A strategy is a detailed plan to change things that would allow an organization to move from their present state to an improved state. Progressive organizations are continually creating better strategies to improve all their operations.

The formulation of strategies is done by experts in the field who have a lot of experience and have been successful in improving performance.

Though a strategy can be well planned to ensure all the required objectives are met and contingencies that may arise can be dealt with, the ultimate success of a strategy can only be measured by how well it can actually be implemented. A grand strategy that seems perfect in every way but cannot be implemented would just be a castle in the air.

Those creating a strategy have to continuously stay in touch with those responsible for its final implementation as they are the ones who can estimate if the resources available would allow the steps outlined in the strategy to be implemented in a proper manner. The experts who frame policies are seldom aware of the actual capability of those at the lower levels of the hierarchy who implement the policy. Unless the strategy is created with adequate feedback from those implementing it, it may turn out to be one that looks great on paper but serves no actual purpose.

This saying makes a lot of sense because no plan, no matter how nice it sounds, has any effect until it is implemented.

If a manager is only good at making plans, he or she will not really be very effective.  These managers can devise great strategies that will really help their firms prosper.  However, if the strategies cannot be implemented well, or are not implemented well, they will simply be pieces of paper that look good, but are of no use to the firm.

Strategies in business are worthwhile only when they can be translated into actions in the real world.  Therefore, a strategy is only effective if it can be implemented well.