How to Properly Execute Business Strategies

Ah, the signs of Spring. Birds are singing a bit louder. The trees and grass are getting a bit greener. It’s the time of year we decide to finally purge our garages and attics of things that no longer provide us value. And, as the days grow longer, we spend more time outside as many of us hop on our bikes or lace up our trail runners. It’s an invigorating season of “getting things done” and as we continue our accountability check-in using the Four Decisions (People, Strategy, Execution, Cash), it’s a perfect time to look at ways to maximize our organizational execution.

To have excellent execution, the key is to create rhythms within your organization. One of the most effective ways to achieve this in any industry is to have regular, focused meetings. Meetings create regular check-ins, they keep people accountable, and they drive action.

Sure, meetings have a reputation as inefficient time-wasters, but this only applies to poorly organized meetings. Let’s take a look at how to run meetings that actually improve organizational productivity and free up your time so you can focus on being a leader.

KEYS TO EFFECTIVE MEETINGS

Have an Agenda

Send it out ahead of time to give participants a chance to prepare if need be. Make sure the agenda accurately reflects all the topics and issues that will be covered. If there are a lot of different points or there are points that aren’t related to each other, break it into smaller meetings.

Be Regular

If it’s a weekly check-in, have it at the same time on the same day every week. Never skip a week. You wouldn’t skip a quarterly or an annual meeting so apply the same respect to all meetings.

Start Small

Much like your agenda needs to be small to maintain the focus of the meeting, the number of participants should be small as well. There is a time and place for department-wide and company-wide meetings, but for actionable issues, stick to the key players at first.

Set Time Limits

Meetings need to have set start and end times and they need to be respected. One tactic that can be effective to this end is setting meeting times outside of the standard intervals. A 9 am meeting tends to start at 9:05 am, but a meeting set for 8:57 am? Everyone will be there on time.

Review KPIs

Make sure the content of the meeting relates back to your organizational KPIs. All the efforts of your organization have to get you closer to your BHAG and this means meetings do too.

Set Deliverables

Hold participants accountable by having clear expectations of what is to be completed before the next meeting. The purpose of meetings is to facilitate execution - make sure stakeholders know what they need to accomplish. 

Setting a rhythm through meetings will help create constant engagement. And having all the key players informed and accountable will help maintain an excellent level of precise execution.