Execution plain and simple: you can make great execution a habit.

Publication: Canadian Manager

Publication Date: 22-SEP-04

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COPYRIGHT 2004 Canadian Institute of Management

When managers raise their hands to vote on how much productivity loss they see in their organizations due to faulty execution, the results are truly mind-boggling. In one recent event 55% of 300 diverse participants estimated over 60% loss.

If you think this is exceptionally high, think again. Such estimates are commonplace. More and more managers are recognizing that investments in technology, quality management, process streamlining, training and development and other organizational improvement efforts powerful as they may be--still leave a lot on the table. The fundamental capability of managers to execute successfully--achieve goals on time and on budget consistently--falls far short.

You shouldn't take our word for it. Make an estimate for your own organization. Each organization has different levels of execution capability and different levels of readiness to do some thing about it. Your own estimate is the only one that is relevant for you. In a meeting with your people, list the kinds of execution shortfalls, management and cultural barriers you encounter in your work. Then list examples of extraordinary execution your outfit has produced--recovery from a crisis, or getting a new product out to a vital customer well ahead of schedule, or making that extraordinary delivery against tough obstacles. These experiences tell you what you can accomplish when you must. Finally, ask your people (anonymously) to compare day to day performance with the extraordinary performance and estimate the discrepancy. Count the votes and you'll have an estimate for your own outfit.

No, it is not unfair to compare your day to day to your best performance. Highly competitive markets demand nothing less than best levels of performance consistently. Setting very high standards is a key to getting to better performance. For some companies, exceptional performance is necessary just for survival.

The good news is...

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