Discipline = Freedom
A working model to start working on your business and not in it
As a business owner or manager, it's essential to have a clear focus and direction for achieving your goals. However, it's not enough to simply set goals and hopes for the best. To achieve real results, you need to have a clear plan in place, backed by a strong framework.
That's where the 4 Disciplines of Execution come in.
The 4 Disciplines of Execution is a powerful framework that I learned from a company soon to be valued over 1 Billion dollars. When I asked them for some guidance. This is the book they put in front of me. The framework consists of four disciplines designed to help businesses achieve their most important goals.
These four disciplines are:
1. Focus on the Wildly Important Goal (WIG)
A Wildly Important Goal is a highly specific and measurable goal that is essential to the success of the business. It's important to focus on the WIG because it provides clarity and direction for the team, enabling them to prioritize their efforts and focus on what matters most.
For example, a startup company sets a WIG of achieving 10,000 active users within the first six months of launching its product. By focusing on this WIG, the company can prioritize its efforts, such as marketing and product development, to achieve its goal.
2. Create Lead Measures
Lead measures are specific actions or behaviors that can be tracked and measured, which predict the achievement of the WIG. By identifying lead measures, businesses can measure their progress toward their goal and make adjustments as needed.
For instance, a sales team identifies that the number of customer calls made each day is a lead measure that predicts achieving the WIG of increasing sales revenue by 20% in the next quarter. By tracking the number of customer calls made each day, the team can measure their progress toward their goal and adjust their strategy if necessary.
3. Create a Scorecard
A scorecard is a tool that tracks the progress of lead measures and provides a visual representation of progress toward the WIG. By creating a scorecard, businesses can ensure that everyone on the team is aligned toward achieving the goal and can measure their progress towards it.
For example, a marketing department creates a scorecard that tracks the progress of lead measures, such as the number of website visitors, social media engagement, and email open rates, to ensure they are on track to achieve their WIG of increasing brand awareness by 30% in the next six months.
4. Establish a Cadence of Accountability
A cadence of accountability is a regular meeting schedule that ensures that team members are held accountable for their commitments toward achieving the WIG. These meetings enable the team to review progress, identify challenges, and make adjustments as needed.
For instance, a project team holds weekly meetings to review progress towards the WIG of completing the project within the given timeline. They discuss any challenges or roadblocks, identify solutions, and make commitments to achieve their goals. They also celebrate successes and acknowledge team members for their contributions to the project's success.
In conclusion, the 4 Disciplines of Execution are a powerful framework that can help businesses achieve their most important goals. By focusing on the wildly important goal, creating lead measures, creating a scorecard, and establishing a cadence of accountability, businesses can prioritize their efforts, track their progress, and make adjustments as needed. These four disciplines can be applied to various business settings and can help businesses achieve success in their respective industries. If you are curious as to how I am implementing this framework into my business, please reach out to me!
P.S. We have used words that fit our culture to the framework. For instance, our WIG is called a BHAG. Our lag and lead measures are called “Rocks” and “Drivers”. So use whatever you feel comfortable with. It's all about results!
Best,
Parker Pursell | President of eQRP | LinkedIn
