Strategy Management Group expands international excellence award program

Strategy Management Group has launched an enhanced Award for Excellence to recognize organizations that turn strategy into measurable performance. The program is open to organizations of any size or sector and adds a required health check before application.

Why it matters: - The Award for Excellence gives organizations a formal way to validate strategy execution, not just strategy design. - The program is aimed at showing whether companies, nonprofits and public-sector organizations are aligning people, resources and priorities around a clear direction. - SMG says the award is meant to demonstrate sustained performance and measurable impact to employees, customers, partners and other stakeholders.

What happened: - Strategy Management Group, the parent company of Balanced Scorecard Institute, announced an enhanced Award for Excellence on September 23, 2026. - The program recognizes organizations that achieve results through strategy execution. - Organizations of any size, industry or sector may apply.

The details: - Applicants are evaluated against international best practices in six areas: Strategy Focus, Organizational Alignment, Strategic Management, Fact-Based Decision Making, Organizational Change & Transformation, and Breakthrough Results. - Before applying, organizations must complete a Strategic Management Health Check. - The Health Check is a diagnostic review of strategy management processes and execution against recognized best practices. - The Health Check is designed to show where an organization stands today and identify gaps and opportunities for improvement. - Howard Rohm, president of Strategy Management Group, said the award recognizes organizations that make strategy part of how they plan, operate, make decisions and deliver results. - Rohm said the program provides a way to validate strategic management practices, demonstrate measurable impact and showcase commitment to sustained performance.

Between the lines: - The enhanced program appears to move beyond a traditional award model and toward a readiness-and-validation process. - Requiring a health check before application may raise the bar for entry and make the award more of an assessment tool than a pure recognition program. - The emphasis on measurable results and best practices signals a focus on operational discipline, not branding.

What's next: - Organizations interested in the award will need to complete the Strategic Management Health Check before applying. - SMG is positioning the program as a way for organizations to benchmark their strategic management approach and highlight results.

The bottom line: - SMG is making its excellence award a stronger test of whether strategy is actually being executed, not just written down.

About Strategy Management Group: - Strategy Management Group provides strategic planning, balanced scorecard, and performance measurement and management training, international certification, and consulting services. - The company works with government, nonprofit and commercial organizations in more than 80 countries. - More information is available in the company's social channels, Facebook page, YouTube channel, and X account.