Too many leaders see getting work done as tactical and delegating it entirely to subordinates, thus allowing time for more strategic endeavors and big picture thinking. Yes, the day to day operations should be handled by managers and supervisors, but the leader must put several essential mechanisms in place, and then monitor the operational outcomes. Failure to do so frequently means the company’s overarching strategies do not get executed well either.
Juengling
This article about the disciplined execution of work is the third part in a four-part series on creating a resilient organization. The first article, A leader’s guide for building a resilient organization, was published in the digital CityBusiness on June 16. The second was The Leader’s Guide to Shaping a Strong Corporate Culture and was published on July 14. The remaining article will address the innovation and adaptation necessary to build organizational resiliency. As the diagram illustrates, a strong positive culture is central to any attempt to build organizational resiliency and is critical to the disciplined execution of work.
Disciplined execution of work is not only tactical; it is a fundamental system that should be built into a company’s strategy, its goals, and its culture. Leaders must be deeply engaged in it but must delegate the substance of the work. When I see leaders too involved in operations, it sets off a red flag with me: I question the quality of the managers and supervisors who are responsible for operations and I also question if my client knows the difference between managing and leading.
My own experience as a hospital CEO, combined with 10 years of executive coaching, have led me to understand five fundamental elements of how leaders must apply their roles as leaders in the disciplined execution of work.
Measure and Monitor the Work
It is difficult to explain to someone outside the health care industry just exactly how many things are measured in health care. Hospitals are one of the most complex businesses to operate, in comparison to many other industries. Here is what I learned.
Measure the right things. The dashboard my leadership team used to measure our progress was a roll-up of the most important indicators of quality, employee engagement, patient satisfaction, and financial metrics. They were then evaluated routinely and rigorously, as they were the mission of the hospital. We also had to assure the right indicators were measured, things that influenced or drove those key metrics: hospital acquired infections, medication errors, adverse incidents, voluntary turnover…the list goes on and on. It was only when a leadership metric turned bad, that leaders needed to dive into the details. But if leaders are in the details constantly, it is an indication of bigger problems: lack of trust, few competent managers, or they are not doing the work of leadership.
Relentless use of data. The field of data analytics has evolved rapidly in the last decade. Leaders need to embrace this science and use data to identify causal factors of recurrent problems and failure. When I have seen it done well, it results in understanding the underlying problem resulting in better deployment of resources to fix the problem. Additionally, smart leaders are moving to data exchanges and predictive analytics. One B2B company I work with is using data exchanges to understand consumer buying patterns, that in turn allow it to work with their business customers more effectively and profitably. Another large international chemical manufacturer I have coached for is using predictive analytics to deploy maintenance resources. Prior to this, there was reactive use of resources deployed when something stopped working correctly, but by then it was too late and manufacturing output declined.
- Decentralize and be transparent.
Priorities should be set by leadership, but operating decisions need to be made at the lowest level possible. Information should be shared widely and proactively to avoid poor decision making and inaccurate assumptions.
Push decision making downward. This is difficult for many leaders; frequently the leader’s lack of trust or need for control gets in the way of delegating decisions further down in an organization. If operating decisions cannot be made at the proper lower level, then the leader is the problem.
Integrity is integral. Information including adverse incidents, human error and system/process failures absolutely must be communicated upward. If the leader creates an environment of blame and fear, then they should not expect employees or managers to live with the integrity it takes to be bring negative outcomes and incidents to leadership. As the saying goes, “Don’t shoot the messenger.”
Overcommunicate and be transparent. How can leaders expect good decision making and integrity in their companies without pushing information down? Employees must have the information to do the right thing the right way; this mantra also applies when the boss makes a mistake. Leaders build trust and integrity when they accept responsibility for their mistakes.
- Standardization without rigidity.
In health care, we would identify clinical pathways and best practices to standardize care, reduce human error, and improve safety and outcomes. We also relentlessly searched for the “next practice” that allowed for continuous improvement.
Learn from others. Be it from a competitor or by applying the best thinking from another industry, we relentlessly copied the great work of others. It was the airline industry that led health care to conduct presurgical checklists, that resulted in dramatic improvements in safety and reducing wrong site surgery. When I heard of a competitor with a better process or procedure, I did what I ethically could to learn from them.
Expect progress, not perfection. Roy Disney expected excellence from his employees but did so in a culture that encouraged risk taking and new thinking. He also expected his employees to follow a time-tested methodology and not deviate from proven approaches. Leaders need to look at this as a balancing act, not a contradiction.
- Team accountability.
Leaders need to assure their employees they are part of something bigger. It is more than just their work; it is the work of many people and many teams. Most business have interdependent parts, and the failure of one person can be detrimental to many.
Recognize and reward good work. Seems simple, right? You would be amazed at the number of 360s I have seen with low scores here. If you expect operational discipline, then recognize and reward those who do it well, who positively contribute to their team and overall culture.
Coach up the laggards. Are you as the leader taking too long to address bad behaviors and bad outcomes? At some point the lack of an employee’s performance reflects the leader’s poor performance. Have the conversations that matter, delivered in the right way. Employees know who the weak links in the team are; it does not reflect well upon leaders who do nothing to address the performance. In fact, leaders tacitly approve it when they do not address it.
- Promote continuous learning.
Continuous learning creates continuous improvement. This is more than knowledge for all, it is about improving an employee’s performance through continued investment in their development.
Encourage curiosity. Employees who ask “why” are trying to understand; when leaders encourage this behavior, they encourage curiosity and improvement. In coaching we refer to these individuals as “deviants” – their thinking deviates from the norm – and they are a rich source of new thinking. This is different from oppositional – their behaviors need to be addressed (see above) because their behaviors are the problem.
Stop answering questions and ask for recommendations. I use a simple but very effective way to encourage growth of an employee. Instead of providing employees with answers to their questions, ask them what they think and why? Then shape their thinking through provocative follow-up questions. Get them to think; it is a great way to encourage growth and it demonstrates respect as well.
Final Thoughts
I want to emphasize this is a journey, without a defined destination. It is about making continuous progress. Clearly the pandemic of the last four month has altered the workplace and the execution of work in ways never imagined. As Stephen Covey said, “Begin with the end in mind.” If you want to build a resilient workplace, shaping the culture is the foundation. Once the foundation is strong, the disciplined execution of work happens more organically, consistently, and with less need for leadership involvement. Once the threads of a strong positive culture are woven together with disciplined execution, only then can meaningful innovation and adaptation occur. Stay tuned for part four of the series.
Learn, then lead.
Craig S. Juengling, PCC, is a credentialed executive coach who spent 22 years running hospitals and health care systems. He maintains a private executive coaching practice in New Orleans and is also an executive coach and academic contributor to the Flores MBA Program in the E.J. Ourso College of Business at LSU.
The Link LonkAugust 11, 2020 at 07:32PM
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