There are two things that a leader can influence when trying to achieve results. There's the strategy or the plan, and then there's the ability to execute that strategy. When you ask leaders what they will struggle with more, it will almost always be execution.
Two Opposing Forces
Within every organization, there is a clash between two forces. One is called ‘The Whirlwind’ or the day job. And the second is your new goals. Both are absolutely necessary, and they do not get along.
You must ask yourself this question, “Would the people in your organization still be busy even if you didn’t have any goals for moving the organization forward?”
Urgent vs. Important
The primary characteristic of the whirlwind is urgency; it acts on you. The goals for moving the organization forward are important, but they never have the same immediacy or urgency as the whirlwind; you have to act on them. When urgent and important clash, urgent wins.
The 4 Disciplines
Even though The 4 Disciplines of Execution® are logical and straightforward, they are not easy to implement. Whether you are in a simple organization or a complex one, the good news is these disciplines always work.
Discipline 1: Focus on the Wildly Important
The discipline of focus requires you to go against your basic wiring as a leader and focus on less so your team can achieve more.
Discipline 2: Act on The Lead Measures
The discipline of leverage requires you to identify and act on the measures that are predictive of reaching your goal and that can be influenced by you and the team.
Discipline 3: Keep a Compelling Scoreboard
The discipline of engagement requires you to create a players' scoreboard so that members of the team can easily tell whether they are winning or losing.
Discipline 4: Create a Cadence of Accountability
The discipline of commitment requires you to hold regularly scheduled team meetings where members make and keep commitments to each other to execute on the wildly important goal.
Gain a deeper understanding of the disciplines required to achieve your most important goals in the midst of daily urgencies. Register to attend a complimentary 4 Disciplines of Execution webcast.
About the Author
More Content by Chris McChesney