Execution Plain and Simple: Twelve Steps to Achieving Any Goal on Time and On Budget : Twelve Steps to Achieving Any Goal on Time and On Budget

Breakthrough ways to keep your business goals on target and on deadline A practical job aid for any manager who needs to get an organization to execute better, Execution Plain and Simple provides a proven 12-step plan to get results, overcome delays, and achieve tough goals faster. This short book will help you generate momentum toward critical goals and achieve performance breakthroughs--no matter what the goal or project. Reveals how to execute a goal on time and on budget Shows how to cut through off-target diversions, flagging enthusiasm, and active resistance Explains how to cultivate change and support growth Features case examples from clients, including General Electric, Motorola, and many others Terms of Use......Page 5 Want to learn more?......Page 6 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Introduction......Page 12 Structure of the Book......Page 13 The Source of the Insights......Page 15 Part I Twelve Steps to Achieving Any Goal on Time and on Budget......Page 18 Design for Success......Page 20 1 Take Responsibility— Who, Me?......Page 22 Select a Case to Work On......Page 25 2 What’s That Again? Define Your Assignment—In Writing......Page 28 A Good Assignment......Page 29 Make Sure the Assignment Is Solid......Page 30 Take Time to Prepare Good Assignments......Page 31 Defining Your Assignment......Page 33 Gathering a Team......Page 38 Building a Strategy......Page 39 One-Page Summary......Page 42 Selecting and Organizing the Core Team......Page 45 Strategy Formulation......Page 46 4 Get Input and Support from Key Players; Refine the Strategy......Page 48 The Testing Process......Page 49 Strategy Testing in Practice......Page 51 Mapping......Page 54 Act with Discipline......Page 56 5 Hold a Compelling Kickoff Event to Create Momentum......Page 58 Preparation......Page 59 Planning a Launch Event......Page 66 6 Make All the Pieces Fit. Use Plans, Schedules, Budgets, and Controls......Page 68 Controls......Page 71 Data Reporting......Page 74 Pitfalls of Controls and Plans......Page 78 Long-Term Plan......Page 79 Short-Term Plan......Page 80 7 Yes, I Really Mean It. Make Demands Effectively......Page 82 Demand Making......Page 84 The Psychology of Demand Making......Page 87 The Dynamics of Demand Making......Page 88 Selecting and Defining Goals......Page 91 Establishing Expectations......Page 92 Confirming Achievement......Page 93 Dealing with Reactions to Expectations......Page 94 Scoring......Page 95 Taking Action......Page 96 8 Follow Up Like Crazy without Driving People Crazy......Page 98 Review Strategies......Page 101 Find the Right Path......Page 105 Follow-up......Page 106 Deal with Tough Issues......Page 108 9 Use Political Skills to Win Constituents and Overcome Opposition......Page 110 Focus on Readiness......Page 111 Get Behind the Masks......Page 113 Build a Mission and a Constituency......Page 115 Communicate Clearly......Page 120 Deal with the Unengageable......Page 127 10 Use Creative Problem Solving to Overcome Unforeseen Risks, Delays, and Obstacles......Page 132 Why Do Problems Occur?......Page 133 New Product, New Culture......Page 134 Improvisation Is Part of Execution......Page 137 Creative Problem Solving......Page 144 11 Energy Flagging? Manage an Intense Push to Get the Final Results and Rewards......Page 146 Sharing the Rewards......Page 149 Planning the Final Push to Close the Project......Page 152 Learn from Experience......Page 154 Generating Real Learning......Page 156 Planning a Learning Review......Page 163 Assessing Execution Success for Any Project or Initiative......Page 164 Part II Accelerated Execution: Using Small Breakthrough Projects to Achieve Large Strategic Goals......Page 168 13 The Zest Factors: What Crises Can Teach Us about Accelerated Execution......Page 170 Why Doesn’t Crisis Performance Become the Norm?......Page 171 Estimate the Potential for Gain in Your Organization......Page 173 14 Small-Scale “Breakthrough Projects:” Get Crucial Results Fast, Generate Momentum, and Build New Organizational Capabilities......Page 178 Define the Goal in Terms of End Results to Close Off Escape Routes......Page 183 Design a Successful Breakthrough Project......Page 186 Use Small Successes to Build the Execution Culture......Page 187 15 Multiply Breakthrough Project Successes to Reach the Big Goals......Page 190 Tap the Hidden Reserve......Page 191 Be a Demanding Developmental Leader......Page 197 16 The Senior Management Task: Focus Your Organization on the Few Most Crucial Goals......Page 200 Getting Focused......Page 202 Looking Ahead......Page 207 Crucial Goals......Page 208 References......Page 210 Index......Page 212 About the Author......Page 220

Specific Steps to Accelerate Achievement of Goals and Turn Strategy Into Payoff, for Those Who Have To Execute.

Robert A. Neiman has helped major corporations achieve major gains in performance and profitability. He has put his experience on paper for managers who know their organizations have much more potential, can and must do better, and who need to overcome busyness, delays, diversions, and other barriers. His 12-steps provide specific guidance. They fill gaps in the literature about goal setting, execution, project management, leadership and change, and answer front line questions such as:

• How do I take responsibility?
• How do I define and get commitment on assignments?
• How do I organize the best team for the job?
• How do I shape a strategy that will work?
• How do I get things moving?
• How do I make demands effectively?
• How do I follow up like crazy without driving people crazy?
• How do I use politics to advantage?
• How do I solve the problems, cut through fatigue and apathy?

Bob Neiman has it right—execution is key to business success. Great strategies alone cannot drive winning results. While successful execution isn't simple, the potential payoff is big for companies and their people.—Frederick M. Poses, Chairman and CEO, American Standard

Bob Neiman's years of experience . . . are reflected in this book in his simple and straightforward style. Even experienced 'winners' will find this book valuable.—Bernard Hengesbaugh, Chairman and CEO (Ret.), CNA Financial

His 12 steps will help energized managers excel, procrastinators produce, delay addicts recover, dawdlers deliver, and strategists act. Apply the concepts with ZEST, and you will produce results. —Dave Ulrich, Professor, School of Business, University of Michigan and co-author of GE Workout and When The Bottom Line Isn't

Robert A. Neiman is a Harvard M.B.A. and a partner in the management consulting firm of Robert H. Schaffer & Associates. He and his colleagues have helped produce major gains in performance, profitability, and speed of response in leading companies such as Allied Signal, CNA Financial, General Electric, Hartford Financial, Motorola, PNC Financial, and many others. He has published many articles on execution methods and case studies of their successful application. He lives in Stamford, Connecticut.

Annotation Specific Steps to Accelerate Achievement of Goals and Turn Strategy Into Payoff, for Those Who Have To Execute. Robert A. Neiman has helped major corporations achieve major gains in performance and profitability. He has put his experience on paper for managers who know their organizations have much more potential, can and must do better, and who need to overcome busyness, delays, diversions, and other barriers. His 12-steps provide specific guidance. They fill gaps in the literature about goal setting, execution, project management, leadership and change, and answer front line questions such as: How do I take responsibility? How do I define and get commitment on assignments? How do I organize the best team for the job? How do I shape a strategy that will work? How do I get things moving? How do I make demands effectively? How do I follow up like crazy without driving people crazy? How do I use politics to advantage? How do I solve the problems, cut through fatigue and apathy? "Bob Neiman hasit right--execution is key to business success. Great strategies alone cannot drive winning results. While successful execution isn't simple, the potential payoff is big for companies and their people."--Frederick M. Poses, Chairman and CEO, American Standard "Bob Neiman's years of experience . . . are reflected in this book in his simple and straightforward style. Even experienced 'winners' will find this book valuable."--Bernard Hengesbaugh, Chairman and CEO (Ret.), CNA Financial "His 12 steps will help energized managers excel, procrastinators produce, delay addicts recover, dawdlers deliver, and strategists act. Apply the concepts with ZEST, and you will produce results." --DaveUlrich, Professor, School of Business, University of Michigan and co-author of "GE Workout and "When The Bottom Line Isn't Offers specific steps to accelerate achievement of goals and turn strategy into payoff, for those who have to execute.