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.
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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?
Friday, August 04, 2006
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
New PMI Standards
The Project Management Institute has released two new standards. They are:
The Standard for Program Management
The Standard for Portfolio Management
As stated in the Standard for Program Management, "The Standard for Program Management aims to provide a detailed understanding of program management and promote efficient and effective communication and coordination among various groups. With its ability to help assess the variety of factors linking projects under one program and provide the best allotment of resources between those projects, this standard is an invaluable tool for program and project managers alike."
In the introduction the Program Management Standard states: "The Standard for Program Management provides guidelines for managing programs within and organization. It defines program management and related concepts, describes the program management life cycle and outlines related processes. This standard is an expansion of information provided in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge."
It appears on first glance that both Standards will be an excellent resource for all project managers. You can purchase them both at the PMI website
Your comments are always welcome
The Standard for Program Management
The Standard for Portfolio Management
As stated in the Standard for Program Management, "The Standard for Program Management aims to provide a detailed understanding of program management and promote efficient and effective communication and coordination among various groups. With its ability to help assess the variety of factors linking projects under one program and provide the best allotment of resources between those projects, this standard is an invaluable tool for program and project managers alike."
In the introduction the Program Management Standard states: "The Standard for Program Management provides guidelines for managing programs within and organization. It defines program management and related concepts, describes the program management life cycle and outlines related processes. This standard is an expansion of information provided in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge."
It appears on first glance that both Standards will be an excellent resource for all project managers. You can purchase them both at the PMI website
Your comments are always welcome
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Vacation is Over, but what a Ride!
Some photos from my vacation are included below. I rode the Harley to Cartersville, GA, Fontana Dam, NC, up and around the Blue Ridge Parkway, on to Asheville, NC, then back home. The weather was great, the scenery incredible, and the break from work much needed. Hopefully the photos will tell part of the story.
Mountain View
Flowers in the Mountains
Devils Courthouse - Blue Ridge Parkway
Another View
Motorcycle Project Dude
Mountain View
Flowers in the Mountains
Devils Courthouse - Blue Ridge Parkway
Another View
Motorcycle Project Dude
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Vacations are Projects Too!
Well I'm off for vacation on Saturday. I'm riding my Harley-Davidson to Atlanta and staying for a couple of days with a friend, then moving on to the Road King Riders Rendevouz in Fontana, NC. After a couple of days of riding in the Smokey Mountains I will ride to Asheville, NC for my sister-in-laws wedding.
In order to make sure the trip is as uneventful as possible, I have created a checklist of things to do and take, as well as pre-planning my route. Additionally, as part of the pre-trip process I have completed a maintenance and safety check on the motorcycle, and ensured I have my insurance, registration, and other paperwork required for the trip.
While taking the time to plan the trip won't guarentee success, it should reduce the chances of problems while on the road.
What out for Motorcyles, they are Everywhere!
Monday, June 05, 2006
Quotes from Tom Peters
As many of you know I'm a big fan of Tom Peters. I own a couple of his books, and I like to review materials on his website from time to time. Below you will find several quotes and bits of wisdom that I have gleamed from Tom's writings. Hopefully you will enjoy them as much as I have.
In any public-sector business, you must become an avid student of "the politics," the incentives and constraints, mostly non-economic, facing all of the players. Politicians are usually incredibly logical if you (deeply!) understand the matrix in which they exist.
Risk Assessment & Risk Management is more about stories than advanced math i.e., brilliant scenario construction.
Don't waste your time on jerks, it'll rarely work out in the mid- to long-term.
Under promise (i.e., don't over-promise; i.e., cut yourself a little slack) even if it costs you business; winning is a long-term affair. Over-promising is Sign #1 of a lack of integrity. You will pay the piper.
There is such a thing as a "good loss", if you have tested something new and developed good relationships. A half-dozen honorable, ingenious losses over a two-year period can pave the way for a Big Victory in a New Space in year 3.
Keep it simple! (Damn it!) No matter how "sophisticated" the product. If you can't explain it in a phrase, a page, or to your 14-year-old ... you haven't got it right yet.
Don't hold grudges. (It is the ultimate in small mindedness, and incredibly wasteful and ineffective. There is always tomorrow.)
Little People often have Big Friends!
Work hard beats work smart. (Mostly)
Phones beat email.
Obsess on ROIR (Return On Investment In Relationships).
Scoring off other people is stupid. Winners are always in the business of creating the maximum # of winners among adversaries at least as much as among partners.
Your colleagues' successes are your successes. Period.
Lend a helping hand, especially when you don't have the time.
Don't get too hung up on "systems integration", first & foremost, the individual bits have got to work.
For Gods sake don't over promise on systems integration it's nigh on impossible to deliver.
It's Relationships, Stupid; Deep and from multiple functions.
Don't over-schedule. Running late is inexcusable at any level of seniority; it is the ultimate mark of self-importance mixed with contempt.
"Preparing the soil" is the first 98 percent. (Or more.)
Be kind. It works.
Opportunism (with a little forethought) mostly wins.
"Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre successes."
Integrity. Credibility. Humanity. Grace.
Strategic planning is the last refuge of scoundrels
Focus groups are counter-productive
All information making it to the top is filtered to the point of danger and hilarity
"Success stories are the illusions of egomaniacs (and "gurus")
If you believe the "cause & effect" memoirs of CEOs, you should be institutionalized
"Top teams" are "Dittoheads"
"Expert" prediction is rarely better than rolling the dice
Statistically, CEOs have little effect on performance
Success kills
In any public-sector business, you must become an avid student of "the politics," the incentives and constraints, mostly non-economic, facing all of the players. Politicians are usually incredibly logical if you (deeply!) understand the matrix in which they exist.
Risk Assessment & Risk Management is more about stories than advanced math i.e., brilliant scenario construction.
Don't waste your time on jerks, it'll rarely work out in the mid- to long-term.
Under promise (i.e., don't over-promise; i.e., cut yourself a little slack) even if it costs you business; winning is a long-term affair. Over-promising is Sign #1 of a lack of integrity. You will pay the piper.
There is such a thing as a "good loss", if you have tested something new and developed good relationships. A half-dozen honorable, ingenious losses over a two-year period can pave the way for a Big Victory in a New Space in year 3.
Keep it simple! (Damn it!) No matter how "sophisticated" the product. If you can't explain it in a phrase, a page, or to your 14-year-old ... you haven't got it right yet.
Don't hold grudges. (It is the ultimate in small mindedness, and incredibly wasteful and ineffective. There is always tomorrow.)
Little People often have Big Friends!
Work hard beats work smart. (Mostly)
Phones beat email.
Obsess on ROIR (Return On Investment In Relationships).
Scoring off other people is stupid. Winners are always in the business of creating the maximum # of winners among adversaries at least as much as among partners.
Your colleagues' successes are your successes. Period.
Lend a helping hand, especially when you don't have the time.
Don't get too hung up on "systems integration", first & foremost, the individual bits have got to work.
For Gods sake don't over promise on systems integration it's nigh on impossible to deliver.
It's Relationships, Stupid; Deep and from multiple functions.
Don't over-schedule. Running late is inexcusable at any level of seniority; it is the ultimate mark of self-importance mixed with contempt.
"Preparing the soil" is the first 98 percent. (Or more.)
Be kind. It works.
Opportunism (with a little forethought) mostly wins.
"Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre successes."
Integrity. Credibility. Humanity. Grace.
Strategic planning is the last refuge of scoundrels
Focus groups are counter-productive
All information making it to the top is filtered to the point of danger and hilarity
"Success stories are the illusions of egomaniacs (and "gurus")
If you believe the "cause & effect" memoirs of CEOs, you should be institutionalized
"Top teams" are "Dittoheads"
"Expert" prediction is rarely better than rolling the dice
Statistically, CEOs have little effect on performance
Success kills