Episode 9: The Science Of Execution – Part II
Let me start by painting a picture that most leaders can relate to. You build a team, and the first thing you do is come up with strategic objectives that all team members agree must be complete by the end of the month/quarter/year. At the end of the first meeting, everyone at the table knows what’s expected of them, and everybody’s happy because this time, you’re actually going to get things done. However, when the end of the month/quarter/year arrives, very little of the list actually got accomplished. Everybody knew what was expected of them, but somehow, you missed the target. What’s even more interesting is that it’s not that these were bad people or they didn’t work hard. In fact, they might be the best people in the organization. The problem is that the leader was not accountable for ensuring the initiatives were complete or at least heading in the right direction.
Where I see most leaders fail is differentiating between accountability and responsibility. The difference is simple. Your team members can be responsible for a particular task or initiative. On the other hand, accountability sorely belongs to the one person who will be judged on the success of a particular milestone. As a leader, you need to make sure your team knows their responsibilities, but it’s your duty to keep them accountable, which can sometimes involve daily check-ins.
In the previous episode, we talked about the science of execution and how the best teams get things done. In this episode, we’ll go a little deeper and dissect how leaders of these high-performing teams maintain high productivity and employee engagement using one simple trick called accountability.
What You’ll Learn:
[02:05] The Science of Execution: Content and Frequency
[03:40] Why Accountability Cadences Can Not Be Generic Frameworks
[06:10] The Basic Stages of Content and Frequency
[08:47] What to Expect When You Match High Content and High Frequency
[11:46] The Link Between High Content and Lost Productivity
[12:47] What is a Leading Indicator?
[14:03] Medium Frequency Content and Accountability
[17:50] Why High Frequency Demands Really Low Content
[19:36] How to Manage Reliable, Independent, Top-Performing Team Members
[23:00] Parting Thoughts
Links and Resources:
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