Frustrating Execution

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Innumerable books have been written on the topic of execution, how critical and powerful it is, why can it make or break a business, how fractured can it be and how does it not make sense that things don’t happen the way they are supposed to, after all, there are always procedures for people to follow. In the end, many managers, executives and boards continue to be frustrated with their Execution.

 

Indeed, execution should be at the top of the list of priorities for any organization, large and small, but many can’t really define where execution lays. Ask around and you will find that about four out of every five people that are working on the same thing will give you a different definition of where the point of execution is, which is really where the problem begins, let me share some views on a few of the answers I have come across.

 

Execution is the way in which stock value is moving. Clearly, this is a consequence of a number of factors, execution being a fundamental one. If you are executing poorly on the daily basis it will be reflected on your stock price, although manipulation and external market conditions may happen it will not go on forever, and in the end, if you have a sustainable way of doing things day in and day out, your stock price will perform in the same way. Social networks have made it very clear that organizations of all sizes are highly sensitive to everyday interactions between their associates and customers, Uber, United Airlines, Wells Fargo among others can attest to that.

 

Execution is following the strategy. Strategy defines direction and expectations but it does not reflect what is happening in the heart of the business, it only tells you that you have direction and a place to go, which should help provide clarity to the ranks but if the base of your organization does not understand how what they do on the regular basis has a positive or negative impact on the strategy then it becomes nothing but a frustration by not achieving the strategic plan.

 

Execution is meeting defined goals: In my experience most organizations define goals that are achievable even with poor levels of performance at the execution level, this in general, is one the largest opportunities you can find in any organization, when goals have been set and defined, considering flaws, cushions, repetitions and inefficiencies when executing any activity, then goals might be achieved while execution suffers.

 

According to Webster’s dictionary execution is the act of executing, carrying out, doing or producing, manner of doing or producing something, effective action.

 

This definition really tells us where attention should be placed whether if the business is a restaurant, retailer, an airline, a bank, insurance company, refinery, chemical plant, manufacturer, mining company, legal office or contractor services. When you really pay attention to what is really happening at your point of execution then you can achieve your plans which will lead you to reaching your strategic goals, if you don’t pay attention to this fundamental because you believe you are in a unique position or situation, then, chances are you are in trouble and don’t even know it.

 

Many organizations are so concerned about defining the right strategy as the path to success, that little to no attention is paid to how things are actually being done on the daily basis, the distance that is generated between the everyday reality of the business and the definition of what should be happening can be huge, and these gaps and cracks are major causes for poor performance.

 

Frustration comes when expectations are not met and management starts putting out fires as the way to deal with what is obvious and not necessarily with what is important, which is managing at the execution level to ensure that expectations are met consistently as defined, and issues are anticipated and escalated in a timely manner.

 

Recognizing issues at the execution level usually faces denial and resistance at mid management levels as the perception is, that they should be handling these issues along with the irresistible temptation to only report good and positive news at any expense, problem being, the price is paid by the organization.

 

When organizations lack an environment where the right balance of systems, processes, work practices and behaviors are the vessel where daily activities happen, the expected outcome can be higher costs, longer process times, below average customer satisfaction, loss of revenues and a huge sense of frustration.

 

It is a sound practice to regularly have an external view of your business to have a critical perspective of what could be going wrong at the execution level of your organization, like going to the doctor for a checkup not because you are sick but because you want to be one step ahead of situations you might not be fully aware of or possibly have not even considered.

 

By: Cristopher Del Angel, CEO at To The Top Management Consulting