Tactical Execution – Introduction
“Execution is where the rubber meets the road.”
StrategyDriven Contributors
Strategy without execution is nothing more than wishful thinking pursued with hope. No organization achieves true success unless it is able to effectively execute its initiatives. It is only through execution that leadership’s strategic vision is married to reality.
Tactical execution refers to the collection of actions taken and decisions made at all levels of the organization in the here and now; actions and decisions that ultimately shape the company’s future. Effective execution occurs when the right things get done efficiently. In organizations that execute effectively, leaders continually focus their workforce on accomplishing the priority activities defined by the strategic plan while workers strive to perform those activities in the most efficient manner possible.
Establishing a culture of effective execution requires executives and managers to master the art of interpersonal relationships and the skill of orchestrating simultaneous performance of a myriad of technical processes. Topics requiring mastery include:
- Standards and Expectations
- Talent Management
- Training and Development
- Portfolio Management
- Program Management
- Project Management
- Organizational Operations Methodologies and Practices
Execution is the life blood of successful organizations. Posts in this category are dedicated to discussing the leading practices of companies that effectively execute their business initiatives and operations to the fulfillment of the organization’s strategic vision.
Sign up for our Email NewsletterTactical Execution – Some Things Get Better with Time, at least for a while
Experience is almost universally valued. Those possessing it are viewed as being superior; able to perform tasks with more practiced efficiency and more easily recognizing and responding to challenges that would otherwise inhibit forward progress. The question, therefore, is this: “For a given position, will one’s experience-based effectiveness grow without limit?”
Tactical Execution Best Practice 1 – Priority System Alignment with Mission Goals
Seldom do leaders assign work to individuals based on the corporate goal of achieving something. Instead, they interpret and internalize the emphasis placed on assignments given them and then translate this emphasis by way of priorities when delegating or performing tasks. But just as a message changes meaning when passed from person-to-person, so does the perception of priority. This priority drift builds with each successively lower organizational level; eroding the company’s overall effectiveness in achieving its stated mission goals.
Tactical Execution Best Practice 2 – Illustrated Priority Systems
“If everything is important, then nothing is.”
Original Author Unknown
Leaders struggle with the prioritization decision of how to most optimally deploy their limited resources so to return the most organizational value. Professionals also face this choice with respect to allotting their own time and attention to the myriad of assignments before them. Often, a philosophically or monetarily based Priority 1, 2, 3 or A,B,C system is adopted to differentiate between important activities. Because all individuals perceive circumstances differently, this system frequently results in a task receiving different priority assignments by various contributors; potentially disrupting the flow of work or delaying performance of organizationally critical tasks. To better align their workforce’s efforts, executives and managers should create an illustrated priority system.
Tactical Execution Best Practice 3 – Timely Reporting of Activity Status
Rarely does unique, creative, or exploratory work complete on-time and on-budget (accounting for personnel, material, and financial resources). Although planners make every effort to accurately predict task needs, the many variables and uncertainties associated with these types of tasks make highly accurate planning nearly impossible. Even highly repetitive tasks can suffer from unforeseeable circumstances that delay their performance or raise costs. Subsequently, buffers are often added to work plans to accommodate for the uncertainty. At times, these buffers aren’t enough. On other occasions, excess time and/or resources remain. Only through timely communication of activity status can managers proactively prioritize and adjust their operations or project plans to accommodate the unknown and recover excess time and resources.
Register for the complimentary StrategyDriven Newsletter and receive instant access to our Organizational Performance Measures whitepaper series. Using these whitepapers, you'll learn how to create a performance measurement system that drives superior performance by aligning managerial decisions and employee actions with your corporate strategy.
