STEP - The STrATEGy Execution Process

If you are on this page, you may be looking for more information on how I can help you to successfully implement your strategy. 

But please note that you will not be able to join a program without meeting with me first.

That’s because, depending on the type of strategy you have and where you are through the implementation journey, there are at least four different options for you to engage with STEP (Acronyms derived from STrategy Execution Process), and I want to make a certain that you get the best suited to your specific situation and budget. 

Also, I recommend STEP to only one in three people I chat with. And if it turns out that STEP is not the right option for you, I can typically recommend someone or something that would be a better fit for your needs.

So that we can have that conversation, please click here to go to the page, which explains how our meeting will work. 

Reason 1: If you work with me, I can predict with certainty the effective execution of your strategy.

Many scientific studies show that most strategic implementations fail. Research shows that 50% of well-formulated strategies fail to deliver expected results because of poor execution. Only 14% of Fortune 500 CEOs indicated they are effectively implementing the strategy. 

That is why I created STEP. 

STEP is a proven step-by-step process developed to help senior construction executives to implement their strategies effectively. STEP eliminates the uncertainty from the commonly stressful undertaking of managing the implementation of a new strategy on top of your daily workload.

Now, imagine this: you go to your next Strategy Review Meeting and, while sipping your coffee, you put up a slide with your strategy implementation update and you feel a smile spread across your face, and you see your boss smiling as he/she realizes that you accomplished all your goals and that you delivered in all your promises.

Do you like it? 

That is precisely what STEP provides! 

But even better:

• With STEP, you can predict with certainty that you will achieve the implementation of your strategy

• With STEP, you know that you will succeed because it puts you in full control of the strategy execution process 

• With STEP, you (and your team) control the execution process, knowing exactly all the activities you have to complete to achieve your strategy

• With STEP, you (and your team) will measure the things that matter most to execute the strategy

• And finally, with STEP, everybody clearly understands the risks of not achieving the strategy

Reason 2: I take care of 85% of the daily work of managing your strategy execution.  

“Every day we have fires to put out just to sustain the business as it is, and when we look back over the last year, we haven’t accomplished any of the things we said we were going to do.”

Is this familiar to you? 

Simply put, the real enemy of strategy execution is your day-to-day job!

One of the reasons managers fail executing their strategy is simple: they don’t have time to do all the extra work required to move the strategy forward. And that because there is an inherent conflict between the enormous energy required just to maintain the business running as it is and the energy needed to execute a new strategy to move it to the next level.

But no worries!

With STEP I take care of 85% of the daily activities required to manage the execution of your new strategy. I do the heavy lifting with the new strategy implementation so that you can do your job and keep your business going. Taking care of 85% of the workload is one of the central values that I bring to you as a consultant. 

This is as close to managing heaven as you’ll ever get: knowing that 85% of the daily meetings, follow-ups, emails, phone calls, coaching, training, remainders, and any other tasks related to the strategy execution will be taken care of.

And all you have to do is what you do best ….. keep managing your business while your strategy gets flawless executed. 

And there's more: you'll feel happier, less stressed, and more energized and fulfilled because you'll be doing the thing related to your core business instead of dealing with the day-to-day trivialities of implementing a new strategy. 

One last thing: I also meet with you every week to review results. I give you specific feedback on exactly where we are with your strategy implementation and the next step to move it forward to its complete execution. 

Reason 3: With STEP, I carry the risk, not you (Risk Reversal Guarantee)

Most consultants ask you to trust them. They say something to the effect of “give me your money and then I will deliver the value.” 

But unfortunately, all too often, people give them money only to find that the value delivery failed to make any significant difference to their business. 

The comment I hear frequently is, “they were really nice person Jorge, but I didn’t get a lot out of it.” 

I’m sorry, but being a nice person is not enough. Suppliers need to deliver value, and you need to have confidence in their ability to do that, especially if you’ve been unfortunate enough to waste your money in the past on consultants that failed to deliver results. 

And if you’ve been through that experience of losing money by investing in people or programs that didn’t work out, then you’ll be pleased to know that you don’t have to trust me ... instead, I’ll trust you. 

How that works is simple: we will work together for a whole month without you paying or risking even one cent. If you think that I’m not delivering, email me directly at the end of that month, at jorge@castellanosconsulting.com, and I will not submit my invoice. 

This means I carry the risk, not you. 

I call this “Risk Reversal,” meaning that I carry the risk instead of you, my client. So...let me trust you, rather than me asking you to trust me. 

Now, isn’t that a refreshing change? 

Please note that this Risk Reversal Guarantee does not apply if you don’t follow my indications. It only applies if you think that I’m not delivering on my promise. 

Reason 4: I’ve got a long track record of successfully implementing, with results, all sort of strategies for some of the biggest constriction companies in North America  

I’ve been professionally active in managing construction operations for almost 30 years. 

I graduated from Civil Engineering in 1992 and finalized my Ph.D. degree in Process Optimization in 2000. Since then, I lead the execution of all sorts of strategies for some of the biggest engineering and construction companies in the United States and Canada. 

From 2017 to 2019, I was the Vice President of Manufacturing at Horizon North Logistics in Calgary. There I was responsible for the strategy execution to fabricate more than $150 million of Commercial, Industrial, and Residential manufactured buildings. I had under my supervision three modular manufacturing plants and more than 350 employees. During the first 12 months of my tenure at Horizon North, I successfully grew the business from $47 million in revenue to $150 million and EBIDATS from $14 million loss to $15 million profit. 

From 2016 to 2019, I was the Branch Manager of Infrastructure Delivery for the City of Edmonton. In that position, I was managing more than 450 employees and accountable for delivering over $1.0 billion on capital infrastructure projects for the City. In 2016 the City of Edmonton was having pressing issues delivering projects on time and budget. In 9 months, I Implemented a new Project Development and Delivery Model (PDDM) that reduced by 20% the number of Infrastructure Projects delivered late, over budget, and out of scope.  

From 2011 to 2016, I was the Senior Director of Engineering at Civeo Corp. My responsibilities there included managing the Engineering department to support all construction operations in Canada and the USA. I implemented a Portfolio Management Process that increased by 45% of the projects executed with the same resources. Additionally, I created a consultant contracting procedure to balance the use of internal and outsourced engineering resources. This procedure reduced by 30% the company's professional engineers and generated more than $1.3 million in savings over a period of three years.

For more details about mu personal experience managing construction operations, visit my profile in LinkedIn.

Reason 5: STEP was created and optimized to support senior executives in the construction industry  

This is an incredibly important reason! 

Strategy Execution is a science and not an art. Following STEP, we can predict with certainty the implementation of your strategy. When you "push the right buttons and pull the right levers," then the results must flow. With my experience managing construction operations for almost 30 years, I know when to push the right buttons and pull the right levers to accomplish any strategy. 

Follow the steps and the results will follow because it's a proven science and not some random act of management genius.

STEP will show you how to move from the skepticism, the doubts, and the stress that comes with the possibility of unsuccessfully implementing your strategy to the confidence that gives you the guarantee of its execution. 

STEP makes the complicated simple by breaking the overwhelming task of executing a new strategy into a short and more manageable step by step process. 

When you select someone to help you implement your strategy, it's critical that you find a specialist who knows how to do so in your industry. If they are also working with clients in different industries, they will inevitably struggle to offer you the specialized advice your strategy execution efforts require.