It
All Comes Down To Execution!
by
Gary Ryan Blair
A
flawed premise
of success is that the
goal is the
most important ingredient
in the stew of success, and
that you win
or lose based on the merits
or worthiness
of the goal.
How
wrong and casualty creating
that premise
is. The best plan and
goal in the world
can't survive poor execution.
Goals
never
fail, only
implementation
does! Unless
you execute properly
and remain focused
until completion,
the goal, and that
means any goal is
irrelevant.
My
observation over
time is that success
is 10% vision, or
what some might call
goal clarity,
and
90% execution.
By
analogy, Tiger Woods
had visions of winning
major golf tournaments
and Serena Williams
also had grand visions
of winning major
tennis tournaments when
they were both
very young.
Is
the vision
of the
goal
what made
them great
performers, or
was
it their
ability to execute?
How many
other aspiring
athletes
had great
visions,
but did not
succeed?
Consider
the following questions
as it relates to yourself:
- Have
you
ever
missed
a golden
opportunity
because
an
idea
never
get
off
the
ground?
- Have
you
ever
been
frustrated
by your
inability
to
follow
through
and
execute
plans,
even
after
committing
to
do so?
- Would
it
be
worth
a
focused
effort
to
permanently
fix
the
underlying
causes
of
inaction?
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I�d
like to offer some
thoughts on why execution
is the
key to greatness,
and comment on what
good execution is,
and how anyone can
execute well and
get good at it.
Why
is execution the key?
The
difference between
those
with goals and
plans that don't succeed,
and those that do is
simple. Those
that succeed
are able to execute
well
and
follow through until
completion.
What
is good execution? It�s
all about making
good decisions and
making things happen.
It�s
about reacting well
to unpleasant and
unexpected events.
It�s
about building capabilities
into your life and
business; the capability
to be efficient and
effective at those
things that
are critical to your
success. It�s about
FedEx making sure
that the package really
does arrive the next
day.
How does one
execute
well and get good at
it?
- You
need
to
focus
time
and
resources
on
the �core
activities� necessary
for
achievement.
There
are
always
more
things
to
do
than
there
are
time
and
resources
available
to
do
them.
Go
for
the �high
impact� activities.
- You
must
hold
yourself
accountable
to deadlines
and
adjust
tasks
accordingly.
Slipping
deadlines
are
a
symptom
of poor
execution
and
a lack
of
discipline.
Set
realistic
deadlines
and
then
monitor
progress
and
make
timely
decisions
to ensure
they
are
met.
- You
need
to surround
yourself
with
people,
experience,
and
expertise.
Well
trained
experienced
people
know
how
to
get
the
job
done
effectively.
Inexperienced
or non-trained
people
will
simply
not
be as
effective.
With
training
they
can
be developed
over
time.
People
who
experiment
and
learn
become
experienced
executors.
- You
must
realize
that
Everything
Counts!
and
consciously
pay
attention
to the
small
details
of
the
core
activities.
It was
a
simple
and
relatively
inexpensive
O-ring
design
flaw
that
destroyed
the
space
shuttle.
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The
small details are
what make the difference
between a mediocre
product and an outstanding
product, a marginal
customer experience
and a great customer
experience.
This
may seem to be in
conflict with the
point about meeting
deadlines. However,
it is precisely being
aware of the
details
that makes it easier
to meet deadlines.
Lack of attention
to detail can cause
the unexpected to �bite
you on the back side� and
slip the schedule.
Six
questions to consider
as you
plan for 2004:
Who
is responsible for the
achievement
of
this goal?
What
are the consequences
of inaction?
What
can and must
be done
to ensure that the goal
is
accomplished?
What
deadlines should be
put
in place to create
a sense
of urgency?
What steps can you
take
to maintain enthusiasm
and momentum?
Can a support team
be
an asset to me as it
pertains to
this
goal?
Success is a journey.
An octopus like maze
of
obstacles, options and
opportunities
along
with failure, ambiguity
and do overs. The
success you enjoy depends
upon
many things, but mostly
it
depends on you and your
ability
to execute until the
goal is achieved.
Remember,
it's not where you
start that matters,
it's all about where
you finish.
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