It
When You Can’t See Progress, You Can’t Drive It
Here’s a common scenario in product and tech orgs:
You’ve got strategic priorities. Teams are working hard. But when you ask, “How are we tracking against what matters most?”—you get silence… or scattered answers… or ten different spreadsheets.
This isn’t just a reporting issue. It’s a strategic execution issue.
When progress across your top priorities isn’t visible and reliable:
- You don’t know where to intervene—or where to double down.
- Team leads start optimizing locally instead of aligning to the big picture.
- Execs grow frustrated because momentum is unclear.
- And priorities quietly shift as people fill the vacuum with new work.
Here’s how to fix it:
✅ Step 1 – Define What Progress Looks Like
Start by making sure each strategic priority has a clearly defined outcome. “Improve platform scalability” is vague. “Reduce latency by 50ms for 80% of users by Q4” is measurable.
✅ Step 2 – Map Initiatives to Priorities
If a team is working on something, it should be crystal clear which strategic priority it’s advancing. If it doesn’t align, you’ve got a focus problem.
✅ Step 3 – Set Milestones and Signals
For each initiative, define what visible progress looks like over time. Think: milestones, demos, learning checkpoints, or delivery markers—not just a % complete in Jira.
✅ Step 4 – Review Progress Regularly at the Exec Level
Every 2–4 weeks, execs should review progress by strategic priority, not by department. This ensures you’re steering toward outcomes, not just activity.
✅ Step 5 – Use a Lightweight Dashboard
No need for a massive software investment. A shared doc or visual board can go a long way—as long as it’s updated and trusted.
The key is this: When your strategic priorities are visible, active, and reviewed regularly, they become a management system—not just a poster on the wall.
Want the full system for driving visible, focused execution across your organization?
Download our free guide:
Survive and Thrive – 7 Critical Moves for On-Time Delivery Without Burning Out Your Team
👉 www.techleaderadvance.com/thrive
