University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
The 4 Disciplines of Execution
Book

The 4 Disciplines of Execution

Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals

Sean Covey, Chris McChesney and Jim Huling
Free Press, 2012
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

Strategy without an effective method of execution is worthless, no matter how good it looks on PowerPoint. Chris McChesney, Sean Covey and Jim Huling – all FranklinCovey consultants – provide managers with a process for realizing “wildly important goals.” They offer a simple yet effective four-step formula for execution, from goal setting to application and accountability. Although the concepts are basic, the clear instructions for implementation make this book a standout. Unfortunately, some of the content verges on being too promotional of FranklinCovey’s training, services and products. Setting this foible aside and focusing on the good stuff, getAbstract recommends this clear strategy manual to all business leaders.

Summary

Strategy Blockers

Executives implement some strategies easily with a single order. They initiate such changes as designating investments, revising compensation or hiring additional staff simply by asking the appropriate managers to make it happen. However, more ambitious strategies require people to change their behavior, which is seldom easy. For example, if you ask your sales team to use new software when they already like what they’re using, you’ll hit resistance even if the new program is compatible. As Jim Stuart, an originator of the “4 Disciplines of Execution” (4DX), stated, “To achieve a goal you have never achieved before, you must start doing things you have never done before.” Resistance to change is a major hurdle in implementing a new strategy.

What else causes poor execution? Employees fail to implement strategy, first, because they often do not understand their organization’s goals. In one survey, most frontline people could not reiterate what their firm’s executives identified as its top three goals. In addition, employees said they rarely felt committed to a goal even when they knew what it was. Or, if they knew about the goal, they didn’t know how...

About the Authors

Chris McChesney, a developer of the 4DX program, and Jim Huling, who has more than 30 years of experience in corporate leadership, are both consultants with FranklinCovey, where Sean Covey is an executive vice president and runs global operations.

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