Execution - Book Study, session 3

In this session we discussed chapters 4 and 5 of Execution by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan. 

Chapter 4 dealt with creating the framework for cultural change.  Honestly this particular topic was a little hard to get a firm grip on.  Susan Winton made a connection with Culture Club at NAU which helped for those participating in the discussion.  Essentially the role of Culture Club at the local campus, as she described it, lends itself to building a sense of community around a shared set of values.  In correlation with this book, one of those values would be a focus on execution.  According to the authors, "cultural change gets real when your aim is execution." (p. 86)  They identify three behaviors which produce results in this area: 

1. Tell people clearly what results you're looking for
2. Discuss how to get those results (coaching)
3. Reward people for producing results

Each of these form a part of the culture of execution.  Clear identification of results seems self-explanatory but as some of those present shared, this is not always the case.  Leaders have to be able to discipline and distill their thought processes to make sure they are clearly communicating the results they are looking for - and then be willing to give and take in a conversation to make sure they are clear and what behaviors/actions will produce those results.  This is where the conversation focused on the topic of "robust dialogue."  Robust dialogue is the kind of open discussion where individuals can clearly express themselves and probe for greater understanding as well as offering new or different ideas without threat.  Mark Winkleman suggested using a format found in The Six Thinking Hats to foster this kind of discussion.   For anyone not familiar with this material - this would be an excellent training piece to use with your team, especially if you are having trouble with getting robust dialogue.

Finally, the focus on rewarding people as part of this culture was discussed.  As we all know there are many ways to reward people that have nothing to do with monetary compensation.   Gordon Brooks mentioned The Five Love Languages which basically says that everyone has a preferred way of being appreciated and of expressing appreciation.  Learning that information about those who work for us makes us better at offering the kind of appreciation which will be most effective at communicating the feeling.

 QUESTION:  As you have read the chapter, identify a "social operating mechanism" for your team and how you use that (or could use it) to promote a culture of execution.

Chapter 5 had to do with the job no leader should delegate:  having the right people in the right place.  I loved the list of "Why the right people aren't in the right jobs." 

1. Lack of Knowledge - do you know the nonnegotiable criteria you must be able to do in order to succeed at your job?
2. Lack of Courage (on the part of the supervisor) who doesn't have the emotional fortitude to confront poor performance and take decisive action.
3. Psychological Comfort Factor (on the part of the supervisor) because the supervisor has promoted and is comfortable with the employee, regardless of performance.
4. Lack of Personal Commitment (on the part of the supervisor) who is not invested in the organization enough to even care about performance issues.

The authors go on to discuss that hiring the right kind of individual who will contribute to a culture of execution means finding people who have a focus on performance.  They discuss various interview techniques and things to look for in hiring this type of individual.  This section finished up with performance appraisals and how to have the kind of conversations which contribute to a culture of execution.

QUESTION: Describe a time from your life experience which fits one or more of the list above about why people aren't in the right jobs; this can be either about yourself, a co-worker, or about how a supervisor behaved.  After describing the situation, comment on your perception of the leader and the organization and how it affected your own, or others' performance.