Course Description

To achieve their business strategies, organizations count on leaders at the frontline to understand and execute the top priorities for their team.

Course Outline

In this course, leaders will learn the three critical elements of executing strategy at the front line-Focus, Measurement, and Accountability. They learn how to focus on the few most critical priorities, to measure progress toward the accomplishment of these priorities, and to hold themselves and their team members accountable for the metrics. Participants will also explore best practices for accountability, such as determining and communicating accountability—including consequences. The Strategy Execution Tool helps leaders capture in one place their top priorities, progress and outcome measures, and those accountable for achieving the priorities. Using the three elements of execution ensures that leaders and their teams get the right things done, in spite of daily distractions.

• Pinpointing Priorities: A senior leader highlights the importance of achieving top business priorities and introduces the three elements of execution: Focus, Measurement, and Accountability. Using their course prep, learners discuss with a partner their top priorities and how they align with business goals. Leaders complete a brief self-assessment related to the elements of execution. Groups identify challenges related to their assigned portion and share the top two with the larger group.
• Maintaining Focus: Learners look at how they spend their time and determine whether these activities support their top priorities. Facilitator assigns three challenges of keeping focus, and small groups brainstorm solutions to these problems. The Strategy Execution Tool is introduced, and learners identify which of their three priorities they will focus on for the rest of the session.
• Measuring Progress and Outcomes: A video illustrates the relationship between progress and outcome measures. Learners participate in an engaging Cart Sort activity, determining if a measure is progress or outcome measure. In small groups, learners look at their departments and determine the measurements that they use. The Strategy Execution Tool is revisited with learners noting the steps that are used with their chosen priority, and to what degree the priority is on track.
• Ensuring Accountability: In a large group, leaders discuss how they hold their team accountable. Facilitator introduces four best practices, highlighting the importance of consequences and the problem with joint accountability. Learners work in small groups to analyze scenarios and determine how to apply the accountability best practices. After identifying who is accountable for the priority on their Strategy Execution Tool, leaders work with a partner to discuss how to address responsibility and get the measure back on track.
• Putting Elements into Practice: Learners regroup to brainstorm solutions to the challenges that they identified at the beginning of the session. Participants spend time on their Reflections page and define what they want to discuss most with their manager and teams back on the job.

Learner Outcomes

At the end of this program, learners will be able to:  

• Maintain focus on important work in the midst of the daily pressure of business
• Explain the importance of critical work to their team and others
• Track progress and outcomes against relevant measures to ensure successful execution
• Communicate accountabilities so that team members understand the importance, impact, and expectations regarding priority work

Notes

Recommendations

Testimonials

"Helps put it in focus on development of career from individual contributor to leader. Where I am today and how to go to the next level."
Spring 2019 Participant

"Identifying weakness between focus, measurement and accountability is useful in looking at myself and seeing where I need work. Shows how you'll never get to the end goals without holding people accountable and helping them keep focus."
Spring 2019 Participant

“Good information on how to track progress, focus on the top priorities and how to hold employers accountable for achieving their task.”

Fall 2018 Participant

Accrediting Associations

• HRCI 3.5 PDC
• SHRM 3.5 PDC

Applies Towards the Following Certificates

• Advanced Technical Leadership Certification : Advanced Technical Leadership Certificate