Ep 034: Chris McChesney with Kim Simios

TOPICS IN THIS PODCAST

Execution Leading Organizations

Have you ever noticed that sometimes your most important work often gets lost in the whirlwind of urgent activities? In this episode, execution expert Chris McChesney talks with Kim Simios about his 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX) method that helps leaders break through the whirlwind to execute on their most important goals. Chris and Kim explore the practical implications of executing the 4DX process then participate in an audience Q&A.

On This Podcast

Chris McChesney

Franklin Covey

Chris McChesney is a Wall Street Journal #1 national bestselling author of The 4 Disciplines of Execution and is the Global Practice Leader of Execution for Franklin Covey. Known for his high-energy and engaging presentations, McChesney has consulted with many of the world’s top brands and leverages this practical experience to help leaders from the boardroom to the front lines of an organization get better at executing the ideas that matter most.

Kim Simios

Ernst & Young

Kim is a 30+ year veteran at Ernst & Young. Over the course of her career she has held various leadership roles, including 5 years as the Managing Partner for Ernst & Young’s Chicago office and as a global coordinating partner serving a broad spectrum of priority clients. Kim is Vice-chair of the Global Leadership Network board and serves as a board member trustee of the Shedd Aquarium and a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. She also previously served on the boards of World Business Chicago and United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. Her diversity of experience gives her a broad network and unique perspective into matters that can impact organizations, including navigating changes in structure and culture, the regulatory landscape, and talent management.

Show Notes

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SUMMARY:

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

How do you help organizations execute a strategy that requires a high degree of buy-in?
Leaders study strategy but they struggle with execution.
In the moment, a human being will always choose the urgent over the important.
People often excel at execution in a crisis because they understand the urgency.
The 4 Disciplines were designed to increase the urgency of strategic priorities.
- Discipline 1: Focus on the Wildly Important
- Discipline 2: Act on the Lead Measure
- Discipline 3: Keep a Compelling Scoreboard
- Discipline 4: Create a Cadence of Accountability
Disciplines “say easy” but “do hard.”
There are always more good ideas than you have the capacity to execute.
If the 4 Disciplines live at senior levels, they won’t do any good. They need to be implemented on the front lines.
Key question to ask your team, “What are the fewest battles necessary to win the war?”
Human beings can handle one Wildly Important Goal (WIG) in addition to their day job.
When you add accountability to a goal, you are communicating that this is a high-stakes game.
People want to be known, relevant and measured.
It takes about two months of consistent work for the 4 Disciplines to catch fire.
Teams will read the leader to determine how important this is to the leader.
Key question to ask yourself (as a leader): “Do the people working for me feel like they are playing a high-stakes winnable game?”

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1. Think about your organization: Do Wildly Important Goals (WIGs) live on the front lines team level or only the organizational level?

2. If your team has identified a WIG, how are you doing at 1) Acting on Lead Measures? 2) Keeping a Compelling Scoreboard? 3) Creating a Cadence of Accountability? Identify the area that would help your team move forward in the 4 Disciplines process and take a step this week to do something about it.

3. If your team has not identified a WIG, work to identify one. You can do this exercise by yourself or with a team. Ask the following questions:

a. What are the fewest battles necessary to win the war?
b. If our team were to focus on one thing to move to the next level, what would it be