Effective Execution — Nimble and Adaptable
As business professionals, we know a valuable truth — “The Pace of Change is Accelerating.” This reality is acutely understood by executives, managers and entrepreneurs who are leading profit and not-for-profit organizations. When these business leaders engage our firm whether for individualized coaching or operations consulting, they value our focus on delivering repeatable high performance results through disciplined operating routines and effective execution of Operating Plans.
A key priority of these business leaders is how to maximize business results in an environment in which historical performance and operating tactics are not necessarily predictors of future success. They seek solid footing and an approach in which they can confidently drive their teams, organizations and companies forward to achieve operating goals and objectives. In our work with clients, we often embrace a general mantra in our recommendations which is “these disciplined practices might be simple, but not necessarily easy.” Why? Because you don’t just follow them some of the time, but all of the time. It is the effective execution of key actions and behaviors that bends the performance curve to consistently produce positive results.
In the months and quarters ahead, the businesses that succeed and thrive will have these two common descriptors - “nimble and adaptable.” So, a key question that you might be pondering is “how do I lead and drive positive operating results in this environment?” Here is where that focus on simplicity shows up; we offer you one word - “Capacity.” In organizations that are benefiting from driving effective execution, they maximize the use of their entire organization’s capacity to keenly focus on a finite set of priorities and produce target outcomes. Said differently, these executives, managers and entrepreneurs implement personal and organizational weekly and monthly operating routines that minimize distractions and decrease opportunity costs. How? They constantly look for actions, activities and projects that are not producing or moving the core mission forward, and they give their teams permission to stop doing them. Thus, they constantly free up and repurpose the talent, expertise and capacity amongst their employees, and shift to address higher priority business opportunities and threats.
Given what we just covered, here are two questions for you to consider:
— What specific actions do I need to remove from my weekly or monthly operating routines to free up capacity to lead and manage more effectively in this business environment?
— What actions, activities or projects am I going to give my team, organization or company permission to stop doing to free up capacity to reinvest and tackle higher payoff tasks, projects and initiatives?
Success Tip — Set a diary and ask yourself these questions every month, and recommend that the other executives and managers in your organization do the same.
In business environments that are heavily impacted by uncertainty, the organizations and companies that excel at effective execution will stay more nimble and adaptable than their competitors and achieve differentiated positive results. We welcome you to learn more about our Executive Coaching, Operations Consulting and other professional services by visiting enlightenedrtc.com. If we can help you or your organization, then contact us and let’s talk.
by
Wayne Spooner, Managing Director
Enlightened Research, Training and Consulting, LLC