Strategy execution quotes

2. "A hippo in a tutu is still fat and slow." Lesson: No matter how elaborate a strategy (or tutu) is, it won’t help the organization seize market opportunities any faster. People must be mobilized to align with the strategy. www.forum.com QuotableQuotes11.PPT 2

3. "It’s not about a fast rollout." Lesson: People need time, discussion, and involvement if they are to understand and buy in to the strategy. They need to work through questions like: – What is the business context? – What are the specific "baby steps" I can take to execute the strategy? – What decisions can I make? What are the guidelines are for making them? – Who can I trust to support me in executing on my decisions? Rushing through the rollout will rob people of the opportunity to work through these questions. www.forum.com QuotableQuotes11.PPT 3

4. "Q x A = E" Lesson: This is a catchy way to say that it’s not about a fast rollout. The strategy needs to be of excellent quality (Q). But it also needs to be accepted (A). Quality x Acceptance = Effectiveness. Anything multiplied by zero equals zero. So, leaders in faster companies focus a majority of their effort on affirming their strategies and getting them accepted. www.forum.com QuotableQuotes11.PPT 4

5. "It’s all about being stupid. The more stupid you are, the faster you learn." Lesson: Business leaders can’t see into the ambiguous future, so they approach execution with an emphasis on learning. The greater the learning, the faster individuals, teams, and initiatives are able to deliver and sustain value. At the organizational level, this speed translates to 52% higher revenue and 40% higher operating profit. www.forum.com QuotableQuotes11.PPT 5

6. More quotes on the action/reflection approach to learning and strategy execution "If you aren’t always "I’m not hiring you for learning, changing, what you know, but for and evolving, what you can learn." you lose your edge." "The organization "It’s ‘move then is a petri dish." evaluate,’ constantly." www.forum.com QuotableQuotes11.PPT 6

7. "It’s bull$#!+." Lesson: A company president said this when we asked his thoughts on the notion that "speed is learning, learning is speed." When asked him to clarify, the president said speed and learning are natural opposites, and very few companies can bring them together. We then asked if those few companies are high performers. The answer: Yes. www.forum.com QuotableQuotes11.PPT 7

8. "We could quickly change the lights, rearrange the table … but we could not change the building." Lesson: After organizations merge, people often perceive that they had moved faster and made decisions faster when the organizations were separate units. Are they right? It depends on what is measured. Sure, the people probably made faster decisions. But could they make real shifts in their marketplace? No. The size and scope of the aligned and unified company can provide infrastructure, capital, and brand awareness that accelerates market- share gain. www.forum.com QuotableQuotes11.PPT 8

9. "I watched a dance show with my young daughter. She said one team was not going to win. When I asked why not, she said, ‘Because they don’t feel it.’ "It’s the same with execution. Most people will tell you it’s balanced scorecard, lean management, performance management. It’s get-stuff-done. Companies are doing that and failing. "Execution is so much more than just process. It is insight. It is passion." Lesson: Pace and process are just two elements of strategy execution. The most important element—the insight or passion—is people. www.forum.com QuotableQuotes11.PPT 9

10. "At least 40% of your measures must be leading indicators, or you will lose speed to change." Lesson: Excessive focus on downstream measures (e.g., revenue and net income per employee) can take your eye off the ball. Leading indicators, such as rational and emotional engagement, give leaders a glimpse into the future. If these indicators are high, it’s a good bet that people will overcome obstacles to deliver results and sustain value. www.forum.com QuotableQuotes11.PPT 10

11. "I don’t know how to make a tidal shift without constant communication built on frankness, transparency, and humbleness … … because, if you’re like that often enough, you earn huge forgiveness from your staff and your customers when you misstep." Lesson: To generate the trust required to enable people to try new things and to change, leaders must demonstrate a humble transparency. www.forum.com QuotableQuotes11.PPT 11

12. "Before, we made decisions like the U.N. Security Council." Lessons: Consensus is not a very fast way to make decisions. Faster companies often reduce the number of people involved in strategic decisions, and make quick decisions but socialize them. Willingness to say no is also critical to speed. It’s pretty easy to figure out what to say yes to, but far more difficult to figure out what to say no to. A "decisions/issues/risks" database can capture decisions that are made, so they need not be revisited. www.forum.com QuotableQuotes11.PPT 12

13. "Identify those who can be salvaged and those "Execute or be who may poison the well." executed." Lesson: These quotes, from different senior leaders at two very different companies, illustrate a similar finding: faster companies did not hesitate to fire employees who refused to change or who were subtly sabotaging change efforts. This practice is non-negotiable. www.forum.com QuotableQuotes11.PPT 13

14. "When you’re looking forward, the bumps in the road look far more daunting than the bumps in your rearview mirror really felt." Lesson: There are lots of reasons to move slowly and cautiously. But once you move past those reasons, the repercussions of your actions tend to be smaller and more time limited than you may have feared. Go Big. Blow away the narrow boxes of expectations of yourself and your company. www.forum.com QuotableQuotes11.PPT 14

15. "If at first you don’t succeed, screw it…" “…try something else— but always with the end firmly and distinctly in view." Lesson: Agility involves trying different methods of reaching the same goal —not changing your goal to match your methods. www.forum.com QuotableQuotes11.PPT 15

16. "Complexity can feel like walking through beautiful country with a backpack full of rocks." "We have to lower the water to see the rocks." Lesson: Business complexity is frustrating, and it slows things down. These two quotes—from different leaders at different companies—show that faster companies work on identifying and eliminating unnecessary work or processes ("rocks") that prevent execution of priorities. www.forum.com QuotableQuotes11.PPT 16

17. "Don’t romance a theory." Lesson: Do not become distracted by the topic du jour. Find new ways to achieve existing goals, rather than seeking new goals altogether. www.forum.com QuotableQuotes11.PPT 17

18. “The ‘Have everything link back to core strategies’ thing looks good on paper.” Lesson: The problem, sometimes, is that initiative objectives are stated at such high a level that it’s difficult to identify projects that don’t align, thereby making it difficult to determine what to say ‘no’ to. www.forum.com QuotableQuotes11.PPT 18

19. "It’s not okay to have history be the reason why things happen." Lesson: "Because we’ve always done it that way" is not an acceptable reason for doing it in that way. Question existing business processes and models. www.forum.com QuotableQuotes11.PPT 19

20. "We continue to learn how complex the English language is!" Lesson: There are an infinite number of ways in which communication can break down and ultimately defeat a strategy. Leaders simplify their language, ask questions, and constantly check assumptions and understanding. A well-thought-through communication plan is key. www.forum.com QuotableQuotes11.PPT 20