Mastering The Drudgery

Recently, I have been reflecting on the following quote by Adrian Slywotzky in his book, The Art of Profitability (Warner books, 2002):

“What separates the winners and losers in innovation is who masters the drudgery. The creative process usually starts with a brilliant idea. Next you determine whether, if the brilliant idea worked, it would be worth doing from a business standpoint. That’s the exhilarating part. It may be the stimulating intellectually, but it’s also the easiest. Then comes the real work - reducing the idea to practice. That’s the drudgery part of innovation…”

I meet a lot of people with amazing ideas that are captivating and creative. These individuals are progressive and articulate. Sometimes, they even make us want to quit our current jobs and commit fully to this new opportunity.

However, the challenge is not coming up with new ideas; it is having the discipline to translate it into reality. As leaders, we must transform the idea into a sustainable business with effective systems, measurable outcomes and competent people. We have to be interested in new products or service development and in the development of processes, systems, sales, services or quality to support them. The fundamentals, and ultimately the profitability, come from building the infrastructure for execution.

As Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen write in their book, Great By Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck - Why Some Thrive Despite Them All (HarperCollins, 2011): “The difficult task is to marry relentless discipline with creativity, neither letting discipline inhibit creativity nor letting creativity erode discipline.” As they point out, “The best leaders we studied did not have a visionary ability to predict the future. They observed what worked, figured out why it worked, and built upon proven foundations. They were not more risk taking, more bold, more visionary, and more creative than the comparisons. They were more disciplined, more empirical, and more paranoid.”

Given the above, this week I challenge you to sit down with your team and talk about the importance of disciplined thought, disciplined action and what needs to be in place so each of them can master the drudgery of on-going execution in the midst of a global pandemic. I believe you will find this discussion to be helpful in both the short and long term work of this year.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Building Clarity and Ownership

Clarity without ownership is non-action. Ownership without clarity is fruitless action. Clarity with ownership is effective action.

The challenge for many leaders this coming summer is to increase the level of effective action. And the first step in that process is to remember a key concept written by James Belasco and Ralph C. Stayer in their book, Flight of the Buffalo: Soaring To Excellence, Learning to Let Employees Lead, Time Warner, 1994.  In it, Belasco and Stayer write that it is critical to “transfer ownership for work to those who execute the work.” From my perspective, we start this process by creating role clarity which includes role responsibility. For example, by clarifying who should make certain decisions and how they will be held accountable for them, we are creating a fresh perspective. When we explain how effective action will be measured, we give people the tools to act like owners. As Belasco and Stayer wrote many years, “Am I creating owners or dependents?... If you want them to act like it’s their business, make it their business.”

Second, the same authors note that we need to “create the environment for ownership where each person wants to be responsible for his/her own performance.” Having a strategic nexus, i.e. a clear mission, vision and core values that are used and referenced daily plus an effective strategic plan that actually guides the organization, transforms ownership from being a concept into being a cultural foundation for action.

Next, the authors remind us to “focus individuals on the few factors that create great performance.” This happens, from my perspective, when we clarify the difference between goals and priorities, and explain as leaders how our actions impact the whole organization.

Building clarity and ownership is a daily process. It takes time and consistent action. However, when it becomes part of one’s daily discipline, it can be transformative for all. This week, focus on creating more clarity and ownership. It is an investment with a fantastic return.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257