Neither strategy formulation or strategy implementation are difficult if you know what you're doing.

It’s rare that a strategy's business case will be sufficient to win the support needed through a document or presentation by itself. Many organisations are inherently political. This is often a cultural trait of the organisation often caused by fear, territorial issues and the threat of losing authority and status as a cultural characteristic as well as a result of certain types of strategies.

Don’t under-estimate the power and dysfunctional influence of this type of culture. Therefore, in order to minimise the impacts of this issue, it’s recommended that you:

• Work your audience: take the time and effort to meet with all important members of your various audiences, to talk through what is proposed, what is the likely impact on them, and what is expected of them before the strategy is implemented, during implementation and after implementation.
• Capture and record their questions, issues and their concerns. Ensure that their concerns are identified (anonymously if possible) in the business case, and discuss the manner you propose to satisfy those concerns. Ask the interviewees, for their suggested solutions. If you can 'live with' their solution to important issues and problems within the strategy, it will be harder for them to withhold approval or cooperation. The written record will protect you (and the strategy) from individuals who claim they "didn’t say that" at some future point.
• Ensure that you spend time explaining the benefits of the strategy to them and their area of responsibility. If they don’t know or aren't convinced of the benefits, then why would they support the strategy?
• Don’t leave the meeting without knowing what it will take to get their support for the strategy.

You may also encounter 'gate-keepers' through whom you need to navigate the strategy, and who don’t have a real direct interest in the strategy or who are not directly affected by it. You still need to meet with them and secure their approval too. This is usually done by explaining the benefits to them or their responsibility area from the successful implementation of the strategy.