The Discipline of Execution

How do you create a discipline of execution?  That’s one of the topics covered in the Bossidy/Charan book entitled Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done.  The authors talk about a “productivity culture.”  It reminds me of something Peter Drucker once said, “You can either meet or you can work; but you can’t do both.”

Bossidy and Charan make the case as follows:

“Execution is the great unaddressed issue in the business world today.  Its absence is the single biggest obstacle to success and the cause of most of the disappointments that are mistakenly attributed to other causes.”

Their point is that sometimes leaders think of execution as the tactical side of the business, something that executives delegate while they work on the more strategic issues.  Instead, these leaders should be creating a discipline and a system of execution within their organization.  To make execution part of the fabric of the organization, the top leader must be deeply involved in the process. 

Strategies most often fail because they are not executed well.  The gap between promises and results is sometimes breathtaking.  What gives?  One issue may be the difference between what the company’s leaders want to achieve and the ability of their organization to achieve it. 

In Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things, the authors explain that to understand execution, we have to keep the following in mind:

·         Execution is a discipline, and integral to strategy

·         Execution is the major job of the business leader

·         Execution must be a core element of an organization’s culture

When we develop a strategy, we must think about our organization’s ability to execute the strategy.  Execution is a “systematic way of exposing reality and acting on it.” 

Let’s pause for a moment and reflect on that last statement.  First, we must work at determining what reality looks like at this moment in time for our organization.  This involves a systematic (and ongoing) inward look (capabilities) and outward look (competitors, environment, customers, etc.).  Reality is not what we “feel in our gut.”  Reality is not “what happened last year.”  Reality is not what “the executives in the company say it is.”  Reality is, well…it’s the truth.

Christ tells us, “You shall know the truth and truth shall set you free.”  John 8:32

This statement gives me hope because the truth is knowable.  Think about it.  What do you know “for sure?”  Any answer outside of Christ and His kingdom is tenuous at best.  Why?  Because we live in a sinful world that is continually attempting to move away from the truth (Jesus said, “I am the way, the TRUTH…John 14:6).  And from a marketplace point of view, nothing stands still.  That loyal customer you depend on today could be gone tomorrow.  That extremely profitable employee who has been with you for 20 years…you get the picture. 

Thus, there is a need to continually “expose reality” in your world.  Do you know what is really going on right now in your industry, your market, your company?  You’d better find out if you don’t.

Let’s assume that you have in place a system that allows you to know “reality” both within and outside your organization.  Bossidy then challenges you to act upon what you know.  I have a favorite saying I picked up somewhere:  You can only do what you know.  It was that truism that led me to create a “learning culture” at Zion Industries.  The more our people learned, the more they were capable of doing.  It’s that simple. 

So what if you’ve uncovered what your reality is right now and realize that your people are not capable of taking your organization to the heights that you’ve outlined in your strategic plan?  The authors would contend that you are setting yourself (and your organization) up for performance disappointment.  Something has to change if you want to execute your plan successfully. 

Execution is the Job of the Business Leader

Have you ever heard the top executive (or owner) in a business say something like, “Well, I’m the big picture person.  I hire others to look after the details.”  This book argues that this type of thinking creates “immense damage.”  Here’s the kicker: 

“An organization can execute only if the leader’s heart and soul are immersed in the company.” 

The leader has to be engaged personally and deeply in the business.  He or she is responsible for picking other leaders, setting the strategic direction and conducting operations.  These actions cannot be delegated to others regardless of the size of the organization. 

Next week we’ll focus in on how a leader should spend his time in these three critical areas: people, strategy, and operations. 

Keith 

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I have not only received great benefit from Keith's Weekly insights but even more so from his wise counsel.  Our company recently contracted with Keith as a consultant.  We have benefited not only from Keith's experience as an executive but even more so from Keith's honest assessment of how "things" are and his willingness to communicate in an open and honest manner.  Our company has been extremely blessed as a result.