Data: The Weak Link in the Strategy Execution Chain

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1. 

   S1 · E10 · 19 Mar 2026 · 58 min

   Solution Deployment: Breaking Down What it Takes to Succeed

   Solution deployment has traditionally been characterized by development teams parachuting into an ill-defined project that lacks clear goals and objectives, defined scope, formal architecture and design targets, and an optimized deployment roadmap. In this episode, William Ulrich and Charles Bowman discuss how systematically traversing the strategy execution framework ensures that solution deployment is based on well-defined goals and objectives, a rigorous impact assessment, clear architecture and design targets, and highly optimized initiatives along a synchronized roadmap. Topics include…

2. 

   S1 · E9 · 11 Mar 2026 · 53 min

   A Metrics-Based Approach to Strategic Transformation Planning

   Business and technology transformation planning is based on rigorously defined metrics, with the culmination of those metric-based assessments resulting in a business and technical debt assessment. The debt assessment, in conjunction with impact assessments and target state architectures and designs, lays the foundation for crafting a formally defined transformation roadmap. Tune into this episode as William Ulrich and Charles Bowman define the key ingredients to transformation road mapping. In addition to metrics-based planning, topics include breaking down transformation initiatives into…

3. 

   S1 · E8 · 4 Mar 2026 · 56 min

   Facing Down Strategy Execution Roadblocks

   For every initiative an organization undertakes, there are many things that can go wrong for every one that can go right. Every major initiative needs someone to keep things moving in the right direction from a sponsorship, business, technical, personnel, and deployment perspective. Enter the Portfolio Executive. In this week's podcast, we interview Mr. Raj Dolas, President of Akiak Technologies. Mr. Dolas has held a number of leadership positions including Portfolio Executive and Chief Technology Officer at major federal government agencies. In this episode, Mr. Dolas shares what it takes…

4. 

   S1 · E7 · 25 Feb 2026 · 52 min

   Strategy Execution and The Business Knowledgebase

   In William Ulrich and Charles Bowman's latest book, they cite Jim Rohn's quote that "discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment". They go on to highlight three essential elements of discipline; the ability to maintain rigor, continuity, and interconnectedness from an end-to-end perspective. In this episode of their strategy execution podcast, they highlight the concept of the business knowledgebase and, coupled with business architecture, the role it plays in maintaining discipline as strategy execution efforts deploy and scale up. The business knowledgebase ensures that…

5. 

   S1 · E6 · 18 Feb 2026 · 52 min

   Solution Architecture: What is It and Why It Matters?

   Organizations that ignore, sidestep, or underfund solution architecture are missing the glue that binds the architecture perspectives that lead to successful initiative outcomes and strategy deployments. In this episode of the End-to-End Strategy Execution podcast, William Ulrich and Charles Bowman welcome guest, Dr. Michael Bardash, practicing senior solution architect with unique insights into the topic. This episode focuses on the makeup of solution architecture, attributes of the ideal solution architect, the role of the solution architect in relation to planning and execution, and how…

6. 

   S1 · E4 · 4 Feb 2026 · 51 min

   Architecting & Designing the Future State

   A deteriorating business ecosystem is like an aging house, with inhabiting customers, partners, and business stakeholders abandoning it as the situation degrades. Deteriorating architecture, whether it applies to a building, a bridge, or a business ecosystem, is systemic and can't be addressed by short-term thinking and patchwork solutions. In chapter 6 of their book, End-to-End Strategy Execution, William Ulrich and Charles Bowman identify best practices for justifying, funding, and formalizing business and IT architecture and design, which in turn form the basis for initiative planning,…

7. 

   S1 · E3 · 28 Jan 2026 · 51 min

   The Strategy Impact Assessment: The Essential Nature of Feedback Loops

   Chapter 5 of our recently published book, End-to-End Strategy Execution, states that the omission of a comprehensive, well-articulated impact assessment is a major factor undermining successful strategy execution. Impact assessments serve as the focal point for dissecting, validating, and synchronizing business goals, objectives, and related courses of action. Specifically, the episode discusses why and how organizations should prioritize, justify, and fund business-first impact assessments by incorporating them into annual planning cycles that leverage built-in feedback loops. Topics…

8. 

   S1 · E2 · 21 Jan 2026 · 53 min

   Strategy Execution: A Leadership Perspective

   Getting leadership on the same page with strategy execution is often a challenge. This episode features an interview with Whynde Kuehn, strategy transformation specialist and author of Strategy to Reality. The discussion focuses on strategy formulation best practices, how to deal with executive mandates in the absence of clearly defined business objectives, and business architecture's role in framing and interpreting strategy. The episode also looks at how siloed, unaligned strategies can be aggregated and synchronized into a shared, executable perspective. Other topics include how to deal…

9. 

   S1 · E1 · 14 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 2 min

   Strategy Execution: Setting Course for a Challenging Journey

   William Ulrich and Charles Bowman's Strategy Execution podcast, is based on their new book, tackles one of the main challenges facing organizations today, successfully executing on their business strategies while maximizing the value of related technology investments. Episode one outlines the challenges facing organizations today, where two thirds of technology investments are wasted, strategies go unfulfilled, and initiatives fall short their goals or fail entirely. Ulrich and Bowman introduce the strategy execution framework, challenge the status quote, and lay the foundation for future…

10. 

    2 Dec 2025 · 55 min

    The NorthStar: Politics, Culture and Sabotage: Roadmap to Program Failure

    Every project has opponents who try to manipulate that project for their own gain. This is a well-hidden truth. As most people who have been associated with executing strategy are aware, good projects intentionally gone bad is a reality. But no one wants to be associated with a failed or underperforming project, which is why the current state of projects is often portrayed in a better light than what is happening in reality. Shading the truth of a failing project is often done to maintain or gain more power, income, and respect. Yet the industry cannot run from reality. Based on 25 years of…