The Curse of the THUD Strategy!
A while back, a business associate of mine flipped me this graphic. It did make me chuckle.
In a previous life, I was a CEO of a strategy execution firm, and much of our work was gained by having to rework what I term a “thud strategy.” These were “chunky munky dossiers” prepared by large strategy firms—often costing hundreds of thousands of dollars—intended to guide organisations through their next cycle of change.
What is a “Thud Strategy”?
The name is literal. These “strategy documents” were so thick that when lifted and dropped onto a desk, it landed with a enormous THUD! (Workshops for these generally held at great expense at some exotic location with more often than not, a golf course and spa included 🙄).
Inside?
Endless data and polished graphics
Layers of consulting jargon
New age buzzwords of the day
Page after page of complexity
The problem wasn’t effort—it was usability. Nobody could truly understand them, let alone execute them.
The Execution Gap
These documents looked impressive but failed where it mattered most: ACTION!
Once the consultants left:
The strategy sat untouched
Teams struggled to interpret priorities
Accountability was unclear
Momentum stalled
Eventually, the document was quietly buried in the bottom of a drawer—only to be rediscovered the following year, dusted off, and dropped back onto the desk with another symbolic thud.
What Actually Works
Our role was to unstitch these strategies and rebuild them into something far more effective:
Clear and simple direction
Defined priorities
Measurable actions
Ownership and accountability
In short, we translated complexity into clarity and execution.
The Real Lesson
A good strategy isn’t about how sophisticated it looks—it’s about whether people can act on it.
If your strategy requires a translator, it’s already failed!
If it fits on a few pages, aligns people, and drives decisions—it works.
Because in the end, the goal isn’t to impress a boardroom.
It’s to move an organisation forward—WITHOUT the THUD!
Comments welcomed, as always…
MC
