Execution Book Study - Session 4

In this session we discussed chapters 6 and 7 of Execution by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan.

Chapter 6 focused on the People Process

This chapter delivered not only an excellent reminder of the importance of getting the right people into the right places, but offered some interesting tools to assist in the process.  The Leadership Assessment Summary and the Continuous Improvement Summary were both noted by those participating as providing a practical way to assess current employees for fit and for potential development.  The importance of leadership grooming was hit upon several times.  This is an area where we can all do a better job in preparing leaders to move up as the opportunity presents itself. 

The linkage of the people process with strategic planning was also discussed.  The relevance here is to take time to look ahead at where you plan to be in your leadership and then to make sure you have the right number and type of people to MAKE SURE you hit your goals.  Probably too many fail at this point because they are not proactive but reactive.

Dealing with succession training and non-performers was also discussed as part of this chapter.  In both cases it comes back to the leader's willingness to deal with the present in a way that prepares for the future.  Lack of leadership defaults on the immediate and is ill prepared for the future, blaming a lot of different excuses without owning the truth.

QUESTION:  What process/plans do you have to make sure you are getting the right people into the right positions?

Chapter 7 The strategy process.

This chapter does a good job as a short summary to strategic planning.  Do you have a strategic plan for your campus/business?  Do you have the right people to achieve your strategic plan?

The authors state that a contemporary strategic plan is in actuality an action plan with identified building blocks which lead to the ultimate goal.  Those building blocks should be a half-dozen or fewer with clear actions that define what needs to be done and by whom and on what deadline.  Once this is clearly defined and the group has committed to the plan, then it is a simple matter of following-up and following through to completion.

QUESTION: Share your strategic plan for your campus.