What Is Strategic Delivery Drift?

Strategic Drift- The silent force derailing strategy

Written By Marcus Ward

The silent force derailing strategy — and how to spot it before it costs you millions

Over the past 18 months, we’ve engaged with over 100 senior leaders across Australian organisations — from state utilities and mining giants to government departments and emerging tech firms.

In nearly every engagement, regardless of industry or scale, we’ve seen the same problem quietly playing out: strategy is developed with care and clarity — but over time, delivery starts to drift.

We’ve heard versions of it in boardrooms, retrospectives, and corridor conversations:

“We’ve got a roadmap, but we’re not landing the benefits.”

“We’re delivering a lot, but it’s hard to see what’s changing.”

“Our teams are committed — but they’re worn down and unclear where we’re heading.”

This isn’t because we're "not doing AI" and it’s not a lack of tools or frameworks.

It’s something deeper and more systemic.

We call it Strategic Delivery Drift.

What is Strategic Delivery Drift?

Strategic Delivery Drift is the gradual and often invisible misalignment between an organisation’s strategy and what actually gets delivered on the ground.

It doesn’t show up overnight. It builds slowly — through unclear priorities, diffused ownership, reactive planning cycles, and siloed efforts. People are working hard, but not always on the right things. Momentum is lost. And because teams are so focused on doing, few stop to notice that direction is slipping.

It’s a pattern we’ve now documented across dozens of industries and portfolios.

In one ASX-listed resources company, we traced over $4.2 million in duplicated effort and stalled initiatives directly back to drift — despite a well-funded transformation and strong executive support.

So what causes it?

Based on our research and field experience, we’ve identified four key breakdown points — the CORE dimensions that determine whether strategy sticks or slips.

The CORE Model: Four Dimensions of Strategic Delivery Drift

C — Clarity

“Do we have a shared understanding of what success looks like?”

Clarity Drift shows up when teams can no longer confidently connect their daily work to strategic outcomes.

It happens when vision lives in the boardroom, but not in delivery teams. When project charters exist, but lack strategic linkage. When KPIs are tracked, but no one’s sure why they matter.

Case insight:

At a state infrastructure agency, we ran a strategic alignment workshop with 15 senior delivery leads. When we asked them to link their key initiatives to the organisation’s top three priorities, only 4 could do it without guessing. These weren’t new hires — they were the people leading delivery.

Reflection question:

Can every team in your portfolio clearly articulate how their work connects to your strategy?

Drift cost:

Misaligned efforts typically add 15–25% cost bloat to major initiatives — often hidden in “busy work” that looks productive but lacks purpose.

O — Ownership

“Is it clear who is accountable for bridging strategy and delivery?”

Ownership Drift happens when responsibility becomes everyone’s — and no one’s.

We often find strategic objectives “belong” to senior leaders, while delivery execution sits in the PMO or line teams. But the critical role — owning the connection between the two — falls through the cracks.

Case insight:

In a government agency managing a complex reform agenda, we uncovered three separate teams who each assumed a different group was tracking delivery against the transformation’s core metrics. Result? Six months of reporting gaps and a significant credibility hit with Treasury.

Reflection question:

Who owns the throughline from intent to impact in your most important programs?

Drift cost:

Lack of ownership typically leads to delayed decisions, duplicated governance, and misdirected escalation — especially in fast-moving environments.

R — Rhythm

“Are we adjusting our plans with enough pace and purpose?”

Rhythm Drift occurs when planning cadences, feedback loops, and review cycles lose their sharpness. Strategy becomes a set-and-forget process. Execution races ahead, unchecked.

It’s often subtle — buried in meeting fatigue, long delivery cycles, or stale dashboards that haven’t been interrogated in months.

Case insight:

In a Western Australian energy provider, we helped reintroduce a four week portfolio rhythm involving delivery, finance, and strategy leads. Within two cycles, they eliminated 17 low-impact initiatives and reallocated resources to their highest-value outcomes — a $2.3M shift in portfolio value.

Reflection question:

How often do your teams pause to course-correct — not just report progress?

Drift cost:

Organisations without meaningful delivery rhythm report, on average, 30–40% lower benefit realisation across key programs.

E — Engagement & Alignment

“Are our people committed — and pulling in the same direction?”

Engagement without alignment leads to wasted energy. Alignment without engagement creates compliance, not commitment. Drift thrives when either is missing.

We’ve seen this most clearly in high-change environments, where initiatives are well-meaning but poorly sequenced — and staff feel like they’re constantly adapting without understanding the why.

Case insight:

A transport organisation we worked with had strong frontline buy-in, but change fatigue was rising due to repeated strategy pivots at the top. Despite high engagement scores, delivery had stalled — because teams weren’t aligned to a stable direction.

Reflection question:

Are your people energised and aligned — or just busy and overwhelmed?

Drift cost:

When engagement and alignment drop, we see up to 60% of initiative energy lost to confusion, rework, and internal churn.

Strategic Delivery Drift is subtle — but solvable

You don’t need a new methodology or shiny tool to fix drift. You need visibility. A shared language. And a willingness to stop, sense, and steer.

Drift is not a sign that you’ve failed — it’s a sign that your systems haven’t kept pace with your ambition. And that’s something we can address.

What’s next?

At Twenty2 Collective, we help organisations detect, diagnose, and address Strategic Delivery Drift using practical, research-backed methods like our CORE model and Strategic Delivery Health Check.

If you’d like to:

• Explore the hidden cost of drift in your organisation

• Get a fresh lens on your strategic delivery model

• Or access our drift health check as a conversation starter for your team

  
  

If this article resonated for you please share it or comment and keep your eyes open for the CORE series where we unpack the different elements. 

Written by Marcus Ward