Exploring the Gap Between Knowledge and Execution

How Wide is Your Execution Gap?

Why Don't We Execute?

Organizations typically hire for skills and knowledge, then fire and promote on the basis of attitudes and habits. In attempts to improve performance, most organizations spend time and money developing skills and knowledge; the left side elements.  However their failures and terminations typically result from factors on the right side of the diagram.

Organizations typically hire for skills and knowledge, then fire and promote on the basis of attitudes and habits.  Upon terminating people, they start the process over again. Are skills and knowledge needed for job success?  Of course!  Yet, how many times have we seen skillful, knowledgeable people fail to fit with their new job or organization?

Introducing "The Execution Box"

The graphic below gives us an illustrated model and explanation for execution shortfalls. When most organizations attempt to improve performance, they spend time and money both seeking and developing skills and knowledge (left side of the model below). However failures and terminations typically result from factors on the right side of the model: Attitudes and Habits.

For committed execution of goals that support your strategy, you need people to WANT TO.  This applies both to large organizations, teams, and to individuals.

Knowing Side Most organizations focus their attention and resources on the left half of the diagram. They seek to recruit and enhance skills and knowledge.  Does it make a difference?  Sometimes.  Yet we often struggle to make a business case for training and development. How do we gain return on our investment of resources when measurable, tangible results are often elusive.  What if we broadened our focus to consider the other side of the Execution Gap

Doing Side Most shortfalls, failures and terminations result from deficiencies in the right side of The Execution Box.  Despite the fact that we know, we don't always do:  Unless our attitudes and habits are developed, we struggle to close the execution gap.

Consider the typical shortfalls: 

• Remakes/re-dos 

• Late deliveries

• Lost customers and opportunities, 

• Delayed execution / missed deadlines

• Stagnant innovation

• Slow termination of poor performers

Can these be attributed more to lack of knowledge or lack of execution? Are knowledge and skills of your workforce critical to success? Of course! But, what are we doing to address the real cause of the typical shortfalls?

When it comes to developing productive attitudes and habits, most managers don't know what they don't know. Performance and execution suffer and everyone wonders: How do we change this? All too often, we restart the same cycle. We fire, recruit, hire and ramp-up new people while hoping their attitudes and habits will improve.  Shouldn't we do more than hope?

 Knowledge alone is not power. Only applied knowledge is power.

Closing Your Gap

Closing your execution gap requires a focus on developing attitudes and habits to concert with enhancing skills and knowledge. At Chicago Executive Coaching, we believe that a holistic approach to closing your execution gap is the key to more effective goal achievement.   Knowing is nice. Doing is where the action is.