Building on the problem of “too much strategy,” I am constantly surprised how often executive teams and strategy consultants trip over one of the easiest to understand and important hurdles to great strategic planning.

Successful organizations, large and small, are designed to resist change. Roles and responsibilities are specified. Desired results are defined, measured and rewarded. And in great companies, employees “own” the success of the organization. They live it, breath it … even love it.

The resulting culture creates psychological anti-bodies. Anybody who has worked under the cloud of restructuring (and who hasn’t??) has experienced these anti-bodies first hand. Even in healthy and winning teams, changes that are perceived to endanger those elements the organization associates with its success, are resisted both inwardly and outwardly.

This is why so many executive suite or consultant driven strategies crash upon the rocks.

They fail to enlist and enroll the front-line organization in BOTH the planning and implementation. Front-line employees don’t own the changes, may not understand them, or worse, don’t buy into them. Their water-cooler indictments of arrogant executives or ignorant consultants are not far off the mark … even if, on paper, the new strategy is brilliant!

The distraction, dislocation and disillusionment that often follow top-down strategy changes end up making the organization more vulnerable to competition and leave a wake of lost talent and wasted time.

When we undertake a review of strategy or plan to make strategy changes, we would do well to engage the broader organization from the start. They have eyes, they have experience, and they have knowledge that no one in the executive conference room possesses. This doesn’t mean strategic change won’t be painful or abrupt, but is will be properly informed.

And if the broader organization has a hand in its crafting, the new strategy has a fighting chance to overcome the organization’s natural anti-bodies.