Execution: The Art of Getting Things Done!
By Arnold Adriaanse

Execution is probably the biggest Achilles heel for any company and the biggest challenge for any business leader that I work with. Let's dive straight in ... 

Have you ever observed this amazing phenomenon: a group of business leaders in a company get together during a strategic planning off-site and start hammering out a number of great ideas; such as: how to sell more to the installed base, how to enter into new markets, how to create better and more competitive products. Or how to improve the bottom line by optimizing the organization, it's processes, its cost structure, etc. The 'Think Tank' completes the assignment by documenting the great new vision and mission, complements the exercise with a clear action plan and a to-do list for everyone. Ownerships and timelines are discussed and even an internal and external communication plan is not forgotten. 

Then everyone goes back to the 'farm', the great strategies and 
initiatives are shared, people are being encouraged, motivated, asked to participate and to support the initiatives, tasks are being 
delegated and off we go! 

Now let's fast-forward 12 months after the strategic offsite: most of 
the grandiose ideas have been long forgotten, or at least nobody ever brings it up again. Actually something did happen after the big launch: the initiatives disrupted the day-to-day operation, customer-sat went down, customers were concerned and confused about the new directions the company wanted to take, the competition cleverly played the FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) card, market share was lost and as a result sales decreased. 

A quick-fix plan was put in place to stop the downward spiral and 
customers were reassured that the company was still in the business of delivering what they were best known for. And some people were asked to find a different job because they missed the deadlines and deliverables. And that was the end of that ... 

Ever been there? Those of you who have been 'around the block' will probably answer "Yes, more than once!" 

So what do you think went wrong? 

Was the vision (i.e. the who the company wanted to be) wrong? No, in fact a new and emerging competitor has recently launched a similar initiative and seems to be doing really well ... 

Was the mission (i.e. how the company was going to get there) flawed? No, all the right ingredients for a successful rollout were there: action plans, ownerships, timelines, deliverables, etc. 

Did the market take a different turn? No, not really. The key players are still the key players and they still sell to the same market. 

So then, what DID go wrong? The key to the answer lies in one word: "Execution". The company was unable to execute the strategies it had developed. 

The word "execution" obviously has different meanings, but the one I am looking at is described in Webster as "the act or process of 
executing", whereby "executing" means "to carry out fully: to put 
completely into effect" 

The company was unable to carry it out, to completely put the 
strategies into effect. 

In order to understand the issues so that we can avoid walking into the same traps again and again, we should analyze where and how things go off track. 

There are a number of incorrect assumptions that management often makes when trying to execute a strategy. Let's look at these 
assumptions first and then in the next issue of GENOVAtions we will look at how things can be done differently. 

ASSUMPTION 1 - Strategy drives execution 

People are often under the assumption that the most important part of a strategy is to create one. We get excited about creating a strategy. It's the intellectual part, the part that challenges the mind, it creates and rejuvenates. While that is true, I believe this 
intellectual 'top down' approach has the risk of being detached from reality. 

The reality is that the broader audience (employees, customers, 
partners) have not been part of the thinking that went into the new 
strategy. Their belief and confidence in the company lies with the 
'old', not with the 'new'. And one of the hardest things for people 
is to change their belief system. Regardless of what they tell you, 
deep down inside they may not have bought in to it. They haven't 
internalized it; it's yet one more thing to do on top of their 
already busy jobs. 


ASSUMPTION 2 - The need to change automatically creates an execution environment 

It is often assumed that in order for a company to change its 
direction, Big and Bold steps have to be taken to make that happen and that execution will follow. It simply has to, so you give Big and Bold marching orders to the organization. For sure, in this day and age, change happens faster than ever before. Depending on the industry that you are in, success gets measured in quarters or even months, not in years. Success needs to be demonstrated rapidly and the ability to execute quickly has become a major weapon in the competitive world. 

Yet, in many companies 'execution' is often the stepchild. A 
stepchild who is given a pair of oversized shoes and is expected to run with it - faster than ever before. As a kid have you ever tried to 
run in a pair of over- sized shoes? Did you go faster or slower then 
normally? Maybe you tripped and fell: so much for getting to your 
goal! If only someone would have held you hand ... As we will see 
later on, 'hand holding' is a major responsibility of executives in 
an execution environment. 


ASSUMPTION 3 - Execution is 'just' tactical 

People often think of execution as the tactical, mundane side of the business. It should be dealt with at lower levels in the company, while management stays 'on the mountain top', looking for the next big strategic move. Execution is not 'sexy' - it's just tactical stuff you push down the line. We have all learned to delegate and tactical execution is just one of those things you should delegate. Or, best case, in order to execute the strategy, we introduce some kind of tool or introduce a new methodology and hope that it will do the trick. 

Ever wondered why so many new 'tools', training efforts or the 
introduction of a new methodology fail to deliver the desired 
results? While stand-alone they're great ideas, they are too detached from today's reality and people don't believe in them. This goes back to the 'belief system' I mentioned above. 


ASSUMPTION 4- Execution and Strategy are two different things and they need different people make it happen 

There is the school of thought that says that strategy can only be 
developed at the higher levels in the company. At the C-level, VP or Director level, maybe we add one or two smart managers to the mix, but that's pretty much the 'Strategy Team'. Now, these people are in these positions for a reason, right? They are usually bright, very experienced, no-nonsense thinkers, influential and have a 'can do' mentality. What else do you need? After all, people in the lower echelons do not have access to the insights that the combined 
brainpower of this Strategy Team has. Perhaps you don't expect them to, they 'just' need to execute. 

Well, if Execution is not made an integral part of Strategy, the 
strategy will fail and performance will suffer because of the energy 
and resources wasted trying to implement the strategy. Therefore 
strategy should be developed with input from not just the management team, but with representatives from all levels of the organization. I am often surprised at the 'high' insights that people at lower levels of the organization have about the markets, the customers, what makes sense and what doesn't and it is no surprise that 'strategies from the top' are sometimes met with skepticism and even rejection by people who are out there 'on the barricades'. 

Does that mean that top management cannot develop strategies without consulting each and every person in the organization? No, but keep in mind that there is often an abundance of talent and knowledge throughout the organization that can help you define and tune a successful strategy. And is there a better way to get 'strategy buy-in' by making those that have to execute it part of the strategy development process? Probably not. 

Arnold Adriaanse has more than 25 years of experience developing and managing global Sales, Marketing, Professional Services and Product teams for companies including Oracle Corporation, Aspect Communications, Novell, and eGain Communications. Throughout Mr. Adriaanse's career he has consistently improved revenues, netting improvements that range from 30 to 70%.

Arnold Adriaanse
Genova Management Consulting, LLC
PO Box 1229
Sonoita
AZ 85637
USA
(520) 455-5538

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