Secrets to the Success of Organizational Transformation
SERIES ARTICLE
By Dr. Prasad Kodukula
Illinois, USA
When Target entered Canada in 2013, the business strategy looked compelling. The brand was already popular among Canadian shoppers, many of whom had crossed the border for years to shop at Target stores in the United States. The market seemed ready, customer demand appeared real, and the expansion promised immediate scale.
To capture that opportunity, Target adopted an aggressive execution strategy: open many stores quickly, build out the supply chain at speed, and recreate the familiar U.S. Target experience almost overnight.
But when the stores opened, execution faltered. Shelves were often empty. Prices disappointed customers. Supply chain systems malfunctioned. Store layouts felt unfamiliar. The experience did not match the promise. By 2015, after losing billions of dollars, Target exited Canada.
The strategy made sense. The market was ready. But the execution collapsed.
In the first article of this series, we established Purpose as the foundation for successful organizational transformation. In the second, we explored Leadership as the force that mobilizes people toward that purpose. In the third, we examined Empowerment as the mechanism for transferring ownership and driving execution. In the fourth, we discussed Alignment as the discipline that keeps initiatives, priorities, and people moving in the same direction. In the fifth, we explored Speed as the force that turns intent into impact.
Now we arrive at the sixth and final element of the P-L-E-A-S-E model: Execution.
Execution is not an isolated element of the model. It runs through all the others. Purpose gives execution meaning. Leadership gives it force. Empowerment extends execution across the organization. Alignment keeps it coordinated. Speed gives it urgency. Execution is where all five become visible in practice.
Imagine a strategy so compelling that it promises to redefine an organization’s future. Now imagine that blueprint left unexecuted, gathering dust—a stark reminder that without execution, even the most forward-thinking strategies can falter.
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Editor’s note: Dr. Prasad Kodukula, PMP, PMI Fellow is the author of Organizational Project Portfolio Management: A Practitioner’s Guide (J. Ross Publishing 2014) and The Project Management AI Handbook: Leveraging Generative Tools in Waterfall and Agile Environments, with Gustavo Vinueza (J. Ross 2025). A global ambassador for project management, Dr. Kodukula has lectured in nearly 50 countries and worked with more than 40 Fortune 100 companies across all 11 S&P industrial sectors. Learn more in his author profile at the end of this article.
How to cite this work: Kodukula, P. S. (2026). Secret No. 6: Execution; Secrets to the Success of Organizational Transformation, series article 6, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VI, June. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/pmwj165-Jun2026-Kodukula-successful-organizatonal-transformation-secret-6-Execution.pdf
About the Author
Dr. Prasad S. Kodukula
Illinois, USA
Dr. Prasad S. Kodukula, PMP, PgMP, PMI-ACP, DASM, DASSM, BCES, is a USA Today best-selling author, PMI Fellow, thought leader, and entrepreneur with over 35 years of professional experience. A global ambassador for project management, Dr. Kodukula has lectured in nearly 50 countries and worked with more than 40 Fortune 100 companies across all 11 S&P industrial sectors. He is also a frequent keynote speaker and contributor to global project management conferences and publications. He serves as Adjunct Industry Professor at Illinois Tech. He has also taught courses in project management programs at leading universities, including Stanford University, Duke University, and the University of Chicago. Dr. Kodukula teaches a course for NASA on diagnosing root causes and leading the recovery of troubled projects.
As co-founder and CEO of Kodukula & Associates, Inc. and NeoChloris, Inc., he leads these firms in project management and renewable energy, respectively. Recognized three times by the Project Management Institute as “Best of the Best in Project Management,” he has received multiple accolades, including the Illinois Tech Alumni Association Professional Achievement Award and honors from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the states of Arizona, Kansas, and Illinois for his outstanding leadership in education and training, environmental improvement, and innovation. An accomplished author, Dr. Kodukula has co-authored or contributed to 12 books and over 40 articles, and holds four U.S. patents. He can be reached at https://www.linkedin.com/in/prasadkodukula/.
To view other works by Dr. Kodukula, visit his author showcase in the PM World Library at https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/dr-prasad-s-kodukula/
