Accelerating Execution: Three Critical Factors

Do you need to slow down to go faster?

In today’s world, it’s all about speed. Faster companies have an average of 40 percent higher sales growth and 52 percent higher operating profit than slower companies, according to the new book, “Strategic Speed: Mobilize People, Accelerate Execution” by three Forum Corp. consultants.

On average, the book notes, organizations abandon 50 percent to 70 percent of strategies because they fail to take hold in the organization or fail to achieve the desired results in the time expected. In other words, only 30 percent of strategic initiatives fully succeed, on time.

The book points out a surprising fact: You achieve strategic speed by focusing on people, but many leaders mistakenly pursue speed mainly by manipulating processes, systems, and technologies in a bid to become more efficient.

“Many leaders assume there’s a trade-off between speed and engagement, speed and learning, speed and alignment: When you want to go fast, there just isn’t time for all that ‘people stuff,'” the book says.

“But the data suggest that leaders actually can increase speed of execution by adopting some practices that don’t appear, on their face, to focus on speed–practices that, instead, focus on people.”

Here’s an excerpt from the book that explains more:

The three most important people factors are clarity, unity, and agility:

1. Clarity is a shared, clear understanding of the situation and the direction in which you’re headed.
2. Unity is whole-hearted agreement on the merits of that direction and on the need to work together to move ahead.
3. Agility is a willingness to turn and adapt quickly while keeping strategic goals in mind.

So, one way to grasp the essence of these three people factors is to think of them as sight, strength, and flexibility.

It’s common for organizations to emphasize just one or two of the people factors and, as a result, to encounter some typical speed bumps.

So if you think you don’t have the time for hand-holding and motivation, then think again. Slowing down to work one-on-one may actually speed up your strategic initiatives.

Posted on August 11, 2010