Execution: The Missing Link to Success

“When it all comes down to it, nothing trumps execution.” — Gary Vaynerchuk

Based on my life experiences and observations, I think business executive Richard Kovacevich was on the mark when he stated, “A vision and strategy aren’t enough. The long-term key to success is execution. Each day. Every day.”

What is execution? Businessman Lawrence Bossidy co-wrote a top-selling book on execution called “Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done.” He defined execution as “the ability to mesh strategy with reality, align people with goals, and achieve the desired results.”

The ability to execute — to implement and carry out our plans — is the key ingredient in our recipe for success. The ability to execute well provides a competitive advantage and helps us stand out. Author Sue Grafton explained, “Ideas are easy. It’s the execution of ideas that really separates the sheep from the goats.”

Keys to Executing Well

Want to improve your ability to execute well and rise above the crowd? Let’s explore 10 keys to help us further improve our execution.

1. Provide strong, positive leadership. Leadership expert John Maxwell emphasizes, “everything rises and falls on leadership,” meaning that the success of any organization or team is dependent upon the quality of leadership. Good leaders explain the mission of their team well — which explains why the team exists. The best leaders also participatively create a strong vision of where the team is headed, a picture of a desired better future. And they develop an action plan (strategies) of how to reach and achieve the desired vision.
2. Emphasize the value of a “follow-through” culture. Having an action plan and strategies to reach our goals and fulfill our vision is essential. But more is needed. We need to develop a culture of “follow-through,” where team members are focused on executing on the plans. We should take to heart what inventor Thomas Edison said: “Vision without execution is hallucination.” We need to help our teams understand the importance of executing all tasks in a timely manner in order to meet our goals and make our vision become a reality.
3. Build team camaraderie and unity. Intentionally working to develop a team mindset of “one for all and all for one” will obviously help execution. In addition to applying the ideas covered in this article, having regular team-building activities and regular team recognition and rewards will help build camaraderie. Research has shown that teams that build a strong sense of camaraderie have greater unity and significantly outperform teams that lack it. So, let’s regularly have fun times with our teams and regularly express our appreciation for their efforts and results.
4. Involve your team members. Staff participation leads to greater buy-in and better-quality results compared to when leaders try to figure out everything on their own. Asking our front-line team members about the best ways to do the work will lead to greater buy-in and better work processes. Execution will improve as a result.
5. Set clear goals and priorities. The most successful leaders excel at clarifying expectations. We should ensure that the goals and priorities are well-understood and continually reinforce them. One of the essential priorities to emphasize is our commitment to execute our work well to fulfill our strategies and thus reach our goals. By doing so, we will benefit our key stakeholders and help the team earn the recognition they deserve.
6. Measure and celebrate progress. One key principle I have learned is “success breeds success.” We need to have targeted performance measures to ensure everybody is working together for the same results. We then need to hold ourselves accountable by measuring actual results against the targets. When the team is meeting or exceeding targets, we should recognize, reward, and celebrate that progress.
7. Reward desired behaviors. We should recognize and reward our teams when they are achieving performance measures and meeting milestones and goals. At the same time, we need to reward individuals when they exhibit the behaviors we seek. Behaviors like going the extra mile, being team players, having positive attitudes, and being accountable. Psychologists have demonstrated that rewarded behaviors tend to be repeated, as well as mimicked by others.
8. Plan for the unexpected. As we all know, stuff happens. Sometimes we have unexpected problems with materials, equipment, vendors, employees, and even the weather. Having contingency plans in place before problems occur is crucial in helping us meet our goals and obligations. Having contingency plans also increases the team’s confidence and reduces stress levels when inevitable problems do occur.
9. Communicate, communicate, communicate. We need to give feedback often so people know how they are doing — both when they are meeting expectations and when they are not. We also need to communicate well about everything relevant to the team and avoid people filling in communication gaps with the rumor mill. As we know, the rumor mill (aka the grapevine) tends to be negative and can really dampen morale fast.
10. Just do it! I love this motto from Nike. Talk by itself can be cheap; we need to be people of action and help our teams to be action-oriented. Following is a simplified three-step process to getting the results we desire:
    • Build the strategy.
    • Translate the strategy into everyday work.
    • Execute the strategy.

Here is a bonus principle: Keep it simple. I like this wisdom from author Tony Robbins: “Complexity is the enemy of execution.” So, the simpler we can make our processes, the easier they will be to execute.

Let me share a closing thought from Steve Jobs: “To me, ideas are worth nothing unless executed. They are just a multiplier. Execution is worth millions.” I wish you success in executing well and experiencing even greater success for you and your team.