Acting on What Really Matters in Strategy Execution!
With so many strategic initiatives failing, it is clear there is a chasm between what is said and what actually happens – too much talk and not enough action. Hollow promises of sharper execution and new executive talent appear in the news with tedious regularity – as if it were the latest breakthrough in management thinking. New initiatives fail because managers use flawed approaches to follow through.
But if execution is so critical to success, why don’t more companies take a disciplined approach to it? Why do many businesses put so much effort into crafting the “perfect” strategy and then screw it up with a slapdash approach to execution.
Countless strategies are designed without taking into account the organisations ability to execute it. Strategy tends to be restricted to a few senior managers and not widely shared. Classically, it is too abstract and too shallow. As a result, it is poorly understood by the people who have to implement it.
A basic problem with execution is that managers know more about planning than doing. Managers are trained to plan, not to execute plans. More often than not, the separation between planning and doing is problematic. Managers behave as if “doing” requires less intelligence than “planning.” It is common to hear the doers described as “grunts” – people who are less intellectually gifted than the planners. The unspoken message is clear – “doing” is not a noble pursuit.
What is more, companies focus on too many things simultaneously. No company can concentrate on more than three or four critical issues at one time. Attempting to focus on more is a widespread problem. Any manager who says he has ten priorities to juggle with has lost sight of what the important issues are.
The simpler the view of what you have to do, the more focus you will have. The best performers in any field are those who see what they do as simple in nature – but difficult at the same time. Take a marathon, for example. The runner starts and doesn’t stop until he has completed 26.2 miles. It is simple – but it is not easy.
Execution failure is not a single shattering event. It doesn’t happen overnight. Just because nothing bad happens in week two or month two of a programme, doesn’t mean that disaster is not on its way. Execution failure is a few errors in judgement, repeated every day – eventually leading to an execution debacle.
Execution success comes from doing ordinary things exceptionally well. The problem is that these simple disciplines are easy not to do. Time after time, this is the root cause of the mess we see in execution.
Four basic disciplines create a solid platform for execution success. These are:
- Clear direction on the relevant business issue
- The right people in the right place
- Rational plans
- Effective Controls
Clarity on the business issue
Being precise on the critical issue is vital to success. This clarifies expectations and eliminates the vagueness that people get away with in everyday conversation. Objectives and outcomes need to be succinct. They should be written down unambiguously. People involved in the execution process should not be required to read between the lines.
Company announcements on vital programmes are frequently couched in long and flabby nouns of generalised meaning. Language is congealed and we don’t feel inclined to read it.
Written plainly and simply, clear expectations and specific outcomes are the first critical step in creating a successful execution plan.
The right people in the right place
Leaders don’t usually think very hard about choosing the right people for the right jobs. They don’t always have accurate views about what some of the key execution jobs involve and what kind of people they need. As a result, leaders end up with pedestrian managers leading vital teams – managers with “ready aim-aim-aim syndrome” who struggle to make the right decisions.
If you want a team that performs well, you need to match people to each task. The most suitable person to sing the tenor part in an opera is the tenor. No one would think about asking a baritone to tackle the tenor part. This is common sense? Yes, it is sense – but not that common.
Meaningful Plans
Milestones bring a strategy to life. Yet it’s still surprising how many major “plans” are described in a few hazy paragraphs accompanied by a worthless Bar Chart. You wouldn’t accept a quote from a builder that said “House – 12 months, 500,000 pounds” would you? You would need a lot more information. With such a low level of detail, it’s unlikely that the builder would understand it himself. But if the builder could provide a weekly breakdown of key activities, everyone would have a clearer understanding of what needs to be done and by when.
Creating a plan breaks things down into manageable chunks but also forces everyone to think through what they need to do and how their work fits in with others. This is a critical part of making things happen.
Effective Controls
The failure to follow through is widespread in business and a major cause of poor execution. You have to have meaningful controls and a dynamic review process. An execution culture relies on robust debate – and this means a climate where there is a frank and open exchange.
Realism is at the heart of execution. Organisations are full of people who want to avoid reality. Reality makes them feel uncomfortable. The mantra is “we don’t want to look bad” or “we want to look better than they do”. What is needed is a “what are you going to do about it” attitude and much more intensity in the review process.
Leaders must create a climate where there are no non-discussables – and where dissent is legitimate. People cannot be expected to be open if they are fearful. If leaders are open and constructive, focused on helping teams to solve problems, others will take the hint and the execution process will benefit.
Execution is not rocket science but it is, quite definitely, a neglected management discipline. Business management education reveres policy making and planning – but execution skills have to be learned on the job.
The cornerstones of execution are simple – but not easy. Managers can get away with ignoring the disciplines for weeks or months, without any obvious sign of problems. But, disaster is never far away.
Management literature admires companies who are regarded as good “examples” of execution – so called models of excellence. Equally, there are companies who serve as “warnings.” If a book is written about your company, make sure your business stands out because it is an example- and not a warning!