Winning the gold medal for strategy execution

Transcription

1 Winning the gold medal for strategy execution If they were giving out gold medals at the Olympics for execution, would your organisation be a contender? How can you achieve gold medal execution in your organisation? This is part two in a series of articles on strategy execution. Previously, I compared three execution environments. Amateur execution is the lowest level where even the basics are not in place. Professional execution is set up for reasonable execution productivity, but is not the best it can be. Perhaps you re operating at professional level, and wondering how you can accelerate your projects further to achieve the gold medal level. At professional level, you ve implemented solid project management disciplines, a change management framework and have a strong commercial focus within your project team. Your question now is how to accelerate your execution and amplify your program outcomes. We can learn how to prepare for gold medal execution by considering lessons from Olympic athletes. Achieving gold medal execution Athletes who have gone professional are already training hard and achieving results. To compete in the Olympics and win gold, athletes need a much higher level of effort and Lisa Carlin 2013 lisa.carlin@futurebuildersgroup.com Page 1

2 focus. They draw from their fully integrated capability, competing on a physical, mental and psychological level. They fully harness input and energy from their coaches and team members. They also harness sponsor support, and draw energy and inspiration from the broader community. They immerse themselves in the local environment to acclimate before their event. Value Capability Harness Sponsor Support Harness Community Energy Acclimate Let s apply this analogy to a gold medal strategy execution team. Value integrated capability The gold medal program or project manager draws from an integrated capability across all three perspectives that I described in a previous article: commercial, project and people perspective. Most program/project managers will present as having experience across all three, but in my experience of interviewing many varied program and project managers, few actually have an integrated perspective. Project Commercial People Case Example I was asked to mentor an execution team who were piloting a new distribution model for a product. The business owner was not providing sufficient commercial input, and the project manager lacked commercial judgement, so that the solution piloted proceeded without a rigorous business case, and missed subtle customer requirements. We worked together to halt the costly pilot. Ultimately a new team developed a distribution model with stronger commercial underpinning, with a rigorous business case. This original execution team lacked a commercial perspective - a very expensive mistake. Furthermore, if the program or project manager works from an integrated perspective, they can break down boundaries between different team members, fostering an environment where the team works together seamlessly without compartmentalised planning. You should not have a separate project plan, people plan, change plan, or stakeholder plan there is real synergy when they are integrated, and this means much more than just synchronising dates and activities. It means that each planned activity is designed and executed from an holistic perspective. Lisa Carlin 2013 lisa.carlin@futurebuildersgroup.com Page 2

3 Case Example The distribution model pilot that I described above was further challenged by compartmentalised or bolt on change management due to a project manager who didn t fully understand the value of change management. The change manager was asked to focus on stakeholder consultation only, and was expected to deliver change management plans and reports, but not invited to participate in broader pilot team discussions. This meant that the input from the various stakeholders was not properly factored into the pilot planning, which was another reason for the expensive failed initial pilot. In the above example, change management activities were separated from the mainstream project activities through a series of staff and stakeholder engagement activities. In contrast, the gold medal example below included carefully orchestrated interventions that achieved a valuable project task while simultaneously taking people along a journey and building support for the initiative. Gold Medal Case Example One project within a cost reduction program was to introduce a new system for all staff. The issue the execution team faced was how to select and then introduce the new system in a way that minimised adverse impact on staff. Together with the sponsor, we appointed a project manager and a change manager, and we worked together seamlessly with technology and the business to deliver the new system successfully. There was no disruption to business, and the cost savings reported since are 3 times initial projections. A key success factor was establishing working groups with representation across divisions. Often working groups are merely narrowly-defined, short tenure vendor selection panels. These groups however provided critical insight and advocacy for the change, while being were integral in screening and selecting solutions and vendors. This means the project achieved a critical project task while simultaneously building support. By the time the system was introduced, staff were aware and accepting of the new solution. Harnessing sponsor support Strong, visible sponsor leadership from the top down is critical to any change program. The Executive sponsor must stay sufficiently involved so that the strategic and commercial intent remains on track, and must also value an integrated program and people perspective. The sponsor also provides advocacy and strategic support for the program. Lisa Carlin 2013 lisa.carlin@futurebuildersgroup.com Page 3

4 Gold Medal Case Example One of the best sponsors I ve worked with is strategic, commercial and visionary he was clear on the future he wanted to create, and engaged an outstanding execution team to help him deliver. He made useful suggestions to resolve complex issues, and got involved when needed to advocate on the team s behalf with other executives. The projects delivered under his sponsorship generated outstanding returns for the organisation, who also achieved public acknowledgement of their innovation both within and outside their industry. Harnessing community energy While top down leadership is important, bottom up support from the community of employees and external stakeholders will further accelerate execution. The challenge is to harness the personal leadership of individuals at all levels to create a groundswell of support, so that dispersed actions are in sync with your goal. Consider how to engage your community, so they identify with the project, and feel personally responsible for its success. This is the next level of engagement beyond crowdsourcing of ideas - popularised through more accessible technologies, and social media platforms such as Yammer. Gold Medal Case Example Our core project team to improve customer experience constituted 10 people, but when we celebrated our success at the end of the project, our celebration included 120 people across the organisation in a variety of roles whose role significantly changed as a result of the project. We introduced a campaign that engaged each critical line manager and their team, and tied the achievement of their personal job deliverables to the project s success. Each individual involved adjusted the focus of their role significantly in line with our project outcome. They were encouraged and motivated to do this for many reasons, including the increased visibility they received in the organisation for being part of the project. This meant we were able to leverage and accelerate our core team s efforts considerably. Acclimate Finally, as the best athletes know they need to acclimate to any new environment before an event, a gold medal execution team needs to acclimate into the organisation. They need to integrate their efforts and focus into the culture, rather than working against the culture. This usually calls for the execution team to immerse themselves into the culture, ensuring they have adequate involvement and representation within the execution team of those Lisa Carlin 2013 lisa.carlin@futurebuildersgroup.com Page 4

5 Rosabeth Moss-Kanter describe as change recipients. It also means the execution team, or at least the program/project manager understands culture and organisational norms, and can explicitly develop a project approach that will work within the culture. At amateur level, the change will be blocked entirely. At professional level, some change will occur amidst significant fatigue and frustration. At gold medal level, change will be strongly supported by a groundswell of advocacy. Coming next How execution teams can work within, not against, the culture. Lisa Carlin is a strategy execution consultant within the FutureBuilders Group. She mentors managers, program and project teams to successfully plan and execute business transformations accelerating strategic, multidisciplinary or complex change. She assembles integrated execution teams from within her clients, and from her deep network of experienced consulting colleagues. Prior to establishing her own consultancy in 1999, she worked across 3 continents for McKinsey & Co, Accenture and other global consulting firms. Selected capabilities in different execution environments commercial capability change management capability Harnessing sponsor involvement Harnessing community energy Professional execution Business case documented, approval process ticks the boxes. No rigorous analysis or evaluation Change managers develop a separate stream of activities that are not fully integrated into the project plan Sponsor is clearly defined and feels ownership. Monitors progress. Participates in regular steering committee meetings to review progress, contribute ideas and make decisions. Consulting with others in the broader organisation/community as part of the project plan. Others feel they are helping out. Gold medal execution Rigorously analysed, articulated and evaluated business case Change managers integrally involved in project planning. Project activities are integrated: simultaneously building support, while also delivering specific task outcomes Same as professional level PLUS: actively drives project forward, makes constructive suggestions to the team that add real value. Injects strong strategic and commercial guidance. Instrumental in breaking down barriers, actively uses positional power and personal influence to lobby others for support. Significantly involving others so they feel shared ownership and responsibility for delivering the project s objectives. Motivating others to identify with your shared goal. Lisa Carlin 2013 lisa.carlin@futurebuildersgroup.com Page 5