In today's environment if you are standing still, you are falling behind. Making the right decisions at the right time is critical.  Following through on those decisions is challenging.  In a survey of a broad cross-section of CEOs, the Malcolm Baldridge Foundation learned that CEOs believed deploying strategy is three times more difficult than developing strategy.  If deployment is so challenging, the questions are: Are you making progress?  How do you know?

• Are your values, vision, mission/purpose and plans being deployed?  How do you know?
• Are they understood and supported by your leadership team?  How do you know?
• Are they understood and supported by all members of your workforce?  How do you know?
• Are your communications effective?  How do you know?
• Is the message being well received?  How do you know?

It is never too soon to start improving openness and communication.  Ask the members of your workforce.