Adapt to Win! with Evan Campbell
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Dave sits down with Evan Campbell to discuss his new book, Adapt to Win: A Framework to Overcome Strategy Decay Using OKRs and Lean Portfolio Management, published by Wiley. Evan shares why most organizations fail to execute on beautifully crafted strategies — and what to do about it.
Key Topics Covered
Strategy Decay — Evan introduces the concept of "strategy decay," the entropic force that constantly pulls organizations away from their strategic objectives. Studies show only 51% of senior executives can name their company's top three priorities — and that drops to 22% one level down.
The Three Sub-Processes of Strategy — Evan breaks down strategy into: (1) formulation, (2) deployment, and (3) execution tracking. Most organizations do the first reasonably well and muddle through the third — but strategy deployment is where the wheels come off.
OKRs as the "Steel Thread" — The power of OKRs isn't just top-down goal-setting. The bottom-up element — where teams define their own objectives in response to company goals — drives alignment, understanding, and genuine accountability. Evan distinguishes OKRs (change the business) from KPIs (run the business) using a great airplane instrument cluster analogy.
Lean Portfolio Management — The largest section of the book covers enterprise portfolio management practices that Evan says have never been published before. The core idea: treat investments more like a VC would — fund in tranches, set measurable objectives, and be willing to pivot quickly when a better opportunity emerges.
Valuing Strategic Initiatives — ROI, IRR, and NPV alone will never fund innovation. Evan explains why organizations need a richer methodology to fairly prioritize strategic bets — and how the book provides one.
Types of Portfolios — Enterprise, product, corporate IT, and innovation portfolios each have distinct characteristics and challenges. IT shops tend to struggle with delivery; product organizations tend to struggle with demand management and value prioritization.
AI Investment Discipline — Evan flags that 95% of corporate AI spending is producing zero value (citing MIT research) — the same pattern we saw with the internet and agile. The culprit: a lack of directed innovation and strategic clarity.
Links from the Podcast
Adapt to Win site: https://adapttowin.co
Adapt to Win book on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/53kae743
Adaptivity: https://www.adaptivitygroup.com
Manifesto for Enterprise Agility: https://www.pmi.org/learning/agile/manifesto-for-enterprise-agility
Enterprise Agility Network: https://theagilenetwork.com
Contacting Evan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evcampbell/
Contacting Dave
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mrsungo
No links were found in this episode’s notes.