Three Ways to Bridge the Execution Gap

[daftandbarmy]

Three Ways to Bridge the Execution Gap

'Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do.'  - Voltaire
                                               
I’ve been a management consultant for over 20 years and have had the pleasure of working with thousands of people in hundreds of public and private sector businesses, helping them to improve the effectiveness of their organizations.

Few things make me happier than to see the hard work of engaged and passionate people implemented to good effect. For example, one of my favourite projects was a far ranging production and quality improvement effort in a huge, but struggling, sawmill. There, I saw empowered teams of formerly disengaged staff lead their mill from the lowest to the highest performer in the business unit. Along the way, they dramatically improved safety performance while adding millions of dollars to the bottom line. Conversely, few things frustrate me (and probably you) more than to see the results of a lot of hard work fall flat on its face due to a lack of execution.

Steven Covey observed that, “Execution is the great unaddressed issue in most organizations today. So many crucial initiatives fail, so many change efforts collapse, due to this yawning gap.” After seeing the fallout from the ‘execution gap’ one too many times, I developed a particular professional interest in the art and science of executing well, and of establishing a solid alignment between:

1. developing a vision, and
2. taking action to realize it.

How can you bridge the execution gap? What is the best way to lead strategic alignment?

- See more at: https://www.berlineaton.com/blog/three-ways-to-bridge-the-execution-gap#sthash.6ngWrOqL.dpuf

 

[Blackadder1916]

Interesting, but a little disappointing.  Seeing the word "execution" in the topic, I was half hoping for a discussion on improving death penalty statistics.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Interesting, but a little disappointing.  Seeing the word "execution" in the topic, I was half hoping for a discussion on improving death penalty statistics.

Well, continuous improvement methodology has a fairly broad application in many industries, fortunately...

 

[Colin Parkinson]

But execution of of a project is messy, cluttered with details and involves working closely with the little people and there is a risk of failure that would fall upon their shoulders. So why would any rising star get involved in something that might damage their career?

 

[Blackadder1916]

. . .  So why would any rising star get involved in something that might damage their career?

But the secret to the rising star is timing.  Far to often (particularly in a large organization) the star moves into and out of projects accepting praise for "project definition" before execution falls flat after he leaves or accepting the kudos for a well planned project that he inherits already in execution - after all, he's the "star", the success must be due to him.

 

[daftandbarmy]

But the secret to the rising star is timing.  Far to often (particularly in a large organization) the star moves into and out of projects accepting praise for "project definition" before execution falls flat after he leaves or accepting the kudos for a well planned project that he inherits already in execution - after all, he's the "star", the success must be due to him.

... or, increasingly these days, her

 

[Colin Parkinson]

But the secret to the rising star is timing.  Far to often (particularly in a large organization) the star moves into and out of projects accepting praise for "project definition" before execution falls flat after he leaves or accepting the kudos for a well planned project that he inherits already in execution - after all, he's the "star", the success must be due to him.

bingo, give this man a cookie

 

[daftandbarmy]

But the secret to the rising star is timing.  Far to often (particularly in a large organization) the star moves into and out of projects accepting praise for "project definition" before execution falls flat after he leaves or accepting the kudos for a well planned project that he inherits already in execution - after all, he's the "star", the success must be due to him.

Recently, I watched as a guy moved into a senior public sector from the private sector. He spent about two years 'shaking things up', then moved on to another private sector job with his 'go getter' reputation intact.

Meanwhile, people continue to clean up in his wake.