Some with interesting methods for improvement in business or self.
When I find a book that you should read, I’ll share.
Here is one.
The 4 Disciplines of Execution
By, Chris MccChesney, Sean Covey and Jim Huling.
As part of my Debby Peters influenced “Elevator Speech” I mention that Business Navigators does two things to help Business, people, and organizations.
“First, we help them to discover for themselves what they want to do- ‘To Make Things Better- that’s planning.”
“Secondly, we stay, for at least a year, to help them – Do It- that’s implementation.”
Another word used in place of implementation is Execution and in my view, it is the most difficult to do.
In May of 2014 in the “Connext Nation Newsletter” I reviewed a book by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charam titled “Execution” it was written twenty-one years ago.
“The 4 Disciplines of Execution” was published in 2012 at so is less than eleven years old and it expands on Bossidy and Charam’s observations.
Like Marcus Buckingham’s book, “First Break all the Rules” this book is also the result of first, 300,000 interviews with company leaders and team members and secondly, many years of field experience working with companies to help make 4DX (an abbreviation for the 4 Disciplines of Execution) a part of their culture.
These 4 approaches to discipline in Execution are the result of real-world failures, successes and finally modification of the discipline content leaving the parts that really work.
I feel that it is important to mention the 4 Disciplines as it is also important to note the only way to fully understand what they mean and how they are to be used is to “Read the darned book!!”
Discipline 1: Focus on the Wildly Important (WIG =Wildly Important Goal)
Discipline 2: Act on the Lead Measures
Discipline 3: Keep a Compelling Scoreboard
Discipline 4: Create a Cadence of Accountability
These Disciplines are covered in Section 1 of the book and in 79 pages clarify their meaning and importance.
Section 2 focuses on Installing 4DX with your team and is most helpful in a practical way.
Section 3 focuses on Installing 4DX in your organization -and is best read by those who are involved with a large organization.
This book confirms and states things I have observed and believe about implementation/ execution.
It really identifies and clarifies the issues involved and well worth the read.
A central “Aha'” for me from this book.
Defined in the glossary on page 301, “Whirlwind” A metaphor for the enormous amount of time and energy required to keep the organization at its current level of performance.
I really like the term Whirlwind it is the best descriptor I have found for day-to-day life in business and, in fact, for all the rest of life.
Starting tomorrow I’m using Whirlwind a lot.
