Why do companies fail to execute against their strategy?  Key reasons include a 1) a lack of a specific implementation plan with clear owners, milestones, and KPIs, 2) a knowledge gap between the strategy and implementation teams, 3) politics that create the illusion of a zero-sum game, 4) an unwillingness to take risks in the spirit of self-preservation and 5) being bound by conventional, outdated thinking.  Companies who fall victim to one or more of these issues often end up mortgaging away their future.  There are a number of ways to solve for these issues, but here are a few steps to help you begin to bridge the strategy-execution gap...