Search This Blog

Friday, August 04, 2006

4 Disciplines of Execution - Part 3

This week's entry is a continuation of my previous posting regarding what Dr. Stephen Covey calls the "4 Disciplines of Execution". This text is taken directly from FranklinCovey's "The 4 Disciplines of Execution Quick Reference".

"To achieve goals you've never achieved before, you need to start doing things you've never done before"

Discipline 3 - Translate Lofty Goals into Specific Actions

It's one thing to come up with a new goal or strategy. It's quite another to actually put that goal into action, to break it down into new behaviors and activities at the front line.

Key Things to Remember

* Think new and better. Often, we expect different outcomes while continuing to do the same things. New results often require a creative new behavior. Identify new or better behaviors by replicating pockets of excellence (what's being done superbly well already) or by creating them from imagination.

* Plan weekly. Break down your team's top goals into weekly bite-size chunks. As you plan your week ask yourself, "What are three most important objectives I must accomplish this week to move the team's goals forward?"

* Plug into your planning system. Schedule into your planning system the vital few things you must accomplish each week.

Knowing and doing are two different things.

______________________________________________________
Makes sense to me. I have always like the old project management saying, "What is not is writing has not been said". Maybe we should change that to, "What is not in writing doesn't get done".

Any comments?

Thursday, July 27, 2006

4 Disciplines of Execution - continued

This week's entry is a continuation of my previous posting regarding what Dr. Stephen Covey calls the "4 Disciplines of Execution". This text is taken directly from FranklinCovey's "The 4 Disciplines of Execution Quick Reference".

Discipline 2 - Create a Compelling Scorecard

Measures and a scoreboard ensure that people have the same understanding of goals. Turn your measures into a compelling scoreboard that is accessible, visual, engaging, doable, and concise.

Key Things to Remember

Types of Measures

* Lagging - provide an historical look at past performance

* Leading - provide measures that are predictive of future results.

* Real-time - show where things are right now. They allow corrective action to be taken immediately to affect the outcome.

Measurement Credibility Checklist

* Accurately tracks progress toward the goal

* Inputs cannot be easily manipulated

* Can be influenced by the team

* Drives the right behaviors

* Tracks outcomes as well as activities

* Is truly achievable

* Has no unintended consequences

* Value of measuring exceeds cost of measuring

For more information on the "4 Disciplines of Execution", click here.

Thursday, July 06, 2006

The 4 Disciplines of Execution

Dr. Stephen Covey is one of my favorite authors. His books, writing, lectures, and course offerings are well worth reviewing. As I was looking through my bookshelf I came across a CD and short brochure around what Dr. Covey calls the 4 Disciplines of Execution.

Over the next few weeks I will go through each Discipline. Today, I will talk about Discipline 1.

As taken from the "4 Disciplines of Execution" brochure:

Discipline 1 - Focus on the Wildly Important

To achieve results with excellence, you must focus on a few wildly important goals and set aside the merely important. Choose to do a few things with excellence rather than many things with mediocrity.

Key Things to Remember

Too many goals, conflicting or not, lead to confusion, burnout, decline in quality, and loss of focus".

Align your goals with those of your organization as well as the key teams you work with".

Use the Importance Screen (reference to CD) to help identify your wildly important goals

Click here to view Importance Screen

Create Sell-Crafted Goals

* Specific and clear

* Explicitly linked to corporate strategy

* Plain language

* Bite-size chunks

* measurable

* Deadline-driven

For more information click here to go to Franklin Covey's website.