The Whirlwind
"Vision without EXECUTION is a delusion."
— Thomas Edison
"The essence of planning is EXECUTION."
— Farshad Asl
These two quotes stress the importance of execution. Yes, we have a vision. Yes, we have a plan. We've even identified our sources of influence to assist in creating sustainable change. Now, we need and must develop a stratagem of execution. The 4 Disciplines of Execution, by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling, suggests four actions, when properly practiced, allow for complete and successful planned results. The four disciplines are:
The Discipline of Focus: Focus on the Wildly Important Goal (WIG)
The Discipline of Leverage: Act on the Lead Measures
The Discipline of Engagement: Keep a Compelling Scoreboard
The Discipline of Accountability: Create a Cadence of Accountability
However, before we concentrate on the 4DX model, we must address one of the reasons that execution plans fail. The Whirlwind
4DX states that the "whirlwind" is the existing daily work or urgent daily tasks that tend to distract and sap us of our time, energy, and focus. Unfortunately, unlike the picture, the "whirlwind" doesn't announce itself. Therefore, we must be aware it exists, recognize it, and adjust. The "whirlwind" has been a significant factor in my performance in this class. Between work deadlines, leading change, and family issues, I realize that recognizing the "whirlwind" isn't enough when it is upon you. Unfortunately, I didn't plan for it, nor did I make timely adjustments. Did this cause failure? No, but I may have less stressful days and more sleep-filled nights if I had planned and prepared for the inevitable "whirlwind." McChesney, C., Covey, S., & Huling, J. (2016). The 4 disciplines of execution: Achieving your wildly important goals. Free Press.