Putting plans into action: Follow through using follow up!

Here’s a terrifying statistic, 67% of strategic plans never reach execution. Yes, 67%! I was a little surprised by that number as well but according to studies it accurate. Yikes! So, what is the disconnect here? Is the plan flawed? Is there some missing piece of equipment that is required to facilitate executing the plan? Or is there a breakdown in communication between those managing the execution and the team that is actually executing?

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. It is estimated that up to 95% of employees are not even clear on what their company’s core goals are. Think there’s a lack of communication there? Me too! If leaders are failing to articulate even the core goals of an organization, it’s pretty unlikely that the end state of a task is being appropriately disseminated either. When a team lacks clarity on a task or organizational goals it’s easy to see why these plans are failing.

For one, a lack of clarity reduces the overall buy in. This can be very damaging not only to the performance of that individual, but the rest of the team as well. Another huge negative side effect is the dreaded WASTED TIME! When a team doesn’t clearly understand the end state and ultimate goal it makes it nearly impossible to back plan and prioritize what tasks are necessary, and what tasks to complete first to reach the desired goal. That leads to a lot of wasted time trying to figure out what to do first, which can ultimately lead to missing deadlines or worse, not completing the task at all.

Look, I get it. As a leader you have a ton on your plate, and time is a precious commodity. Maybe in the moment you don’t have the time to get all the details of the task out to your team, every leader has been there. We already know that lacking clarity though can be disastrous. So, how do we fix it? A magical little thing called follow up.

What is follow up? Well if you’ve properly prepared and back planned your day, thought out appropriate contingency plans, and alternate courses of action, then its legitimately most of your day as a leader. See when you’re in a leadership position it’s okay to be a little OCD when planning your day. It will ultimately result in more white space in your daily calendar. That will allow you to participate in the seemingly never-ending art of following up.

Let’s break it down a little so it makes more sense. Step one is get the critical info out. What is it exactly the team is doing and what you ultimately hope to accomplish. Step two, give them a place to start. This is the stuff the team needs to get hot on now. These are the first steps in the process and typically tasks that the team is familiar enough with that they require little to no operational oversight. Step three, make these tasks time bound. This gives your team members a quantifiable target. Now they have the end state to focus on as well as a place to start. You have taken out all the guess work and begun necessary movement, saving your team time and frustration. You have also given yourself a timeline to facilitate your follow up.

Check in on your team members before or at the prescribed hard time you discussed. This is your first touch point to gauge progress and understanding. It gives you an opportunity to de-conflict any misunderstandings and provide that much needed encouragement and motivation. Additionally, it allows you to establish a new follow up time. This will allow you and your teammate to plan accordingly based off that new time. When done correctly, following up will be the bulk of your day, since you have planned accordingly and laid out clear, time bound expectations.

So, the next time you as a leader get hit to oversee another complex operation, try this approach. I’d be willing to bet you not only get better more consistent results, but you will also strengthen the bond with your team.