Why Your Strategy Isn’t Working — Even Though It Should
- Rahul Kulkarni
- Apr 30
- 2 min read
By Rahul Kulkarni, PPS Consulting
Some strategies don’t fail.
They just vanish quietly.
Not because the thinking was flawed. Not because the team lacked will.
But because the plan was never connected to a repeatable rhythm.
When execution breaks down, it’s rarely the big idea that failed.
It’s the checklist that got skipped, the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) that sat in a folder, untouched.
Structure doesn’t slow a team down.
It’s what lets you move faster — without founder micromanagement.
What Makes SOPs Fail Quietly — Even When They Exist?
Most teams don’t struggle because SOPs are missing.
They struggle because SOPs are passive.
Written once
Never revisited
Stored, not surfaced
It’s like putting your navigation system in the glove compartment and then wondering why the route gets missed.
What We’ve Seen in the Field
We worked with a fast-scaling delivery startup.
Their SOPs were technically in place — hiring, onboarding, customer handoffs.
But those SOPs weren’t connected to how the team actually worked:
Tools had changed
Roles had shifted
And nobody looked at the checklist unless something broke
So every week, someone still asked:
"Wait, how do we handle this again?"
The fix wasn’t more detail. It was more rhythm.
SOPs Are Not About Control. They’re About Transfer.
If your business is growing, and you’re still relying on memory, intent, or daily nudges — SOPs are your front-line fix.
They don’t just capture how things are done.
They make clarity reusable.
They allow new team members to operate with context.
They allow the founder to step out without creating a vacuum.
They let decisions scale.
When your team follows a rhythm, you’re no longer the system.
FAQ: What Business Owners Often Ask Us
Q: We already have SOPs. Why are we still struggling?
A: In many cases, the SOPs are not visible in daily workflows.
They’re documented but not active — not tied into meetings, decisions, or tools.
Q: Do small teams really need SOPs?
A: Especially small teams need them.
When every handoff counts, SOPs protect your focus and ensure consistency.
Related Reading:
About the Author:
Rahul Kulkarni is Co-founder at PPS Consulting. He works with scaling SMEs on system design, decision clarity, and founder rhythm.
Comments