I conduct a simple exercise at the end of every year. I make a list to include:

1. What did I accomplish this past year that I am proud of personally and professionally?
2. What personal and professional shortfalls or disappointments did I have this past year?
3. What do I really want in the year ahead that I would be willing to commit to?

Of course I have my list of goals for this upcoming year. These goals include increasing my physical fitness, and on the business side, delivering more Leadership University courses for those corporations focusing on building management talent as a business growth tool.

For many of us, making the list of what we want in the new year is the easy part; it’s in the execution of the goals that challenges us. I have worked with hundreds of clients and thousands of individuals over the years on executing their goals. During these experiences I have discovered some of the more ineffective reactions and approaches to goal setting. They include:

1. “I don’t need to write it down, I know what I want and I have it in my head.”
2. “Every year I write my goals and don’t look at them. I just take them out at the end of the year to see what I accomplished.”
3. “I don’t have time to do this exercise; I’m pretty good at getting things done.”

Larry Bossidy, former chairman and CEO of Honeywell International, says, “Many people regard execution as detail work that’s beneath their dignity as a business leader. That’s wrong…it’s a leader’s most important job.”

Writing down your goals, and then developing a detail plan to execute it, will greatly increase the probability of accomplishment. Without an execution plan, goals often turn out to be big promises that fall short. Execution is a discipline and a system that must permeate your being and your organizational culture in order to close the gap between what you want and what you deliver.

The heart of execution lies in three core processes:

1. People
2. Strategy
3. Operations

To develop an execution plan for yourself or your employees, consider the following questions to get you started.

• What is the end result you want? Be specific. Example: I want to deliver a minimum of 100 Leadership University training courses within the next 12 months.
• What are the steps or pieces that must take place in order to accomplish this goal? Example: I need to talk to past and current clients to ascertain their leadership development and training needs for this year. I need to talk to the top ten companies to whom I have been introducing the Leadership University curriculum and determine their needs and interest. I need to circle back with Nick, Ginny, Steve, Amy, Bob, and Donna to move our conversation forward about bringing the curriculum to their clients.
• What resources do you need? Example: In order to deliver these 100 leadership courses over the next year, I will need to schedule instructors and determine the time it will require of my admin staff. I need to carve out time each week on my calendar to make these calls and conduct meetings.
• What tracking, measurements and follow through are necessary? Example: I need to set up a system with my coach to hold me accountable for activities and results on a weekly basis.

Many people don’t understand the “discipline” of execution. It’s not simply a matter of trying harder or paying more attention to the details. It’s involves a strategic plan and emotional fortitude to accept and deal with your own weaknesses and vulnerabilities and to be firm with people who aren’t performing.

Recommended reading: Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done (2002) by Larriy Bossidy and Ram Charan, Crown Business, New York, NY.

Recommended corporate leadership training: Managing Execution: A one day training course by Vision Quest Consulting. Call or email us for more information. 978-692-4454, wcapland@visionquestconsulting.com

Recommended individual coaching for leaders on creating an execution culture for yourself or in your organization. Call or email us for more information. 978-692-4454, wcapland@visionquestconsulting.com

Leadership Coaching Newsletter is written and produced by Wendy Capland. If you have any questions or comments, please send them to: wcapland@visionquestconsulting.com. We'd love to hear from you.

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