Q & A With the Business Team

Our Business Consulting advisors answer a recent question one of them received, below:

Question: The company I lead has a hard time following through. How can we improve in this area?

Answer: This is a common occurrence in many organizations we’ve worked with. We have seen that when leaders adopt the following practices, plans are more likely to be implemented:

1. Be engaged.

Take notes at meetings. This allows you to recall what was said and follow up on action items.

2. Communicate regularly.

Establish regular communication rhythms. Doing so monthly on strategic items keeps collective plans on track and helps address obstacles as they arise.

3. Foster peer accountability.

When follow through is expected of all participants, and monitored by leaders, plans are more likely to happen. Effective teams believe the best about each other, want the best for each other, and expect the best from each other.

Together, these practices illustrate a commitment to excellent execution. A team can make decisions and set priorities, but if leaders are not committed to following through, then the strategic planning process was time wasted. We like to say that it is better to have an average plan that is executed excellently than an extraordinary plan that is executed poorly. We encourage our clients to intentionally establish practices and structures that support exceptional plan execution.

Have a question for the team? Submit it here.