Execution can be challenging when people break promises, and leaders are unskilled at execution management, accountability management, and getting predictable results.
The following are six barriers that are likely holding back your company. Being skilled at managing execution will allow your company to overcome these hurdles.
Six Hurdles to Effective Execution Management:
#1 People often don’t keep their promises
Keeping promises is the bedrock, heart and soul, glue, and foundation of successful and predictable execution.
Do your leaders demand that people do what they promise or consistently tolerate excuses?
When people keep their promises — and assuming goals are clear, expectations and priorities are well-defined — then results are more predictable. You see, keeping our promises, allows others to spend their time creating value, rather than picking up our slack, or following-up and nagging us staff to do what they said they would.
#2 People are terrified of the idea of being held accountable.
People have all sorts of reasons for not wanting to be accountable.
- Is everyone in your company (not just the salespeople) accountable for specific results, and does your corporate culture support holding people accountable?
If you have to work at holding people accountable, it means they are not owning their work or the results. Reasons vary from not wanting to be pushed, avoiding the shame of failure, enjoying procrastination, and wanting a raise/bonus even if the results are poor.
Unless someone has had a great experience being held accountable and thus sees the benefit, most people will waver in their commitments and avoid accountability. In turn, many people are uncomfortable holding others responsible or don’t have the skills to do so without being aggressive. Effective execution provides the structure for accountability and the mindset and behavior shift to empower accountability and results.
#3 People like to be comfortable
Corporate cultures typically include rigid structures to keep people comfortable and avoid crucial conversations.
- When a choice is required, does the executive team or company culture favor the past or the desired future? Is leadership adapting to situations?
Growth and change are uncomfortable. Managing execution requires having conversations about missed expectations, unfulfilled promises, giving feedback, coaching, breakdowns, failures, and changes. A solid execution management system ensures that such conversations happen when they need to.
#4 Our relationship to the language of Managing Execution Must Change
Most people have a less-than-positive relationship with or don’t get excited when hearing words like discipline, commitment, performance, progress, promises, and goals.
- If you were to tell each employee individually, “I’d like to speak with you about your [fill in the blank: _____] (commitment, performance, progress, promises, or goals), would you expect them to be excited about the conversation? Would you be excited about the conversation?
Take a moment and imagine people in your company getting excited to speak with you about goals, results, commitment, promises, and performance. Imagine those conversations inspiring opportunities to raise the bar and resolve problems with ease and flow. Imagine people doing what they promise and the results being outstanding. Different right?
#5 No system for Managing Execution
Executives believe their companies have a system for managing execution, but most do not.
- Does your company have a system in place for managing execution? If so, what is it called, and where is it?
Performance reviews, team meetings, one-on-ones, project management, operational reviews, and bonus structures are all important. Still, the existence of these doesn’t mean your company has a comprehensive system in place to manage execution. For more information on execution management, click here.
#6 Lack of courage, vision, and commitment on the part of the senior executive
Whether or not a company has a system in place for managing execution and is great at using that system is a function of the CEO’s, President’s, or most senior executive’s willingness and commitment to make it a strategic initiative.
- Is implementing and getting great at managing an execution management system an imperative this year, and is the most senior executive leading that charge?
Being great at getting results and transforming the corporate mindset about execution starts at the very top, with the implementation of an execution management system.
A comprehensive system for managing execution will create a new way of getting results and transform how people think about the crucial management elements for specific results.
Over the years, I have seen senior executives being passionate and committed to implementing and managing successful execution and leading the mindset and behavior shift that accompanies them. Those companies are simply better at managing execution, and they get better and more predictable results.ply better at managing execution and they get better and more predictable results.
