Doyourememberthelastmajorinitiativeyouwatcheddieinyourorganization?

Diditgodownwithaloudcrash?Orwasitslowlyandquietlysuffocatedbyothercompetingpriorities?

Bythetimeitfinallydisappeared,it’slikelynooneevennoticed.

Whathappened?The“whirlwind”ofurgentactivityrequiredtokeepthingsrunningday-todaydevouredallthetimeandenergyyouneededtoinvestinexecutingyourstrategyfortomorrow!The4DisciplinesofExecutioncanchangeallthatforever.

The4DisciplinesofExecution(4DX)isasimple,repeatable,andprovenformulaforexecutingon yourmost important strategic priorities in themidst of the whirlwind. By following The 4Disciplines:•FocusingontheWildlyImportant•ActingonLeadMeasures•KeepingaCompellingScoreboard•CreatingaCadenceofAccountabilityleaderscanproducebreakthroughresults,evenwhenexecutingthestrategyrequiresasignificantchangeinbehaviorfromtheirteams.

4DXisnottheory.Itisaprovensetofpracticesthathavebeentestedandrefinedbyhundredsof organizations and thousands of teams overmany years.When a company or an individualadherestothesedisciplines,theyachievesuperbresults—regardlessofthegoal.4DXrepresentsanew way of thinking and working that is essential to thriving in today’s competitive climate.Simplyput,thisisonebookthatnobusinessleadercanaffordtomiss.

PRAISEFORTHE4DISCIPLINESOFEXECUTION“WhatSixSigmaandLeanaretomanufacturing,The4DisciplinesofExecution is toexecutingyour strategy. 4DX is a practical methodology that can solve every leader’s #1 challenge:execution.”

—RAMCHARAN,coauthorofthebestsellingExecution:TheDisciplineofGettingThingsDoneandauthorofWhattheCEOWantsYoutoKnow

“ManyofthefoundationalvaluesofMarriottareembodiedwithinThe4DisciplinesofExecution.Byutilizingthisprocessinsideourorganization,ourleadersandteamshavebeenabletosetandachieve extraordinary goals, which have had a significant impact on making ‘Our Guests’Experience’ truly remarkable. Any organization can create these same kinds of breakthroughresultsiftheyapplytheprinciplesandprocessestaughtinthisbook!”

—J.W.MARRIOTT,JR.,ChairmanandChiefExecutiveOfficer,MarriottInternational,Inc.

“Customers are loyal to a brand when they can trust it to deliver a consistently outstandingexperience.Thisrequiresthecommitmentofeveryoneupanddowntheorganizationtoinnovatenew ways to economically delight customers so they become promoters. The 4 Disciplines ofExecutionoffersaprovenprocess forengagingtheheartsandmindsofeveryemployeetowardthisvitalgoal.Ihighlyrecommendthisbooktoanyleadercommittedtomakingcustomerloyaltyamission-criticalgoal.”

—FREDREICHHELD,BainFellow,inventoroftheNetPromoter®System,andauthorofTheUltimateQuestion2.0

“Inabusinessworldwheretheessenceofleadershipcentersaroundstrategy,thisbookhighlightsthe truerequirementsofanyorganization to focuson theprinciplesofexecution.AtTheRitz-Carlton,Ibelievetheonlywaytostrengthenoperationalexcellenceisthroughflawlessexecution.The application of Focus, Leverage, Engagement, and Accountability, as discussed in The 4DisciplinesofExecution,arekeytooursuccessandmakeexceptionalreadingfortoday’sbusinessleaders.”

—HERVEHUMLER,PresidentandChiefOperationsOfficer,TheRitz-CarltonHotelCompany

“The4DisciplinesofExecutioncontainsprinciplesandprocessesthatdoindeedwork.Idobelievethat ‘execution excellence’ is the ultimate competitive differential of this decade. As we havepartnered with FranklinCovey to apply themethodology and process globally throughout ourorganization,ithasnotonlyhadasignificantimpactonourorganization’sbusinessresults,ithasbeentransformationalformeasaleader,bothpersonallyandprofessionally.”

—JEFFSIMMONS,President,ElancoAnimalHealth,EliLillyandCompany

“The4DisciplinesofExecutionhelpsleaders,teams,andfront-lineemployeesnarrowtheirfocusand spend their time executing those things that will bring the highest return for their

organizationandcustomers.Thisbookisamust-readforanyleaderwhowantstoachievethatwhichisextraordinaryintheircompany!”

—DIANATHOMAS,USVicePresidentofTrainingandLearningDevelopment,HamburgerUniversity,McDonald’sCorporation

LINK:http://www.4dxbook.com/qr/bookoverviewFORMOREINFORMATIONVISITwww.4dxbook.com

CHRISMcCHESNEYistheGlobalPracticeLeaderofExecutionforFranklinCoveyandoneofthe primary developers ofThe 4Disciplines ofExecution.Formore than a decade, he has ledFranklinCovey’s ongoing design and development of these principles, as well as the consultingorganization that has achieved extraordinary growth inmany countries around the globe andimpactedhundredsoforganizations.

SEAN COVEY is Executive Vice President of Global Solutions and Partnerships forFranklinCovey and oversees FranklinCovey’s international operations in 141 countries aroundthe globe.As theChief ProductArchitect forFranklinCovey, Seanorganized anddirected theoriginal teams that conceivedandcreatedThe4DisciplinesofExecutionandhasbeenanavidpractitionerandpromoterofthemethodologyeversince.

JIMHULINGistheManagingConsultantforFranklin-Covey’sThe4DisciplinesofExecution.Jim’s career spans more than three decades of corporate leadership, from Fortune 500organizationstoprivatelyheldcompanies,includingservingasCEOofacompanyrecognizedasoneof the“25BestCompanies toWork for inAmerica.”Prior to joiningFranklin-Covey, JimwasoneofthefirstleaderstoadoptThe4DisciplinesofExecution.

AUDIOEDITIONALSOAVAILABLEMEETTHEAUTHORS,WATCHVIDEOSANDMOREAT

SimonandSchuster.com•THESOURCEFORREADINGGROUPS•

JACKETDESIGNBYERICFUENTECILLACOPYRIGHT©2012SIMON&SCHUSTER

PraiseforThe4DisciplinesofExecution

_______

“Inplaceof the top-down,control-orientedmanagement techniquesof the industrialage, the4Disciplines offer a release-oriented, knowledge-worker-age approach to executing goals andstrategies, an approach that engages people’s hearts andminds toward a common goal unlikeanythingI’veseen.Trulyaprofoundwork!”

—StephenR.Covey,#1NewYorkTimesbestsellingauthorofThe7HabitsofHighlyEffectivePeopleandThe3rdAlternative:SolvingLife’sMostDifficultProblems

“Marriottwasfoundedonthephilosophy‘Takecareofyouremployeesandthey’lltakecareofyourcustomers.’ThroughtheprinciplesofThe4DisciplinesofExecution,we’vebeenabletogiveour people a powerful tool for staying focused onwhat ismost important to us: ‘OurGuests’Experience.’ I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to create breakthroughresults!”

—DavidGrissen,President,TheAmericas,MarriottInternational,Inc.

“The State of Georgia had unprecedented success as a result of implementing the principlesoutlinedinThe4DisciplinesofExecution.Wecertifiedhundredsofleaderstotakethedisciplinestoeverydepartment,achievingunprecedentedresults incustomerservice,quality improvement,and cost reduction. These execution principles are a must for any government agency that isseekingtobeworldclass.”

—TheHonorableSonnyPerdue,GovernorofGeorgia,2003–2011

“The4Disciplines’practicalguidanceongoal-settingandmeasurementresonateswithgroupsatall levels in our organization. Many teams have applied this intuitive approach to buildengagementandincreaseexecutionandaccountability.”

—DaveDillon,ChairmanandChiefExecutiveOfficer,TheKrogerCo.

“WebelievethatThe4DisciplinesofExecutionarethekeystogrowthandsuccess.Foryearswehave struggled with creating focus for our people.We have used priority sheets, standards ofperformance measures, and other methods. We have fallen in love with the concepts of‘whirlwind’and‘WIG’!Whenyoureadthisbook,youwillneverlookatworkorlifethesame!”

—DannyWegman,ChiefExecutiveOfficer,WegmansFoodMarkets,Inc.,#1onFortune’s2005listofthe“100BestCompaniestoWorkFor”

“You don’t have a strategy problem, you have an execution problem! The 4 Disciplines ofExecution tellsyoueverythingyouneedtoknowtomakeyourwildly importantgoalsareality.Thissimple,effectivemodeliseasytounderstand,easytoapply,anddeliversresults.I’veuseditinmypersonallife,withmyfamily,andinmyorganization.Itworks!”

—RichardStocking,PresidentandChiefOperatingOfficer,SwiftTransportation

“I’veseenmanygreatinitiativesfailbecauseoftheinabilitytomakethetransitionfromstrategyto execution. The authors here have developed a real-world, practical guide for navigatingthrough the obstacles to success. While reading this book, I thought over and over again to

myself,‘IwishIwouldhavehadthisresourcetenyearsago.’”—TerryD.Scott,10thMasterChiefPettyOfficeroftheNavy,April2002–July2006,Retired

“Fewthingsinbusinessareharderthanfindingthehandfulofsimpleactionsthateveryemployeecantaketohelpthecompanyachieveitsmostimportantobjectives.The4Disciplinesprovideasimple,common-sensewaytohelpachieverealresults.”

—RobMarkey,Partner,Bain&Company,andcoauthorofTheUltimateQuestion2.0

“The 4 Disciplines of Execution methodology and process, contained in this book, have beenextremelyhelpfultoourorganization.Ithasallowedustoalignandcascadeourwildlyimportantgoals throughout our teams, which has resulted in an increase in employee engagement andimproved client service and project delivery. As we continue to invest in our employees, thisprocessremainscriticaltoachievingouroverallcorporategoals.”

—AndrewFrawley,President,Epsilon

“GeniusandsimplicitydescribeThe4DisciplinesofExecution.Ifyouwanttosucceedwithyourstrategicplan,utilizingthisprocessandmethodologywillpaydividends.Focusingone’seffortsonleadmeasureswillresultinsuccess.And,theprocessofcontinual,quickaccountabilitycheckupsencouragesexcellence.”

—WalterLevy,Co-PresidentandCo-ChiefExecutiveOfficer,NCHCorporation

“‘Wildly important goals,’ ‘lead measures,’ ‘compelling scoreboard,’ ‘cadence ofaccountability’—The4DisciplinesofExecutiondelivers the essentialbattle cry every leaderandorganizationrequires,plustheguidelinesonhowtorespond.Thedisciplinesallowanyleadertheabilitytomovebeyondthevisionintotheflawlessexecutionofstrategy.Thisbookisagreatgifttoanyleaderinanyorganization.”

—FrancesHesselbein,PresidentandChiefExecutiveOfficer,TheFrancesHesselbeinLeadershipInstitute,andfounderofThePeterF.DruckerFoundationforNonprofitManagement

“Well done! Disciplined leveraging of this work will profoundly help raise the standard ofexecutionalexcellenceinanyandallorganizations.”

—DouglasR.Conant,ChiefExecutiveOfficer,retired,CampbellSoupCompany,andNewYorkTimesbestsellingauthor

“I’vepracticedandembracedtheprinciplesandprocessfoundinthisbookformanyyearsandcanattestthisisagreatframeworktohelporganizationsachievetheirstrategicgoals.”

—RogerMorgan,PresidentandChiefExecutiveOfficer,RetailProductsGroup

“The 4Disciplines of Execution is a practical guide for organizational excellence. It provides asimple, actionable approach for success at all levels of any organization. The process createsmaniacal focus and leads to uncommon results. Though the word ‘proactive’ is overused andunderachieved inbusiness, the 4DXprocess truly createsproactivemomentumand sustainableresults.”

—MattOldroyd,PresidentandChiefExecutiveOfficer,Partsmaster

“Eachpersoncomes to thisworldpackedwithunlimitedcapacity.Hecanaccomplishwonders.There is nothing in lifemore exhilarating than to achieve something important to him and toachieve it with excellence. In The 4 Disciplines of Execution, the authors have captured theprinciplesandproceduresthatarekeytohumanachievement.”

—MohammedYunus,NobelPeacePrizeWinner,2006

“Having worked in higher education administration for thirty-five years, with increasingmanagementresponsibilityatbothaprivateandpublicuniversity,Ihavelearnedthatthegreatestobstacle any higher education leader faces is the challenge of execution, i.e., successfully andconsistentlyachievingtheinstitution’skeystrategicgoals.AlthoughThe4DisciplinesofExecutionbeginsasitmustwiththeory,thegreatestcontributionofthisbooktoeducationaladministratorsisitspowerfulfocusonthefundamentalsoftheprocessofexecution.Forthatreason,thisbookismust reading for every college and university administrator with responsibility for achievingstrategicgoals.”

—AngeloArmenti,Jr.,Ph.D.,President,CaliforniaUniversityofPennsylvania

“Military leaders recognize thatpeopleare centralandessential toachieving theorganization’smission.ThevalueofThe4DisciplinesofExecutioncentersonconnectingeveryonespecifically,concretely,andvisibly to the fulfillmentof thatmission.Everysinglepersonhasaclear role toplay, ismeasured on it, and can celebrate his or her contribution to its achievement.Whetherdelivering combat aircraft to the navy or dramatically improving an urban public educationsystem,thefocusonexecutingafewcriticalgoalswithexcellencemakesthedifferencebetweenfailureorsuccess.”

—CaptainJohnW.Scanlan,USNRetired,ChiefFinancialOfficer,ClevelandMunicipalSchoolDistrict

“The4Disciplines of Execution is a leadership breakthrough enabling strategy into execution.Basedon significant research, thebookdemystifiesmoving from ‘knowing todoing.’With thisapproacheveryonewins!Mostimportant,employeesaremoreengagedintheirwork.Employeesclearlyunderstandandexperiencehowtheireffortsandresultscontributetotheexecutionofacompany’sstrategy.Theirworkismeaningful.Itcontributestoateam,andtheycanbeproudofwhattheyhaveaccomplished.”

—TomHalford,GeneralManagerandMarketing,Whirlpool

“Having spent yearsworkingwith organizationswhose goalwas to achieve greatness, I highlyrecommend reading The 4 Disciplines of Execution! It is truly a how-to manual for teamscommitted to achieving their wildest dreams and amust-read for leaders who have chosen toachievegreatness!”

—AnnRhoades,President,PeopleInk,formerExecutiveVicePresident,JetBlue,formerChiefPeopleOfficer,SouthwestAirlines,andauthorofBuiltonValues

“The4DisciplinesofExecutionoffersnotonlya cleardescriptionof the critical relationshipofexecution to viable strategy but also specific recommendations for increasing the likelihood ofsuccess.Theapproachesrecommendedwillensurefocus,line-of-sightfromtaskstogoals,andtheproduction of simple dashboards to give vital and timely feedback. As important as these,however,aretheauthors’granularexamples,suggestions,andprescriptions.”

—JoelPeterson,Chairman,JetBlueAirways;RobertL.JossConsultingProfessorofManagement,StanfordGraduateSchoolofBusiness;foundingPartner,PetersonPartners

“The4DisciplinesofExecutionhasapowerfulwayofinvitingeveryfrontlineemployeetocommittoandthenexecuteonthehighestprioritygoalsoftheiragency.Asaleaderinthepublicsector,Ifound myself revisiting these principles over and over again at a time when resources weredwindling,whiletheneedforhumanserviceswasrising.”

—B.J.Walker,formerCommissioner,DepartmentofHumanServices,StateofGeorgia

“Myfirstexperiencewiththe4DisciplinesofExecutionwasinameetingwithagroupoffront-linemanagerswhowerereportingtheirfirstsix-monthresults.Isawaroomfullofwinners.Afterapplying these disciplines and this methodology throughout my entire organization, we sawimprovedemployeeengagementandteamworkduringatimeofdownsizing,andweachievedourstretchbusinessobjectives.”

—AlexM.AzarII,President,LillyUSA,LLC

“The 4 Disciplines of Execution is a principle-based system that simplifies the complexities ofeverydayexecutionandgetsusconsistentvalue increaseover time.Thankyou,FranklinCovey,forcrackingtheexecutioncode!”

—JuanBonifasi,ChiefExecutiveOfficer,GrupoEntero,Guatemala

“Keepingtheeyesonexecutionisthesinglemostimportanttaskforaleader.Thisbookprovidesgreat guidance for leaders who want to stay focused on their most important goals. It is apracticalguidetocreatingacadenceofaccountabilitythroughouttheirorganizations.ThebookisasrelevantinEuropeasintherestoftheworld,agreatread,andagreatmethodtoachievestrongresultsovertime.”

—SannaRydberg,HeadofHealthcare,sub-RegionEuropeNorth,AGAGasAB,amemberoftheLindeGroup

“Thebestwaytoprovethevalidityandeffectivenessofanybusinessconceptormethodologyisto apply it to real situations and observe the results obtained. At Bladex, we have had theopportunity to apply the principles proposed byThe 4 Disciplines of Execution as a means tosuccessfullyachievethestrategicobjectivesoftheorganization.Ourexperienceleadsustoaffirmthatwithconsistency,oncethedegreeofmaturityintheapplicationoftheseprinciplesisattained,the desired objectives are gratifyingly achieved and justify the efforts required in the adoptionprocess.Thekeyliesinthedisciplineoftheprocess.”

—MiguelMoreno,ExecutiveVicePresidentandChiefOperatingOfficer,Bladex,ForeignTradeBankofLatinAmerica,Inc.

“Afterapproximatelysevenmonthsworkingwiththe4DisciplinesofExecution,wehaveseenthefollowing improvements in my area; a cost savings from 5.9 percent to 26.1 percent and animprovedbottomlinefrom3.7percentto43.3percent.Butmostimportant,aquantumincreaseinemployeeengagementandtrust.”

—PerBirkemose,RegionalManager,EuromasterDenmark

“Themostimportantthingforusinusingthe4DisciplinesofExecutionwastohavearealimpact

in the achievement of our goals, and that has been the case. The methodology has been anextraordinarytooltoaligntheeffortsofallour7,168collaboratorstowardthecorporategoals,eachknowing their roleand the impactof this inourcorporation.Wealsoobtainedadditionalbenefits,suchasanincreasedexchangeofbestpractices,greaterintegrationandteamwork,andevena toughbuthealthycompetitionbetween thedifferentareas,generatingenormousbenefitforourorganization.”

—RicardoE.Fernández,ChiefOperationsOfficer,CorporaciónBI,Guatemala

“All leaders must read The 4 Disciplines of Execution to help them consistently achievebreakthroughresults.The4Dexecutionprocessisatruecompetitiveadvantageinpresentglobalmarketsandfast-pacedbusinessenvironments.”

—GiulioM.Zafferri,AssociatedSeniorManagementConsultant,CegosItaliaSpa

“The implementationof themethodologyof the4DisciplinesofExecution inourcompanyhashadapositive influence in thecorporateculture to suchextent that todayeachmemberof theorganizationunderstandsthebusinessprioritiesandknowsthecorrectpathtomaterializethem.Today, we have a better viewwith regard to what we expect from each team, and we have acommon language that makes people feel more engaged, since their valuable individualcontribution is better acknowledged.Themethodologynotonly allowsus tohave anadequatefollow-up on the fulfillment of the wildly important goals, but it has also influenced a moreeffectivemanagementofthewayinwhichmeetingsareheld, thusproducingabetterfocusandprioritization. I really recommend the 4Disciplines as an effectivemethod to lead and set thecoursefortheexecutionofstrategy.”

—LuisFernandoValladaresGuillen,ChiefExecutiveOfficer,Tigo,Guatemala

“Beyond theories, the 4 Disciplines of Execution process is a truly useful guide on strategyexecution.Ithaskeptourorganizationfocusedonwhatreallymatterstoachievetheobjectives.Thisbookisagreatinstrumentforourbusinessleaderstoavoidthemostcommonpitfallsintheexecutionofourstrategy,basedonourmultiplebusinessareasacrosstheworld.”

—Dr.PietroLori,President,GeorgFischerPipingSystems

“The implementation of the 4 Disciplines of Execution at Progreso has been a great learningexperience foreverybody in thecompany.Wehavebeenable toworkasa team—theboardofdirectorsandthetopmanagement—toestablishwhatiswildlyimportantforthecompanyandatthe same timedefinea cadenceof accountabilitywith thedifferentbusinessunits,making sureeverybody understands what is expected of them, but more important, being able to followthroughweekbyweekonthethingsthatreallyhelpachieveresults.The4Disciplinesalsohelpedus implement a leadership agenda based on the core values of the company, but with specialemphasis on a culture of execution through performance-basedmanagement.Forme, learningaboutthe4DisciplinesofExecutionhaschangedthewayIsetgoalsinmylife.Now,witheveryactivity inwhichIget involved,Irecommendortrytoapplytheseconcepts ingoalsettingandfollow-through.”

—JoséMiguelTorrebiarte,President,GrupoProgreso,Guatemala

“Overthelasttwentyyearsinchargeofoperations,Ihavemadeitapriorityforassociatesandsupervisorstoexecuteourcoreoperationalroutines.Withthe4DisciplinesofExecution,wehave

beenveryeffectiveininstitutionalizingtheadoptionoftheseroutinesandhavegainedacommonvisibility around our wildly important goals. These three goals have been shared with everyassociate from the 212 Supercenter stores located across Mexico. This effort has increasedsatisfaction and teamwork, resulting in an improvement in the quality of the work life of ourassociates.”

—GuadalupeMorales,VicePresidentofOperations,Supercenters,MexicoandCentralAmerica

“Workinginabusinessenvironmentcharacterizedbyalotofchangesandvariedinformation,the4DisciplinesofExecutionhavereallygivenusastepchangeinorganizationalefficiencythroughprioritizingandsettinguptransparentgoalsandactionsinclosecooperationwiththeemployees.”

—JensErikPedersen,SeniorVicePresident,PowerProduction,DONGEnergy,Denmark

NOTETOREADERSInsomeinstances,peopleorcompaniesportrayedinthisbookareillustrativeexamplesbasedon

theauthors’experiences,buttheyarenotintendedtorepresentaparticularpersonororganization.

VideocontentavailableviaQRcodeoratwww.4dxbook.com.Messageanddataratesmayapply.Videocontentmaynotbeavailableindefinitely.

FreePressADivisionofSimon&Schuster,Inc.

1230AvenueoftheAmericasNewYork,NY10020

www.SimonandSchuster.com

Copyright©2012byFranklinCoveyCo.

Allrightsreserved,includingtherighttoreproducethisbookorportionsthereofinanyformwhatsoever.ForinformationaddressFreePressSubsidiaryRightsDepartment,1230Avenueof

theAmericas,NewYork,NY10020

FirstFreePresshardcovereditionApril2012

FREEPRESSandcolophonaretrademarksofSimon&Schuster,Inc.

TheSimon&SchusterSpeakersBureaucanbringauthorstoyourliveevent.FormoreinformationortobookaneventcontacttheSimon&SchusterSpeakersBureauat1-866-248-

3049orvisitourwebsiteatwww.simonspeakers.com.

DesignedbyJulieSchroeder

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData

McChesney,Chris.The4disciplinesofexecution:achievingyourwildlyimportantgoals/

ChrisMcChesney,SeanCovey,JimHuling.—1sted.p.cm.

1.Goalsettinginpersonnelmanagement.2.Goal(Psychology)3.Organization.I.Covey,Sean.II.Huling,Jim.III.Title.IV.Title:Fourdisciplinesofexecution.

HF5549.5.G6M332012658.4'092—dc232012001672

ISBN978-1-4516-2705-3ISBN978-1-4516-2707-7(eBook)

ToJimStuart,ourfriendandcolleagueandtheoriginatorofthiscontent,foryourbrilliance,insights,andyourpassionforgreatexecution.MayGodblessyouinyournewendeavors.

1946to2006

ThankyouforpurchasingthisFreePresseBook.

Signupforournewsletterandreceivespecialoffers,accesstobonuscontent,andinfoonthelatestnewreleasesandothergreateBooksfromFreePressandSimon&Schuster.

orvisitusonlinetosignupateBookNews.SimonandSchuster.com

Contents

Foreword

StrategyandExecution

ALetter

TheRealProblemwithExecution

Section1:The4DisciplinesofExecutionDiscipline1:FocusontheWildlyImportant

Discipline2:ActontheLeadMeasures

Discipline3:KeepaCompellingScoreboard

Discipline4:CreateaCadenceofAccountability

Section2:Installing4DXwithYourTeamWhattoExpect

InstallingDiscipline1:FocusontheWildlyImportant

InstallingDiscipline2:ActontheLeadMeasures

InstallingDiscipline3:KeepaCompellingScoreboard

InstallingDiscipline4:CreateaCadenceofAccountability

Automating4DX

Section3:Installing4DXinYourOrganizationBestPracticesfromtheBest

FocusingtheOrganizationontheWildlyImportant

RollingOut4DXAcrosstheOrganization

4DXFrequentlyAskedQuestionsBringingItHome

So,NowWhat?

Glossary

Notes

Acknowledgments

Index

Foreword

“The 4 Disciplines of Execution offers more than theories for making strategicorganizationalchange.Theauthorsexplainnotonlythe‘what’butalso‘how’effectiveexecutionisachieved.Theysharenumerousexamplesofcompaniesthathavedonejustthat,notonce,butoverandoveragain.Thisisabookthateveryleadershouldread!”

—ClaytonChristensen,Professor,HarvardBusinessSchool,andauthorofTheInnovator’sDilemma

Andy Grove, who helped found Intel and then led the enterprise for years as its CEO andchairman,hastaughtmesomeextraordinarythings.OneofthemoccurredinameetingwhereheandseveralofhisdirectreportswereplottingthelaunchoftheirCeleronmicroprocessor.Iwasthereasaconsultant.ThetheoryofdisruptionhadidentifiedathreattoIntel.Twocompanies—AMDandCyrix—hadattacked the lowendof themicroprocessormarket, sellingmuch lower-cost chips to companies thatweremaking entry-level computers.Theyhadgaineda significantmarketshareandthenhadbegunmovingup-market.Intelneededtorespond.

Duringabreakinthemeeting,Groveaskedme,“HowdoIdothis?”Ireadilyrespondedthatheneededtosetupadifferent,autonomousbusinessunitthathada

differentoverheadstructureanditsownsalesforce.Andysaid,inhistypicalgruffvoice,“Youaresuchanaïveacademic.Iaskedyouhowtodoit,

andyoutoldmewhatIshoulddo.”Hesworeandsaid,“IknowwhatIneedtodo.Ijustdon’tknowhowtodoit.”

IfeltlikeIwasstandinginfrontofadeitywithnoplacetohide.Grovewasright.Iwasindeedanaïveacademic.IhadjustshownhimthatIdidn’tknowthedifferencebetweenwhatandhow.

AsIflewbacktoBostonIwonderedwhetherIshouldchangethefocusofmyresearchasanacademic, trying to develop a theory of “how.” I dismissed the idea, however, because I reallycouldn’tconceivehowImightdevelopatheoryof“how.”

My research has continued to focus, consequently, on thewhat of business—which we callstrategy—and it hasbeenquiteproductive.Most strategy researchers, consultants, andwritershavegivenusstaticviewsofstrategicissues—snapshotsoftechnologies,companiesandmarkets.Thesnapshotsdescribeataspecificpoint in timethecharacteristicsandpracticesofsuccessfulcompaniesversusstrugglingones;orofexecutiveswhoperformbetterthanothersatthetimeofthesnapshot.Explicitlyorimplicitly,theythenassertthatifyouwanttoperformaswellasthebest-performingones,youshouldfollowwhatthebestcompaniesandthebestexecutivesdo.

My colleagues and I have eschewed the profession of photography. Instead we have beenmaking “movies” of strategy. These are not, however, typical movies that youmight see at atheater, where you see fiction conceived in theminds of the producers and screenwriters. Theunusualmoviesthatwe’remakingatHarvardare“theories.”Theydescribewhatcausesthingstohappenandwhy.Thesetheoriescomprisethe“plots”inthesemovies.Incontrasttothemoviesina theater that are filled with suspense and surprise, the plots of our movies are perfectlypredictable.Youcanreplacetheactorsinourmovies—differentpeople,companiesandindustries

—andwatch themovie again.You can choose the actions that these actors take in themovie.Because theplots in thesemoviesaregrounded in theoriesof causality,however, the resultsoftheseactionsareperfectlypredictable.

Boring,youask?Probably, to thosewhoseekentertainment.Butmanagers,whomustknowwhethertheirstrategy—thewhatoftheirwork—istherightoneorthewrongone,needasmuchcertaintyaspossible.Becausethetheoryistheplot,youcanrewindthemovieandwatchthepastrepeatedly, if youwant, to understandwhat causeswhat andwhy to a certain point.Anotherfeatureofmoviesofthissortisthatyoucanwatchthefuture,too—beforeitactuallyoccurs.Youcan change your plans, based upon different situations in which youmight find yourself, andwatchinthemoviewhatwillhappenasaresult.

Withoutboasting,Ithinkitisfairtosaythatourresearchonstrategy,innovation,andgrowthhashelpedmanagerswhohavetakenthetimetoreadandunderstandthetheories,ormovies,ofstrategytobecomeandsustainsuccessmorefrequentlythanwashistoricallythecase.

Whatremains is the“how”ofmanagingacompanyduringtimesofchange.This“how”hasbeenstudiedminimally,untilthisbook.

The reason why good research on “how” has taken so long to emerge is that it requires adifferentscaleofresearch.Causaltheoriesofstrategy—the“what”—typicallycomefromadeepstudyofonecompany,aswasthecasewithmydisk-drivestudy.The“how”ofstrategicchange,incontrast,arises incessantly ineverycompany.Developinga theoryof“how”means thatyoucan’tstudythisphenomenononceinonecompany.Youcan’ttakesnapshotsof“how.”Rather,youneedtostudyitindeepdetailoverandoveragain,overyears,inmanycompanies.Thescaleof thisendeavor iswhyIandotheracademicshave ignored the“how”ofstrategicchange.Wesimply could not do it. It requires the perspective, insight, and the scale of a company likeFranklinCoveytodoit.

This is the reasonwhy I am so excitedabout thebook. It isn’t abook filledwithanecdotesabout companies that succeededonce.Rather, thebook truly containsa theoryof causalityof“how”effectiveexecutionisachieved.Theauthorshavegivenusnotsnapshotsofexecutionbutmovies—movies thatwe can rewind and study over and over, intowhich you, as a leader caninsertyourcompanyandyourpeopleasactors.Andyoucanwatchyourfuturebeforeitemerges.Thisbookisderivedfromdeepstudyofmanycompaniesovertimeastheydeployednewwaysofdoing“how,”storebystore,hotelbyhotel,divisionbydivision.

IhopeyouwillenjoythisbookasmuchasIhave.

—ClaytonChristensen,HarvardBusinessSchool

StrategyandExecution

There are twoprincipal things a leader can influencewhen it comes toproducing results: yourstrategy(orplan)andyourabilitytoexecutethatstrategy.

Stopforamomentandaskyourselfthisquestion:Which of these do leaders struggle with more? Is it creating a strategy, or executing the

strategy?Everytimeweposethisquestiontoleadersanywhereintheworld,theiranswerisimmediate:

“Execution!”Now,askyourselfasecondquestion:IfyouhaveanMBAorhavetakenbusinessclasses,whatdidyoustudymore—executionor

strategy?When we ask leaders this question, the response, once again, is immediate: “Strategy!” It’s

perhapsnotsurprisingthattheareawithwhichleadersstrugglemostisalsotheoneinwhichtheyhavetheleasteducation.

Afterworkingwiththousandsof leadersandteams ineverykindof industry,and inschoolsandgovernmentagenciesworldwide, this iswhatwehave learned:onceyou’vedecidedwhat todo,yourbiggestchallengeisingettingpeopletoexecuteitatthelevelofexcellenceyouneed.

Whyisexecutionsodifficult?Afterall,ifthestrategyisclear,andyouastheleaderaredrivingit,won’ttheteamnaturallyengagetoachieveit?Theansweris“no,”andit’slikelythatyourownexperiencehasproventhismorethanonce.

Thebookyouarereadingrepresentsthemostactionableandimpactfulinsightsfromallthatwe’velearned.Init,youwilldiscoverasetofdisciplinesthathavebeenembracedbythousandsofleadersandhundredsofthousandsoffront-lineworkers,enablingthemtoproduceextraordinaryresults.

ALetter

WhenIsawathree-hourmeetingonmycalendarthatday,Iwasskeptical.AsanewVPofEliLillyandCompany’sU.S.affiliate,Iwasswamped.Butsinceoneofmyleaderswasrunningthemeeting,Idecidedtoattend.

It was a decision I will always be glad I made, because within the first fewminutes of themeetingIrealizedIwasseeingsomethingspecial.Iwatchedateamreportingontheremarkableresults they had achieved by piloting a new set of practices known as the 4 Disciplines ofExecution.Thesewere individualswhohadnot only achieved their goals, butwhowalked andtalkedlikewinners.Theirchestswereoutandtheirheadsheldhigh.Asaleader,Iwantedthoseresults,butmoreimportant,Iwantedthatmindsetthroughoutmyentireorganization.

We launched the 4Disciplines throughout ourmanaged healthcare business, aiming at twocritical goals: to dramatically increase customer access to our medicines while simultaneouslyimproving bottom-line profitability. During this same period, there was a larger initiativethroughoutLillytoreorganizeformoreeffectiveoperations.Wecouldnothavechosenamoredifficult context for creating engagement. In the end, we exceeded both of our goals by asignificantmargin,buttheseresultswerenotreallyourgreatestoutcome.

Ourgreatestoutcomewasstrengtheningourculturebyraisingtheengagementofourteams.Duringatimeofhighdemandcoupledwithareorganizationthatbroughtsignificantchange,ouremployeeengagementscoresactuallywentup.

Ioften lookbackon thedecision toattend that initialmeeting,andmore important,on thejourneywe’vemadetocreatenotonlygreatbusinessresultsbutalsoahigh-performingculture.Itwasapivotaldecisionforme—onethatchangedthewayIleadforever.

AlexAzarPresident,LillyUSA,LLC

TheRealProblemwithExecution

B. J. Walker was facing the greatest challenge of her career. As the newly appointedCommissioneroftheDepartmentofHumanServicesfortheU.S.StateofGeorgia in2004,shecouldseethathertwentythousandemployeeswerecompletelydemoralized.Thedepartmenthadburnedthroughsixcommissionersinfiveyearsandwasunderconstantmediascrutiny,duetothenumberofdeathsandaccidentsinvolvingchildreninthestate’scare.Formonths,heremployeeshadoperatedunderconstantfearofmakingamistake,whichonlymadetheirpoorproductivityworseandledtosomeofthelargestbacklogsinthecountry.B.J.Walkerneededawaytobringfocusanddirectiontoherteamandsheknewthattheclockwasticking.

Less than eighteen months later, B. J. and her team had reduced repeat cases of childmaltreatmentbyastunning60percent.

•••

OneofthehotelsnearMarriottInternational’sheadquarters,theBethesdaMarriott,wantedtoimprove performance measures, an effort magnified by being so close to the company’sleadership.GeneralManagerBrianHilger,histeamandthehotel’sownersworkedtogetherona$20millionrenovationthatincludedremodeledrooms,animpressivelobbyandanewrestaurant—improvementscritical tohigherguestscores.Andtheresultswereamazing—thehotel lookedfantastic.Buttheguestscoreswerestillnotatdesiredlevels…yet.Thesecondpartoftheequationwould involve how associates interacted with guests and executed at the hotel—a strategydependentonnewbehaviors.

LINK:http//www.4dxbook.com/qr/CaseStudies

AfteroneyearBrianandhis teamproudlycelebratedearning thehighestGuestSatisfactionScores in the thirty-yearhistoryof thehotel.AsBriansaid,“Iused todreadthearrivalofournewGuestSatisfactionScoreseveryFriday.Now,I’mexcitedtogetuponFridaymornings.”

•••

Thesestories fromEliLilly, theStateofGeorgia,andMarriott soundverydifferent fromeachother,buttheyaren’t.Foreachoftheseleaders,thechallengewasessentiallythesame.Sowasthesolution.

Their common challenge? Executing a strategy that required a significant change in humanbehavior—thebehaviorofmany,orevenall,ofthepeopleintheteamororganization.

Theircommonsolution?DeeplyimplantingThe4DisciplinesofExecution(4DX).All leaders strugglewith this challenge even if they don’t realize it. If you’re leadingpeople,

right now you are probably trying to get them to do something different.Whether you lead asmallwork teamor awhole company, a family or a factory, no significant result is achievableunless people change their behavior. Yet, to be successful, you will need more than just their

compliance;youwillneedtheircommitment.Asevery leaderknows,gettingthecommitmentofheartsandminds,thekindofcommitmentthatwillendureinthemidstofthedailygrind,isnoteasy.

Wecompletedmorethanfifteenhundredimplementationsofthe4Disciplinesbeforewewereready towrite this book.Why?Becausewewanted to test and refine the 4Disciplines againsthundreds of real-world challenges like the ones faced by Alex Azar, B. J. Walker, and BrianHilger.

Whenyouexecuteastrategythatrequiresalastingchangeinthebehaviorofotherpeople,youarefacingoneofthegreatestleadershipchallengesyouwillevermeet.Withthe4DisciplinesofExecution,youarenotexperimentingwithan interesting theory;youare implementinga setofprovenpracticesthatmeetthatchallengesuccessfullyeverytime.

THEREALCHALLENGEWhetheryoucall it a strategy,agoal,or simplyan improvement effort, any initiativeyouasaleaderdriveinordertosignificantlymoveyourteamororganizationforwardwillfallintooneoftwo categories: The first requires mainly a stroke of the pen; the second requires behavioralchange.

Stroke-of-the-penstrategiesarethosethatyouexecutejustbyorderingorauthorizingthemtobedone. Simplyput, if youhave themoney and the authority, you canmake themhappen. Itmightbeamajorcapitalinvestment,achangeinthecompensationsystem,arealignmentofrolesandresponsibilities,addingstaff,oranewadvertisingcampaign.Whileexecutingthesestrategiesmayrequireplanning,consensus,guts,brains,andmoney,youknowthatintheenditisgoingtohappen.

Behavioral-change strategies are very different from stroke-of-the-pen strategies. You can’tjustorderthemtohappen,becauseexecutingthemrequiresgettingpeople—oftenalotofpeople—todosomethingdifferent.Andifyou’veevertriedtogetotherpeopletochangetheirways,youknowhowtoughitis.Changingyourselfishardenough.

For example, youmayhave to get all of your store employees to greet every customer thatentersthestorewithinthirtyseconds,orgetyourentiresalesforcetobeginusingthenewCRMsystem,orgetyourproductdevelopmentteamtocollaboratewiththemarketingteam.Ifyou’reAlexAzarorB.J.Walker,youmaybechangingroutinesthathavebeenentrenchedfordecades.Thisstuffishard!

STROKEOFTHEPENStrategy

BEHAVIORCHANGEStrategy

CapitalInvestment ImprovedCustomerExperience

ExpansionofStaff HigherQuality

ProcessChange FasterResponsiveness

StrategicAcquisition OperationalConsistency

MediaBuy ConsultativeSalesApproach

ChangeinProductMix ReducedCostOverrunsExamplesofstrategicmovesthatrequirepeopletochangetheirbehaviorcontrastedwiththosethatcanbeexecutedby“thestrokeofapen.”

It’salsonotuncommontofindmanystroke-of-the-penstrategiesthat,onceapproved,evolveintothosethatrequiresignificantbehavioralchange.

OurcolleagueJimStuart summarized this challengeas follows:“Toachieveagoalyouhaveneverachievedbefore,youmust startdoing thingsyouhaveneverdonebefore.” It couldbeanew sales approach, an effort to improve patient satisfaction, better project managementdiscipline, or adherence to a newmanufacturing process. If it requires people to do somethingdifferent,youaredrivingabehavioral-changestrategyandit’snotgoingtobeeasy.

Haveyoueverfoundyourselfonthewaytoworkmutteringsomethinglike,“Fortheloveofheaven,can’twejustdothisonething?”

If so, thenyou rememberhow it feltwhen the inability togetpeople tochangewas theonethingstandingbetweenyouandtheresultsyouwanted.Andyou’renotalone.

In a key study on organizational change, the global management-consulting firm Bain &Companyreportsthesefindings:“About65percentof initiativesrequiredsignificantbehavioralchangeon thepartof front-line employees—something thatmanagersoften fail to considerorplanforinadvance.”1

Despite the significanceof thisproblem, leaders seldom recognize it.Youdon’thear leaderssaying, “Iwish Iwere better at driving strategies that require people to do things differently.”Whatyouaremorelikelytohearisaleadersaying,“IwishIdidn’thaveTom,Paul,andSuetodealwith!”

It’snaturalforaleadertoassumethepeoplearetheproblem.Afterall,theyaretheonesnotdoingwhatweneedtohavedone.Butyouwouldbewrong.Thepeoplearenottheproblem!

W.EdwardsDeming,thefatherofthequalitymovement,taughtthatanytimethemajorityofthepeoplebehaveaparticularwaythemajorityofthetime,thepeoplearenottheproblem.Theproblemisinherentinthesystem.2Asaleader,youownresponsibilityforthesystem.Althoughaparticularpersoncanbeabigproblem,ifyoufindyourselfblamingthepeople,youshouldlookagain.

Whenwebegan to study this challenge severalyearsago,we firstwanted tounderstand therootcausesofweakexecution.Wecommissionedaninternationalsurveyofworkingpeopleandexamined hundreds of businesses and government agencies. During the early stages of ourresearchwefoundproblemseverywherewelooked.

One prime suspect behind execution breakdown was clarity of the objective: People simplydidn’tunderstandthegoaltheyweresupposedtoexecute.Infact,inourinitialsurveyswelearnedthat only one employee in seven could name even one of their organization’s most importantgoals.That’sright—15percentcouldnotnameevenoneofthetopthreegoalstheirleadershadidentified. The other 85 percent named what they thought was the goal, but it often didn’tremotelyresemblewhattheirleadershadsaid.Thefurtherfromthetopoftheorganization,thelowertheclarity.Andthatwasjustthebeginningoftheproblemsweuncovered.

Lackofcommitmenttothegoalwasanotherproblem.Eventhosepeoplewhoknewthegoallackedcommitmenttoachievingit.Only51percentcouldsaythattheywerepassionateabouttheteam’sgoal,leavingalmosthalftheteamsimplygoingthroughthemotions.

Accountabilitywasalsoanissue.Astaggering81percentofthepeoplesurveyedsaidtheywerenot held accountable for regular progress on the organization’s goals.And the goalswere nottranslated into specific actions—87 percent had no clear idea what they should be doing toachievethegoal.Nowonderexecutionissoinconsistent.

Inshort,peopleweren’tsurewhatthegoalwas,weren’tcommittedtoit,didn’tknowwhattodoaboutitspecifically,andweren’tbeingheldaccountableforit.

Thesewereonlythemostobviousexplanationsastowhyexecutionbreaksdown.Onamoresubtle level, there were problems with lack of trust, misaligned compensation systems, poordevelopmentprocessesandpoordecisionmaking.

Ourfirstinstinctwastosay“Fixeverything!Fixitall,andthenyou’llbeabletoexecuteyourstrategy.”Itwaslikeadvisingthemtoboiltheocean.

Asweduginfurther,webegantoputourfingeronafarmorefundamentalcauseofexecutionbreakdown. Certainly all of the problems we just cited—the lack of clarity, commitment,collaboration,andaccountability—exacerbatethedifficultyofstrategyexecution.But,inreality,theyinitiallydistractedusfromseeingthedeeperproblem.Youmayhaveheardtheexpression,“Fish discover water last.” That expression sums up our discovery very well. Like a fishdiscovering the water it’s been swimming in the whole time, we finally realized that thefundamental problem with execution had always been right in front of us. We hadn’t seen itbecauseitwaseverywhere,hidinginplainsight.

THEWHIRLWINDTherealenemyofexecutionisyourdayjob!Wecallitthewhirlwind.It’sthemassiveamountofenergythat’snecessaryjusttokeepyouroperationgoingonaday-to-daybasis;and, ironically,it’salsothethingthatmakesitsohardtoexecuteanythingnew.Thewhirlwindrobsfromyouthefocusrequiredtomoveyourteamforward.

Leaders seldom differentiate between the whirlwind and strategic goals because both arenecessary to the survival of the organization. However, they are clearly different, and moreimportant,theycompeterelentlesslyfortime,resources,energy,andattention.Wedon’thavetotellyouwhichwillusuallywinthisfight.

Thewhirlwindisurgentanditactsonyouandeveryoneworkingforyoueveryminuteofeveryday.Thegoalsyou’vesetformovingforwardare important,butwhenurgencyandimportanceclash,urgencywillwineverytime.Onceyoubecomeawareofthisstruggle,youwillseeitplayingouteverywhere,inanyteamthatistryingtoexecuteanythingnew.

Importantgoalsthatrequireyoutodonewanddifferentthingsoftenconflictwiththe“whirlwind”ofthedayjob,madeupofurgenciesthatconsumeyourtimeandenergy.

Consideryourownexperience.Canyourememberan important initiative that launchedwellandthendied?Howdidtheendcome?Wasitwithaloudcrashandatremendousexplosion?Ordiditgodownquietlyovertime,suffocatedbythewhirlwind?We’veaskedthousandsofleadersthisquestionandwealwaysgetthesameanswer:“Slowsuffocation!”It’slikefindingthatfadedtee-shirt in the bottom of your drawer and saying, “Oh yeah, Operation Summit. I wonderwhateverhappenedtothat.”Itdied,andyoudidn’tevenhaveafuneral.

Executing in spite of thewhirlwindmeansovercomingnot only its powerful distraction, butalsotheinertiaof“thewayit’salwaysbeendone.”We’renotsayingthatthewhirlwindisbad.Itisn’t.Itkeepsyourorganizationaliveandyoucan’tignoreit.Ifyouignoretheurgent,itcankillyoutoday.It’salsotrue,however,thatifyouignoretheimportant,itcankillyoutomorrow.Inotherwords,ifyouandyourteamoperatesolelyfromwithinthewhirlwind,youwon’tprogress—all your energy is spent just trying to stayupright in thewind.The challenge is executingyourmostimportantgoalsinthemidstoftheurgent!

Differentleadersexperiencethewhirlwindindifferentways.Aseniorexecutivewithoneoftheworld’s largest home-improvement retailers describes it this way: “We don’t have dragonsswoopingdownandknockingusoffourpriorities.Whatwehavearegnats.Everydaywehavegnats getting in our eyes, and when we look back over the last six months, we haven’taccomplishedanyofthethingswesaidweweregoingto.”

You’vealmostcertainlyfoundyourselffacingthewhirlwindwhenyouweretryingtoexplainanewgoalorstrategytosomeonewhoworksforyou.Canyouremembertheconversation?Yourmind iscenteredclearlyonthegoalandyouareexplaining it ineasy-to-understandterms.But,whileyou’retalking,thepersonyouaretalkingtoisbackingslowlyoutoftheroom,allthewhilenoddingandreassuringyou,buttryingtogetbacktowhattheywouldcalltherealwork,anothernameforthewhirlwind.

Isthatemployeefullyengagedinachievingthatgoal?Notachance.Ishetryingtosabotageyourgoalorundercutyourauthority?No.He’sjusttryingtosurviveinhiswhirlwind.

Toillustrate,oneofourcolleaguessharesthisstory:“Iwaschairofthecommunitycouncilformylocalhighschool,andweasacouncildeveloped

aseriousgoalof improvingtestscores.Myjobwastoorient theteachers tothenewgoal,soImadeanappointmentwithkeyteacherstoexplainwhatweweredoingandgetthingsstarted.

“AtfirstIwasbaffled—theydidn’tseemtobelisteningtome.Slowly,Ilearnedwhy:Ononeteacher’slittledeskwasastackthatlookedlikeathousandpapers.Itwasjustoneday’scollectionofessaysshewouldhavetoevaluateandgrade.Plus,shehadaparentconferencetogotoandthenextday’slessonstoplan.ShelookedkindofhelplesswhileIjabberedonandon,butshewasn’t

reallylistening.Therewasn’troominherbrainforthis,andIdidn’tblameher!”Let’ssummarizewhatwe’vesaidsofar.First,ifyouaregoingtocreatesignificantresultsyou

will eventuallyhave to execute abehavioral-change strategy.Stroke-of-the-penmoveswill onlytakeyousofar.Second,whenyouundertakeabehavioral-changestrategyyouwillbebattlingthewhirlwind—anditisaveryworthyadversary,undefeatedinmanyorganizations.

The4DisciplinesofExecutionaren’tdesignedformanagingyourwhirlwind.The4Disciplinesarerulesforexecutingyourmostcriticalstrategyinthemidstofyourwhirlwind.

THE4DISCIPLINESOFEXECUTIONTimHarford, author ofTheUndercover Economist, said, “You showme a successful complexsystem,andIwillshowyouasystemthathasevolvedthroughtrialanderror.”3Inthecaseofthe4DisciplinesofExecutionhe is absolutely right. It benefited fromwell-researched ideas, but itevolvedthroughtrialanderror.

In our initial research with Harris Interactive we surveyed nearly thirteen thousand peopleinternationally across seventeen different industry groups and completed internal assessmentswith five hundred different companies. Over the years, we’ve added to this foundation bysurveying almost three-hundred thousand leaders and team members. This research has beenvaluable as a foundation for the principles and in guiding our early conclusions, but the realinsightsdidnotcomefromresearch.Theycamefromworkingwithpeoplelikeyouinoverfifteenhundredimplementations.Thiseffortiswhatenabledustodevelopprinciplesandmethodsthatweknowwillworkregardlessoftheindustryorthenationinwhichtheyareimplemented.

There is good news and bad news here. The good news is that there are rules—rules forexecutinginthefaceofthewhirlwind.Thebadnews?Thebadnewsisthattherearerules—thekindsofrulesthathaveimmediateconsequencesifyouviolatethem.

Although the disciplines may seem simple at first glance, they are not simplistic. They willprofoundlychangethewayyouapproachyourgoals.Onceyouadoptthem,youwillneverleadinthe sameway again, whether you are a project coordinator, lead a small sales team, or run aFortune500 company.Webelieve they represent amajorbreakthrough inhow tomove teamsandorganizationsforward.

Here’saquickoverviewofthe4Disciplines.

Discipline1:FocusontheWildlyImportantBasically, themoreyou try todo, the less youactually accomplish.This is a stark, inescapableprinciplethatwealllivewith.Somewherealongtheway,mostleadersforgetthis.Why?Becausesmart, ambitious leaders don’t want to do less, they want to do more, even when they knowbetter.Isn’t it reallydifficult foryoutosayno toagood idea,much lessagreatone?Andyet,there will always be more good ideas than you and your teams have the capacity to execute.That’swhyyourfirstchallengeisfocusingonthewildlyimportant.

Focusisanaturalprinciple.Thesun’sscatteredraysaretooweaktostartafire,butonceyoufocusthemwithamagnifyingglasstheywillbringpapertoflameinseconds.Thesameistrueofhuman beings—once their collective energy is focused on a challenge, there is little they can’taccomplish.

Discipline1:Focusonthewildly importantrequiresyoutogoagainstyourbasicwiringasaleaderandfocuson less sothatyourteamcanachievemore.Whenyou implementDiscipline1youstartbyselectingone(or,at themost, two)extremely importantgoals, insteadof tryingtosignificantlyimproveeverythingallatonce.Wecallthisawildlyimportantgoal(WIG)tomakeitcleartotheteamthatthisisthegoalthatmattersmost.Failuretoachieveitwillmakeeveryotheraccomplishmentseemsecondary,orpossiblyeveninconsequential.

TakechampioncyclistLanceArmstrong.Atonepoint inhiscareer,hecompletelydedicatedhimself to winning the Tour de France. His WIG was to win the big one—again and again.Achievingthatgoalmeantthatevenwhenhecompetedinotherraces,theywerealwaysinservicetohisWIGofwinningtheTour,nomatterhowimportantorprestigioustheymayhavebeen.Italso meant constant specialized training and going over every centimeter of the route andplanning precisely how to execute every stage of the Tour. The result of this powerful focus?LanceArmstrongwonsevenToursdeFrance—morethananyoneinhistory.4

Ifyou’recurrentlytryingtoexecutefive,ten,oreventwentyimportantgoals,thetruthisthatyour teamcan’t focus.This lackof focusmagnifies the intensityof thewhirlwind,dilutes yourefforts, andmakes successalmost impossible.This is especiallyproblematicwhen thereare toomanygoalsatthehighest levelsoftheorganization,allofwhicheventuallycascadeintodozensand ultimately hundreds of goals as they work their way down throughout the organization,creatingawebofcomplexity.

However,whenyounarrowthefocusofyourteamtooneortwowildlyimportantgoals,theteam can easily distinguish betweenwhat is truly top priority andwhat is thewhirlwind.Theymove from a loosely defined and difficult-to-communicate collection of objectives to a small,focusedsetofachievabletargets.Discipline1isthedisciplineoffocus.Withoutit,youwillnevergettheresultsyouwant.It’salsoonlythebeginning.

Discipline2:ActontheLeadMeasuresThisisthedisciplineofleverage.It’sbasedonthesimpleprinciplethatallactionsarenotcreatedequal.Someactionshavemoreimpactthanotherswhenreachingforagoal.Anditisthosethatyouwanttoidentifyandactonifyouwanttoreachyourgoal.

Whateverstrategyyou’repursuing,yourprogressandyoursuccesswillbebasedontwokindsofmeasures:lagandlead.

Lagmeasuresarethetrackingmeasurementsofthewildlyimportantgoal,andtheyareusuallytheonesyouspendmostofyourtimeprayingover.Revenue,profit,marketshare,andcustomersatisfactionarealllagmeasures,meaningthatwhenyoureceivethem,theperformancethatdrovethemisalready inthepast.That’swhyyou’repraying—bythetimeyougeta lagmeasure,youcan’tfixit.It’shistory.

Leadmeasuresarequitedifferentinthattheyarethemeasuresofthemosthigh-impactthingsyourteammustdotoreachthegoal.Inessence,theymeasurethenewbehaviorsthatwilldrivesuccessonthelagmeasures,whetherthosebehaviorsareassimpleasofferingasampletoeverycustomerinthebakeryorascomplexasadheringtostandardsinjet-enginedesign.

Agoodleadmeasurehastwobasiccharacteristics:It’spredictiveofachievingthegoalanditcan be influenced by the teammembers. To understand these two characteristics, consider thesimplegoaloflosingweight.Whilethelagmeasureispoundslost,twoleadmeasuresmightbeaspecificlimitoncaloriesperdayandaspecificnumberofhoursofexerciseperweek.Theselead

measuresarepredictivebecausebyperformingtothem,youcanpredictwhatthescale (the lagmeasure)willtellyounextweek.Theyareinfluenceablebecausebothofthesenewbehaviorsarewithinyourcontrol.

Actingontheleadmeasuresisoneofthelittle-knownsecretsofexecution.Mostleaders,evensomeofthemostexperienced,aresofocusedonlagmeasuresthatthedisciplinetofocusontheleadmeasuresfeelscounterintuitive.

Don’tmisunderstand.Lagmeasuresareultimatelythemostimportantthingsyouaretryingtoaccomplish.Butleadmeasures,truetotheirname,arewhatwillgetyoutothelagmeasures.Onceyou’veidentifiedyourleadmeasures,theybecomethekeyleveragepointsforachievingyourgoal.

Discipline3:KeepaCompellingScoreboardPeople play differently when they’re keeping score. If you doubt this, watch any group ofteenagers playing basketball and see how the game changes the minute scorekeeping begins.However,thetruthofthisstatementismoreclearlyrevealedbyachangeinemphasis:Peopleplaydifferentlywhentheyarekeepingscore.It’snotaboutyoukeepingscoreforthem.

Discipline 3 is the discipline of engagement. In principle, the highest level of performancealways comes from people who are emotionally engaged and the highest level of engagementcomesfromknowingthescore—that is, ifpeopleknowwhether theyarewinningor losing.It’sthatsimple.Bowlingthroughacurtainmightbefuninthebeginning;butifyoucan’tseethepinsfallitwillsoonbecomeboring,evenifyoureallylovebowling.

Ifyou’venarrowedyourfocusinDiscipline1(yourWIGwithalagmeasure)anddeterminedthecriticalleadmeasuresthatwillkeepyouoncoursetowardthatgoalinDiscipline2,youhavetheelementsofawinnablegame.Thenextstepistocapturethatgameonasimplebutcompellingscoreboard.

Thekindofscoreboardthatwilldrivethehighestlevelsofengagementwithyourteamwillbeone that is designed solely for (and often by) the players. This players’ scoreboard is quitedifferentfromthecomplexcoach’sscoreboardthat leaders lovetocreate.Itmustbesimple,sosimplethatmembersoftheteamcandetermineinstantlyiftheyarewinningorlosing.Whydoesthismatter?Ifthescoreboardisn’tclear,thegameyouwantpeopletoplaywillbeabandonedinthewhirlwindofotheractivities.Andifyourteamdoesn’tknowwhetherornottheyarewinningthegame,theyareprobablyontheirwaytolosing.

Discipline4:CreateaCadenceofAccountabilityDiscipline4iswhereexecutionreallyhappens.Thefirstthreedisciplinessetupthegame,butuntilyouapplyDiscipline4,yourteamisn’tinthegame.Itisbasedontheprincipleofaccountability:that unlesswe consistently hold each other accountable, the goal naturally disintegrates in thewhirlwind.

Thecadenceofaccountabilityisarhythmofregularandfrequentmeetingsofanyteamthatownsawildlyimportantgoal.Thesemeetingshappenatleastweeklyandideallylastnomorethantwenty to thirty minutes. In that brief time, team members hold each other accountable forproducingresults,despitethewhirlwind.

Whyisthecadenceofaccountabilitysoimportant?Considertheexperienceofsomeonewithwhomwe’veworked.Heandhisteen-agedaughter

made an agreement that shewouldbe allowed the use of the family car if shewashed it everySaturdaymorning.HewouldmeetwithhereachSaturdaytomakesurethecarwasclean.

TheymetonSaturdayforseveralweeksandeverythingwentwell,butthenhehadtogooutoftownfortwoSaturdaysinarow.Whenhereturned,hefoundthatthecarhadnotbeencleaned.Heaskedhisdaughterwhyshehadn’ttakencareofherjob.

“Oh,”shereplied.“Arewestilldoingthat?”Ittookonlytwoweeksfortheaccountabilitysystemtobreakdown.Ifthiswasthecaseina

one-on-one situation, thinkhowmuchmore itapplies toawork teamorawholeorganization.Themagicisinthecadence.Teammembersmustbeabletoholdeachotheraccountableregularlyandrhythmically.Eachweek,onebyone,teammembersanswerasimplequestion:“WhataretheoneortwomostimportantthingsIcandointhenextweek(outsidethewhirlwind)thatwillhavethebiggestimpactonthescoreboard?”Thenmembersreportonwhethertheymetthepreviousweek’scommitments,howwelltheyaremovingtheleadandlagmeasuresonthescoreboard,andtheircommitmentsforthecomingweek,allinonlyafewminutes.

The secret toDiscipline 4, in addition to the repeated cadence, is that teammembers createtheirowncommitments.It’scommontofindteamswherethemembersexpect,evenwant,simplytobetoldwhattodo.However,becausetheymaketheirowncommitments,theirownershipofthemincreases.Teammemberswillalwaysbemorecommittedtotheirownideasthantheywilltoorders fromabove.Evenmore important,making commitments to their teammembers, ratherthan solely to the boss, shifts the emphasis from professional to personal. Simply put, thecommitmentsgobeyondtheirjobperformancetobecomepromisestotheteam.

Becausetheteamcommitstoanewsetofobjectiveseachweek,thisdisciplinecreatesajust-in-timeweeklyexecutionplanthatadaptstochallengesandopportunitiesthatcanneverbeforeseeninanannualstrategicplan.Inthisway,theplan isadaptingasfastasthebusiness ischanging.The result?The team candirect enormous energy to thewildly important goalwithout gettingblockedbytheshiftingwhirlwindofchangeallaroundthem.

Whenyourteambeginstoseethelagmeasureofabiggoalmovingasadirectresultoftheirefforts,theywillknowtheyarewinning.Andwehavefoundnothingthatdrivesthemoraleandengagementofateammorethanwinning.

Aremarkableexampleisaworld-classluxuryhotelchainthatsetaWIGwithalagmeasureof97percent guest retention. “If you stayhereonce,wewant youback!”was theirmantra.Andtheyexecutedthatgoalwithexcellence.

LINK:http//www.4dxbook.com/qr/17Overview

Theychosetoachievetheirgoalthroughleadmeasuresofindividualizedpersonalservice.So,whatdidtheydodifferently?Every staffmember had a role in achieving that goal.Housekeepers, for example, carefully

recordedoncomputers the individualpreferencesofeachguestso theycouldprovide thesameservices each time the customer came back. One guest asked the maid to leave his partiallysmokedcigarintheashtraybecausehewouldbereturningtotheroom.Whenhereturned,therewasanewcigarofthesamebrandintheashtray.Hethoughtthatwasnice,butwhatheneverexpectedwastofindanewcigarofthatbrandwaitingforhiminhisroominanotherhotelinthechainmonthslater!Hesays,“Now,Ihavetogobackjusttoseeifthecigarwillbethere.They

ownme!”Inadditiontotheirwhirlwind,thehousekeepershadquiteafewnewthingstodo:noteguest

preferences,enterandretrieveguestpreferencesfromacomputer,and fulfillguestpreferences.Clearly,thehousekeeperswouldnothavedoneallthosenewthingsiftheyhadn’tknownwithoutquestion:

•Thatthegoalofcustomerretentionwastoppriority

•Thatafewnewactivitieswerevitaltoachievingthatgoal

•Thattheywouldtrackthoseactivitiescarefully

•Thattheywouldaccountfortheircommitmentsdaily

Inotherwords:

•Theyknewthegoal(Discipline1)

•Theyknewwhattodotoachievethegoal(Discipline2)

•Theyknewthescoreatalltimes(Discipline3)

•Theyheldthemselvesaccountableregularlyandfrequentlyfortheresults(Discipline4)

Thesearethecharacteristicsoforganizationsthatpracticethe4DisciplinesofExecution.People want to win. They want to make a contribution that matters. However, too many

organizations lack this kind of discipline—the conscious, consistent regimen needed to executekeygoalswithexcellence.Thefinancialimpactofafailuretoexecutecanbehuge,butitisonlyoneoftheimpacts.Anotheristhehumancosttopeoplewhowanttogivetheirbestandbepartofawinning team.Bycontrast,nothing ismoremotivating thanbelonging toa teamofpeoplewhoknowthegoalandaredeterminedtogetthere.

The 4 Disciplines work because they are based on principles, not practices. Practices aresituational, subjective, and always evolving. Principles are timeless and self-evident, and theyapply everywhere. They are natural laws, like gravity.Whether you understand them or evenagreewiththemdoesn’tmatter—theystillapply.

Oneof the best-sellingbusiness booksof all time isThe 7Habits ofHighlyEffectivePeoplewritten by StephenR.Covey. In his book, Stephen identified some of the core principles thatgovernhumanbehaviorandeffectiveness,suchasresponsibility,vision,integrity,understanding,collaboration,andrenewal.

Justasthereareprinciplesthatgovernhumanbehavior,thereareprinciplesthatgovernhowteamsget thingsdone,orhowtheyexecute.Webelieve theprinciplesofexecutionhavealwaysbeenfocus, leverage,engagement,andaccountability.Arethereotherprinciplesatplaywhen itcomes toexecution?Yes.But is theresomethingspecialabout these fourandtheir sequencing?Absolutely.Wedidn’tinventthemandwefreelyacknowledgethatunderstandingthemhasneverbeentheproblem.Thechallengeforleadershasbeenfindingawaytoimplementthem,especiallywhenthewhirlwindisraging.

HOWTHISBOOKISORGANIZEDThe4DisciplinesofExecution isorganized into threeparts toprovideyouwithaprogressivelydeeperunderstandingofthedisciplinesandtheirapplicationtoanyteam.

Section 1, “The 4 Disciplines of Execution,” presents a thorough understanding of the 4Disciplines. This section also explains why these apparently simple concepts are actually sodifficult to practice and why they are the key to successfully meeting any leader’s greatestchallenge.

Section2,“Installing4DXwithYourTeam,”isdesignedlikeafieldguide.Itgivesverydetailedstep-by-stepinstructionsforimplementingthedisciplineswithinyourteam.Aseparatechapterisdevotedtoeachdiscipline.Thefinalchapterofthissectionintroducesyoutoanonlinesystemformanagingthe4Disciplineswithyourteam.

Section3,“Installing4DX inYourOrganization,”providesyouwith some rulesof the roadthathaveevolvedfromthehundredsofimplementationswe’veguidedoverthepastdecade.Youwill gain insights from the leaders of top companies who are successfully using 4DX to drivestrategyandcreatebreakthroughresults in theirorganizations.This sectionalsoanswers, fromourdirectexperience,manyofthequestionsthatariseinexecutingstrategiesinawiderangeofindustries.

ThroughoutallthreeofthesesectionsyouwillfindlinkstoFranklinCovey’sexecutionwebsitewhereyoucanwatchvideocasestudiesofmanyoftheexamplescitedinthisbook.

Attheendofthebookwe’ve includedachapterofFrequentlyAskedQuestionsandashortchapterwhichshowshowthe4Disciplinescanhelpyouaccomplishpersonalorfamily-orientedgoals.

Thisbookisalittledifferentfrommostotherbusinessbooksyou’veread.Mostbusinessbookssharealotofveryhelpfulideasandtheoriesbutareshallowonapplication.Inthisbookweareheavyonapplicationandwilltellyouexactlywhatyoucandotoimplementthesedisciplines—thespecifics, thetips, thewatchouts, themustdo’s.We’llshareeverythingweknow.Section1willteachyouThe4disciplinesofExecution.Sections2and3will showyouhowtoapplythem, invividdetail.Wehopeyou’llfindthisapproachrefreshing.

•••

Beforeyoubegin…We’ve learned that there are three things to watch out for when you begin studying the 4

Disciplinesmoredeeply:

4DXsayseasy,doeshard.First,thedisciplineswillsounddeceptivelysimple,buttheytakesustainedworktoimplement.Asoneofourclientsputit,“Sayseasy,doeshard.”Don’tbemisledbythissimplicity:The4Disciplinesarepowerfulinpartbecausetheyareeasytounderstand.Butsuccessfulimplementationtakessignificanteffortoveranextendedperiod.Itrequiressustainedcommitment.Ifthegoalyou’reseekingisn’toneyoujusthavetoachieve,youmightnotmakethesustainedcommitmentnecessary.Thepayoff,however,isthatyouwillnotonlyachievethisgoalbutalsobuildtheorganizationalmuscleandcapabilitytoachievethenextgoalandthenext.

4DXiscounterintuitive.Second,eachofthe4Disciplinesareparadigmshiftingandmight

evenflyinthefaceofyourintuition.Whileitmightseeminstinctivetoyoutohavealotofgoals,themoreyouhavethefeweryouwillachievewithexcellence.Ifyouwanttoachieveacertaingoal,don’tfocusonthegoalitselfbutontheleadmeasuresthatdrivethegoal.Asyouimplementeachdiscipline,atleastinitially,you’llbedoingthingsthat,atfirstglance,mightnotseemtomakesenseandthatruncountertoyourinstincts.Letusemphasize,though,thatthe4Disciplinesaretheresultofserious,intenseexperimentationandhypothesistestingovermanyyears;everythingyoulearnherehasbeenthoroughlyvetted.Thegoodnewsisthatonceyougainsomeexperiencewiththe4Disciplines,whatseemedawkwardinthebeginningwillbecomemorecomfortableandmoreeffective.

4DXisanoperatingsystem.Third,the4Disciplinesareamatchedset,notamenuofchoices.Whileeveryoneofthedisciplineshasvalue,theirrealpowerisinhowtheyworktogetherinsequence.Eachdisciplinesetsthestageforthenextdiscipline;leaveoneoutandyou’llhaveafarlesseffectiveresult.Thinkofthe4Disciplinesastheoperatingsystemofacomputer—onceit’sinstalled,youcanuseittorunalmostanystrategyyouchoose,butyouneedthewholesystemforittowork.Aswemovethroughthenextchapters,thereasonsforthiswillbecomeclear.

Section1

The4DisciplinesofExecution

The4DisciplinesofExecutionareall aboutproducinggreat results.Thedisciplinespoint from right to leftbecausegreat teams execute from right to left—they hold themselves consistently accountable for performance on leadmeasures,whichinturndrivesachievementofwildlyimportantgoals.

Thecompellingscoreboard,Discipline3,iscentralbecauseitdisplaysthesuccessmeasuresonthegoalsforalltosee.

Thecadenceofaccountability,Discipline4,surroundstheotherdisciplinesbecause itholdseverythingtogether.Thecirclingarrowsymbolizesthepracticeofregular,frequentaccountabilityforthesuccessmeasuresonthescoreboard.

Discipline1:FocusontheWildlyImportant

The first discipline is to focus your finest effort on the oneor two goals thatwillmake all thedifference,insteadofgivingmediocreefforttodozensofgoals.

Executionstartswithfocus.Withoutit,theotherthreedisciplineswon’tbeabletohelpyou.

Why do almost all leaders struggle to narrow their focus? It’s not because they don’t thinkfocus is needed. Every week, we work with dozens of leadership teams across the world and,almostwithoutexception,theyacknowledgethattheyneedgreaterfocus.Despitethisdesire,theycontinuetofindthemselveswithtoomanycompetingpriorities,pullingtheirteamsintoomanydifferentdirections.Oneofthefirstthingswewantyoutoknowisthatyouarenotalone.Theinabilityofleaderstofocusisaproblemofepidemicproportions.

WealsowantyoutoknowthatwhenwetalkaboutnarrowingyourfocusinDiscipline1,wearenottalkingaboutnarrowingthesizeandcomplexityofyourwhirlwind,although,overtime,attentiontoWIGsmighthavethateffect.Yourwhirlwindincludesalloftheurgentactivitiesthatare necessary to sustain your business day to day. Focusing on the wildly important meansnarrowingthenumberofgoalsyouareattemptingtoaccomplishbeyondtheday-to-daydemandsofyourwhirlwind.

PracticingDiscipline1meansnarrowingyourfocustoafewhighlyimportantgoalssoyoucanmanageablyachievetheminthemidstofthewhirlwindofthedayjob.

Simplyput,Discipline 1 is about applyingmore energy against fewer goals because,when itcomestosettinggoals,thelawofdiminishingreturnsisasrealasthelawofgravity.

Yourchancesofachieving2or3goalswithexcellencearehigh,butthemoregoalsyoutrytojuggleatonce,thelesslikelyyouwillbetoreachthem.

Ifateamfocusesontwooreventhreegoalsbeyondthedemandsoftheirwhirlwind,theycanoftenaccomplishthem.However,iftheysetfourtotengoals,ourexperiencehasbeenthattheywillachieveonlyoneortwo.They’llbegoingbackward!Iftheygoaftereleventotwentygoalsinadditiontothewhirlwind,they’llloseallfocus.Confrontedwithsomanygoalstheteammemberswillstoplisteningletaloneexecuting.

Whyisthisso?The fundamental principle at work in Discipline 1 is that human beings are genetically

hardwired to do one thing at a timewith excellence.You’re probably thinking—proudly—thatyou’regreatatmulti-taskingandcangetalotofthingsdoneatthesametime.Buttothewildlyimportantgoalyouwanttodevoteyourbesteffort.SteveJobsofApplehadabigcompanytorun,andhecouldhaveproudlybroughtmanymoreproductstomarketthanhedid;buthechosetofocusonahandfulof“wildlyimportant”products.Hisfocuswaslegendary.Andsowerehisresults.Science tellsus thehumanbraincangive full focus toonlya singleobjectatanygivenmoment.Youcan’tevengiveyourbestefforttodrivingacarwhiletalkingonamobilephoneandeatingaburger,letalonejugglemultipleimportantbusinessgoalsatonce.

MITneuroscientistEarlMillersays,“Tryingtoconcentrateontwotaskscausesanoverloadofthe brain’s processing capacity.…Particularlywhen people try to perform similar tasks at thesametime,suchaswritinganemailandtalkingonthephone,theycompetetousethesamepart

of thebrain.Trying tocarry toomuch, thebrain simply slowsdown.”5 If this is trueof simpletaskslikeprocessingemailsandphonecalls,thinkoftheimpactoflosingfocusonthegoalsthatcouldtransformyourbusiness.

Theprefrontalcortex,thebrain’sgateway,justcan’thandlethedailyfloodthatcomesatus,becauseitisdesignedtodealwithteaspoonsratherthantidalwavesofinformation.

Inour cultureofmultitasking, according toProfessorCliffordNassof StanfordUniversity,“The neural circuits devoted to scanning, skimming, and multitasking are expanding andstrengthening,whilethoseusedforreadingandthinkingdeeply,withsustainedconcentration,areweakeningoreroding.”

What’s the consequence? “Habitual multitaskers may be sacrificing performance on theprimarytask.Theyaresuckersforirrelevancy.”(AnothertermfortheprimarytaskistheWIG.)

“Improving our ability to multitask actually hampers our ability to think deeply andcreatively… themore youmultitask… the less deliberative youbecome; the less you’re able tothinkandreasonoutaproblem,”saysJordanGrafmanoftheNationalInstituteofNeurologicalDisordersandStrokeintheUSA.6

Of course, you don’t have to overload the brain. You can leverage the brain’s capacity toconcentratesuperblyononewildly importantgoalata time,whilestillbeingawareof theotherpriorities.There’snobetterillustrationofthisprinciplethananairportcontroltower.

Rightnowmorethanahundredairplanesmightbeapproaching,takingoff,ortaxiingaround,andallofthemareveryimportant,especiallyifyouhappentobeononeofthem!Butfortheairtrafficcontroller,onlyoneairplane iswildly important rightnow—theone that’s landingat thismoment.

Thecontroller isawareofalltheotherplanesontheradar.She’skeepingtrackofthem,butrightnowallhertalentandexpertiseissolelyfocusedononeflight.Ifshedoesn’tgetthatflightonthegroundsafelyandwithtotalexcellence,thennothingelseshemightachieveisreallygoingtomattermuch.Shelandsoneairplaneatatime.

WIGs are like that. They are the goals you must achieve with total excellence beyond thecirclingprioritiesofyourdaytoday.Tosucceed,youmustbewillingtomakethehardchoicesthatseparatewhat iswildly important fromall themanyothermerely importantgoalsonyourradar. Then, you must approach that WIG with focus and diligence until it is delivered aspromised,withexcellence.

Thatdoesn’tmeanyouabandonallyourotherimportantgoals.They’restillonyourradar,buttheydon’trequireyourfinestdiligenceandeffortrightnow.(Still,someofthosegoalsmightneverbeworthyofyourfinestdiligenceandeffort—someofthemnevershouldhavetakenoff inthefirstplace!)

Peoplewho try to pushmany goals at once usuallywind up doing amediocre job on all ofthem.You can ignore the principle of focus, but itwon’t ignore you.Or you can leverage thisprincipletoachieveyourtopgoals,oneatatime,againandagain.

CONVENTIONALTHINKING 4DXPRINCIPLE

AllofourgoalsarePriority1.Wecansuccessfullymultitask

Manyofourgoalsareimportant,butonlyone

andsucceedatfive,ten,orfifteenimportantgoals.Allweneedtodoisworkharderandlonger…

ortwoarewildlyimportant.WecallthemWIGs.Theyarethegoalswemustachieve.Ourfinesteffortcanonlybegiventooneortwowildlyimportantgoalsatatime.

THELEADER’SCHALLENGESo, here’s the big question: Why is there so much pressure toward expanding, rather thannarrowing,thegoals?Ifyouunderstandtheneedtofocus,whyisitsodifficulttoactuallydoit?

Youmight say that, as a leader, it’sbecauseyou canalways seemore thanadozen existingthingsthatneedimprovementandanotherdozennewopportunitiesyou’dliketobechasingonanygivenday.On topof that, thereareotherpeople (andotherpeoples’agendas) thatcanbeaddingtoyourgoals,especiallyiftheyarefromhigherupintheorganization.

However,more often than any of these external forces, there’s one real culprit that createsmostoftheproblem:you.Inthewordsoftheoldcartoon,Pogo,“Wehavemettheenemyandheisus.”

Althoughthetendenciesthatdriveyoutothehighersideofthescalearewell-intentioned,inaveryrealsense,youareoftenyourownworstenemy.Beingawareofthesetendenciesisagoodplacetostart.Let’sexamineafewofthemcandidly.

Onereasonyoumaydriveyourteamtotakeontoomuchisthat,asaleader,youtendtobeambitiousandcreative.Youareexactlythekindofindividualorganizationsliketopromote.Theproblemisthatcreative,ambitiouspeoplealwayswanttodomore,notless.Ifthisdescribesyou,you’realmosthardwiredtoviolatethefirstdisciplineofexecution.

Anotherreasonyoumightleadyourteamtogoaftertoomanygoalsistohedgeyourbets.Inotherwords,ifyourteampursueseverything,thenitseemslikelythatsomethingmightwork.Italsoensuresthat,ifyoufail,noonecanquestionthelevelofeffortyourteamgave.Eventhoughyouknowthatmoreisnotbetter,itlooksbetter,especiallytothepersonaboveyou.So,youmayresistthe increasedaccountabilityforresultsthatwouldcomewithfewergoalsandinsteadrelyonthesheervolumeofefforttodriveyoursuccess.

However,thegreatestchallengeyoufaceinnarrowingyourgoalsissimplythatitrequiresyoutosaynotoalotofgoodideas.4DXmayevenmeansayingnotosomegreatideas,atleastfornow.Nothingismorecounterintuitiveforaleaderthansayingnotoagoodidea,andnothingisabiggerdestroyeroffocusthanalwayssayingyes.

Whatmakesitevenharderisthatthesegoodideasaren’tpresentedallatonce,wrappedinanice littlebundle so thatchoosingamong themwouldbe simple. Instead, they filter inoneatatime.Alone,eachideaseemstomakesomuchsensethatit’salmostimpossibleforyoutosayno,soyoufallintoatrapofyourownmaking.

We believe all leaders facing this challenge should have this quote prominently displayed intheiroffices:

We can’t overemphasize the importance of focusing on only one or twoWIGs at once. It’scounterintuitive,butitmusthappen.

BeforeApplewas named company of the decade in theUnited States bymultiple sources,7thenCOOTimCook(nowCEO)saidthistothecompany’sshareholders:

“WearethemostfocusedcompanythatIknowoforhavereadoforhaveanyknowledgeof.We say no to good ideas every day.We say no to great ideas in order to keep the amount ofthingswefocusonverysmallinnumbersothatwecanputenormousenergybehindtheoneswedochoose.Thetableeachofyouissittingattoday,youcouldprobablyputeveryproductonitthatApplemakes,yetApple’srevenuelastyearwas$40billion.”8

Apple’s determination to say no to good ideas has had devastating consequences for theircompetitors.Weonceworkedwithamanufacturer thatcompeteddirectlywithApple’s iPhone.WhenwemetwiththeleaderresponsibleforcreatinganewinterfacetocompetewiththeiPhone(Howwould you like that assignment?), hewasmore than a little discouraged. “It’s really notfair,” he said, shaking his head. “Between our domestic and international operationswemakeoverfortydifferentphones.Theyonlymakeone.”

Wecouldn’thavesaiditbetterourselves.AsStephenR.Coveysays,“Youhavetodecidewhatyourhighestprioritiesareandhavethe

courage—pleasantly,smilingly,unapologetically—tosaynotootherthings.Andthewayyoudothatisbyhavingabigger‘yes’burninginside.”

Onceyouunderstandtheimportanceofsayingnotogoodideasinordertokeepyourteam’sfocusnarrow,youcanavoidthefirstoftwofocustraps.However,thesecondtrap,tryingtoturneverythinginthewhirlwindintoaWIG,isevenmorecommon.Oncecaughtinit,youtrytoturneverythinginthewhirlwindintoagoal.

Withinthewhirlwindareallofyourexistingmeasurementsforrunningtheorganizationtoday,illustratedbelowas dials. It’s perfectly appropriate for your team to spend 80percent of theirtime and energy sustaining or incrementally improving the whirlwind. Keeping the ship afloatshould be job one, but if they are spending 100 percent of their energy trying to significantlyimproveallofthosedialsatonce,youwillhavelostyourfocus.

In theorganizationalwhirlwind,people trackcountlessnumbers—finances,customersatisfactionscores,product lifecycles,andsoforth.Anew,wildlyimportantgoalcangetlostinthisstorm.

Applying even pressure to all these dials is like trying tomake holes in a piece of paper byapplyingevenpressurewithallyourfingers.Youcan’tpressonanyonedialwithenoughforcetodrive a change in human behavior. Many of the dials require dozens of changes in humanbehavior inordertomovethem.FocusingononeWIGis likepunchingonefingerthroughthepaper—allyourstrengthgoesintomakingthathole.

Unless you can achieve your goalwith a strokeof the pen, success is going to require yourteamtochangetheirbehavior;andtheysimplycannotchangethatmanybehaviorsatonce,nomatter how badly you want them to. Trying to significantly improve every measure in thewhirlwindwillconsumeallofyourtimeandleaveyouwithverylittletoshowforit.

So,beyondavoidingthesetwofocustraps—refusingtosaynotoallthegoodideasandtryingtomakeeverythinginthewhirlwindagoal—whatshouldyoudo?Narrowyourfocustooneortwowildlyimportantgoalsandconsistentlyinvesttheteam’stimeandenergyintothem.Inotherwords,ifyouwanthigh-focus,high-performanceteammembers,theymusthavesomethingwildlyimportanttofocuson.

Whileyoudon’tlosetrackofthenumbersinthewhirlwind,Discipline1requiresintensefocusononenumber—themeasureofsuccessonthe“wildlyimportantgoal.”

IDENTIFYINGYOURWILDLYIMPORTANTGOALSA wildly important goal (WIG) is a goal that can make all the difference. Because it’s yourstrategictippingpoint,you’regoingtocommittoapplyadisproportionateamountofenergytoit—the 20 percent that is not used up in thewhirlwind. But how do you decidewhich ofmanypossiblegoalsshouldbeyourWIG?

Sometimes,thechoiceofaWIGisobvious,butatothertimesitcanbeconfusing.IfyoutrytoselectyourWIGbyaskingyourselfwhat’smost important,youmayfindyourmindrunning incircles.Why?Becausetheurgentprioritiesinyourwhirlwindarealwayscompetingtobethemostimportantandaverygoodargumentcanusuallybemadeforchoosinganyoneofthem.

To illustrate this problem, imagine the leadership team in amanufacturingplant having thisconversation: “I’m tellingyou,quality is themost important thingand it shouldbeourWIG!”says one person. “Well don’t forget, it’s our production that pays the bills around here,” saysanother.“I’msorry,but Idisagreewithbothofyou,” saysa third.“Safetyhas tobe themostimportant.Haveyoueverhadoneofyourpeopleseriouslyhurtinanaccident?Ifyouhad,you’dagree.”

Theresultisfrustrationandconfusion,alongwithaninevitable(andparadoxical)lossoffocus.Theprobleminthisconversationisthattheleadersareaskingthewrongquestion.Indeterminingyourwildlyimportantgoal,don’task“What’smostimportant?”Instead,begin

byasking“Ifeveryotherareaofouroperationremainedatitscurrentlevelofperformance,whatistheoneareawherechangewouldhavethegreatestimpact?”Thisquestionchangesthewayyouthinkandletsyouclearlyidentifythefocusthatwouldmakeallthedifference.

Remember,80percentofyourteam’senergywillstillbedirectedatsustainingthewhirlwind,so ignore the temptationtoworrythatbymakingoneor twogoalsmost important,your teamwill ignore everything else.Andonceyou stopworryingabout everything elsegoing backward,youcanstartmovingforwardonyourWIG.InthewordsofDiscipline1,youcanfocusonthewildlyimportant.

Your wildly important goal will come from one of two categories: either from within thewhirlwindorfromoutsideit.

Withinthewhirlwind,itcouldbesomethingsobadlybrokenthatitmustbefixed,oritcouldbe a key element of your value proposition that isn’t being delivered. Poor project completiontime,out-of-controlcosts,orunsatisfactorycustomerserviceareallgoodexamples.However,itcould alsobe an area inwhich your team is alreadyperformingwell andwhere leveraging thisstrength could result in significant impact. For example, increasing patient satisfaction in ahospitalfromthe85thpercentiletothe95thpercentilecouldincreaseyourrevenuedramatically.

Outside the whirlwind, the choices tend to be about repositioning yourself strategically.Launching a new product or service, either to counter a competitive threat or seize a hugeopportunity, could be aWIG that wouldmake all the difference.Remember that this type ofWIGwillrequireanevengreaterchangeinbehavior,sinceitwillbecompletelynewtoyourteam.

WhetheryourWIGcomesfromwithinthewhirlwindoroutsideit,yourrealaimisnotonlytoachieve it, but also to thenmake the new level of performance a natural part of your team’soperation. Inessence,onceaWIG isachieved, itgoesback into thewhirlwind.Every time thishappens, the whirlwind changes. It isn’t as chaotic, chronic problems are resolved, and new

performancelevelsaresustained;inessence,it’samuchhigherperformingwhirlwind.Ultimately,thisiswhatenablesyourteamtopursuethenextWIGfromastrongerfoundation.

Sometimes,choosingyourWIGisaboutmorethanselectingtheaspectofyourbusinesswherethegreatestresultsaredesired;it’saboutaWIGsofundamentaltotheheartofyourmissionthatachievingitdefinesyourexistenceasanorganization.

We got to work with the new president of a large thrift-store chain just as he was askinghimselfthesequestions.Hispredecessorhadputthecompanyonafirmfinancialandoperationalfooting,updatingmarketingandadvertising,thelookandfeelofthestores,andtheaccountingprocedures.Whenwe got into theWIGdiscussion, some of his reports thought this emphasisneededtocontinue.Otherswantedmoreemphasisonhiringmoredisabledworkers.StillothersarguedthattheirtopWIGshouldbegrowth.Therangeofchoiceswasbaffling.

Tohelptheteamfindcommonground,thenewleaderaskedeveryonetoponderthemissionofthe organization: “To promote self-reliance among the disabled and displaced.” With thecompany inasolid financialandoperationalposition,could itbe that theareawhere theynowwantedthegreatestresultsmightbemoredirectlyrelatedtotheirmission?

Gradually, aWIG emerged from this experience; one they had not even considered before:“Help disabledworkers find jobs outside our organization that can sustain them.”While theycouldn’t hire every disabled person in their region, they had the operational capacity to trainthousands in the retail business and find better jobs for them, so that they could escape fromdependency. The organization’s new measure of success? “Increasing the number of disabledpeopleplacedinsustainablejobs.”

ThisWIGtransformedtheorganization.Theyhelpedthousandsbecomeself-reliantandfindanew sense of self-worth, while sustaining the day-to-day financial and operational results thatmadetheirmissionpossible.

FOCUSINGTHEORGANIZATIONUptothispoint,we’vetalkedalotaboutnarrowingthefocusasitrelatestoyouandyourteam.Thisinitself isahugechallenge.Narrowingthefocusforanentireorganizationorevenalargeportionofanorganization,however,isamuchbiggerchallenge.Althoughwe’llcoverthisinmoredetail on page 235, we want you to gain a high-level understanding of the rules for applyingDiscipline1organizationallybeforewemoveintoDiscipline2.

Rule #1: No team focuses on more than two WIGs at the same time. This rule acts like agovernoron an engine.When you are deeply into the 4Disciplines ofExecution theremaybedozensorevenhundredsofWIGsacrosstheentireorganization,butthekeyisnottooverloadanysingleleader,team,orindividualperformer.Remember,theyarealldealingwiththeincessantdemandsofthewhirlwind.Keepthisruleinmindasyouconsidertheremainingthreerules.Ifyouviolatethisone,youwillhavelostyourfocusasanorganization.

Rule#2:Thebattlesyouchoosemustwinthewar.Whetherit’samilitaryconflict,orthewaronhunger,cancer,orpoverty,there’sarelationshipbetweenbattlesandwars.Theonlyreasonyoufightabattleistowinthewar.ThesolepurposeofWIGsatlowerlevelsintheorganizationistohelpachievetheWIGsathigherlevels.Itisn’tenoughthatthelower-levelWIGssupportoralignwiththehigherWIGs.Thelower-levelWIGsmustensurethesuccessofthehigherWIGs.

For example, a provider of Internet financial services we worked with knew they had toincrease revenues from $160 million to $200 million by fiscal year end in order to fulfill theexpectationsoftheirinvestors.Anewoutside-salesteamcommittedtoprovide$8millionofnewrevenueandthemajor-accountdivisioncommittedtotheother$32million.

What about theothermajordivision—the technology team?What roledid theyplay in thisrevenueWIG?Didtheyhaveanyroleatall?Atfirst,theyfeltleftoutoftheWIG.

After some careful research, they determined that themost impactful lower-levelWIG theycouldsetforthemselveswouldbetoimprovetheirrecordforcontinuous,uninterruptedservice.This was amajor criterion new customers would use to choose a provider—perhaps themostimportantcriterion.Asitturnedout,thisgrouphadtofightthekeybattleinachievingtheWIG,whichinturnclearedthepathfortheotherdivisionsaswell.

Oncethetop-levelWIGischosen,thenextquestioniscritical.Insteadofasking,“Whatareallthethingswecoulddotowinthiswar?”—acommonmistakethatresultsinalongto-dolist—ask,“Whatarethefewestnumberofbattlesnecessarytowinthiswar?”Theanswertothatquestiondetermineswhichandhowmanylower-levelWIGswillbeneededtoachievethetop-levelWIG.Asyoubegintochoose thebattles towinthewar,youhavebeguntobothclarifyandsimplifyyourstrategy.Thisprocesswillbecoveredindetailonpage94.

Rule #3: Senior leaders can veto, but not dictate. The highest levels of execution are neverreached when the strategy is devised solely by the top leaders of the organization and simplyhandeddowntothe leadersandteamsbelow.Without involvement,youcannotcreatethehighlevelsofcommitmentthatexecutionrequires.Whiletheseniorleaderswillundoubtedlydeterminethetop-levelWIG,theymustallowthe leadersateach levelbelowtodefinetheWIGsfor theirteams.Thisnotonlyleveragestheknowledgeoftheseleaders,butalsocreatesagreatersenseofownershipand involvement.Simplyput, theybecomemore engaged in a goal that they choosethemselvesandthatsupportsaworthyorganizationalgoal.Seniorleadersthenexercisetheirrighttovetoifthebattleschosenarenotgoingtowinthewar.

ImplementingDiscipline1enablesanorganizationtoquicklyturnabroadstrategyintoclearlydefined WIGs at every level. It is not solely a top-down process, but neither is it exclusivelybottom-up.Throughthisprocess,theseniorleader’schoiceoftheoverallWIGbringsclarity(topdown), and allowing the leaders and teams below to choose their WIGs (bottom up) bringsengagement.Intheprocess,theentireorganizationmobilizesaroundthefocusthatmattersmostandtakesownershipfordrivingtheresult.

Rule#4:AllWIGsmusthaveafinish line in theformof fromXtoYbywhen.EveryWIGateverylevelmustcontainaclearlymeasurableresult,aswellasthedatebywhichthatresultmustbeachieved.Forexample,arevenue-focusedWIGmightbe:“Increasepercentofannualrevenuefromnewproductsfrom15percentto21percentbyDecember31st.”ThisfromXtoYbywhenformatrecognizeswhereyouaretoday,whereyouwanttogo,andthedeadlineforreachingthatgoal.As deceptively simple as this formulamay seem,many leaders often struggle to translatetheirstrategicconceptsintoasinglefromXtoYbywhenfinishline.Butoncethey’vedoneit,both

theyandtheteamstheyleadhavegainedtremendousclarity.Typically,however,goals lack thiskindofclarity.Weconstantly seegoals like these thatno

onecanachievebecausethere’snofinishline;nowayoftellingwhetheryoucompletedthegoalornotandwhereyoustandatanygivenpoint:

•Fromamajorglobalretailcompany:“Improveinventoryprocessing.”

• From a British publisher: “Develop and strengthen new and existing clientrelationships.”

• From an Australian tourist authority: “Influence effective tourism workforcedevelopmentinQueensland.”

• From a European investment firm: “Successfully convert our portfolio to a life-cyclestrategy.”

• From a multinational agribusiness company: “Identify, recruit, and retain the bestemployees.”

Thesegoalslackthemeasurementthatcantelltheteamwhenthey’vewonthegame.“Improveinventoryprocessing?”Howmuch?“Strengthennewclient relationships?”Howdowemeasure“stronger”?“Successfullyconvertaportfoliotoalife-cyclestrategy?”Howwillweknowifwe’vedonethat?

Effectivelagmeasureslooklikethis:

•“Improveinventoryprocessingbyincreasingper-yearinventoryturnsfromeighttotenbyDecember31.”

•“Raiseourclient-relationshipscorefromfortytoseventyontheloyaltyscalewithintwoyears.”

• “Move 40 percent of our customers from fixed categories to life-cycle categories ofinvestmentswithinfiveyears.”

•“LaunchthenewCRMsolutionatan85percentqualitybetaratingbytheendofourfiscalyear.”

Ifagoaliswildlyimportant,surelyyoushouldbeabletotellifyou’veachieveditornot.TheformulafromXtoYbywhenmakesthatpossible.

In setting a finish line, we often hear the question, “Over what period of time should theachievementofaWIGbespread?”Ouranswer is,“Itdepends.”Sinceteamsandorganizationsoftenthinkandmeasurethemselvesintermsofacalendarorafiscalyear,aone-yeartimeframemakes a good startingpoint for aWIG.That said, remember that aWIG is not a strategy.AWIGisatacticalgoalwithalimitedtimeframe.We’veseensomeWIGsthattaketwoyearsandsome that take six months. The length of a project-based WIG, such as “Complete the newwebsitewithinbudgetbyJuly1,”willusuallycorrespondwiththetimeframeoftheprojectitself.Useyourownjudgment.JustrememberthataWIGshouldbewithinatimeframethatbalancestheneedtocreateacompellingvisionwiththeneedtocreateanachievablegoal.

SHOOTINGFORTHEMOONIn 1958, the fledglingNationalAeronautics and SpaceAdministration (NASA) hadmany veryimportant goals like this one: “The expansion of human knowledge of phenomena in theatmosphereandspace.”Itsoundedlikemanyofthegoalsyouhearinbusinesstoday:“Becomeworld class…” or “Lead the industry…”Although the leaders atNASAhadways tomeasurevariousaspectsofthisgoal,theylackedtheclarityofadefinedfinishline.TheyalsolackedtheresultsthattheSovietUnionwasproducing.

But in 1961,President JohnF.Kennedy shookNASA to its foundationswhenhemade thepronouncement“landamanonthemoonandreturnhimsafelytotheearthbeforethisdecadeisout.”Suddenly,NASAhada formidablenewchallenge, thewar itwould fight for thenext tenyears,anditwasstatedinexactlythewayWIGsshouldbestated:“X”isearthbound,“Y”istothemoonandback,and“when”isbyDecember31,1969.

Justaglanceatthistable9showsthedifferencebetweenconventionalorganizationalgoalsandatrueWIG.

NASA’SGOALSIN1958

1.Theexpansionofhumanknowledgeofphenomenaintheatmosphereandspace;

2.Theimprovementoftheusefulness,performance,speed,safety,andefficiencyofaeronauticalandspacevehicles;

3.Thedevelopmentandoperationofvehiclescapableofcarryinginstruments,equipment,supplies,andlivingorganismsthroughspace;

4.Theestablishmentoflong-rangestudiesofthepotentialbenefitstobegainedfrom,theopportunitiesfor,andtheproblemsinvolvedintheutilizationofaeronauticalandspaceactivitiesforpeacefulandscientificpurposes;

5.ThepreservationoftheroleoftheUnitedStatesasaleaderinaeronauticalandspacescienceandtechnologyandintheapplicationthereoftotheconductofpeacefulactivitieswithinandoutsidetheatmosphere;

6.Themakingavailabletoagenciesdirectlyconcernedwithnationaldefenseofdiscoveriesthathavemilitaryvalueorsignificance,andthefurnishingbysuchagencies,tothecivilianagencyestablishedtodirectandcontrolnonmilitaryaeronauticalandspaceactivities,ofinformationastodiscoverieswhichhavevalueorsignificancetothatagency;

7.CooperationbytheUnitedStateswithothernationsandgroupsofnationsinworkdonepursuanttothisActandinthepeacefulapplicationoftheresultsthereof;

8.ThemosteffectiveutilizationofthescientificandengineeringresourcesoftheUnitedStates,withclosecooperationamongallinterestedagenciesoftheUnitedStates,withclosecooperationamongallinterestedagenciesoftheunitedstatesin

ordertoavoidunnecessaryduplicationofeffort,facilitiesandequipment.

NASA’SGOALSASOF1961

“Ibelievethatthisnationshouldcommititselftoachievingthegoal,beforethisdecadeisout,oflandingamanonthemoonandreturninghimsafelytotheearth.”–JohnF.Kennedy

Considerthe1958goals:

•Aretheyclearandmeasurable?

•Howmanyarethere?

•Isthereafinishlineforanyofthem?

So,whatkindofresultsweretheseobjectivesdrivingforNASA?RussiawentintospacefirstwithsatellitesandcosmonautswhiletheUnitedStateswasstillblowinguprocketsonlaunchpads.

Contrastthe1958goalswiththe1961goal:oneclear,measurableWIG.Now,with its reputation at stake on theworld stage,NASA had to determine the few key

battlesthatwouldwinthatwar.In the end, three critical battles were chosen: navigation, propulsion, and life support.

Navigationposedtheformidablechallengeofmovingaspacecraftthroughspaceateighteenmilespersecondtoapreciselocationonthemoon,whichwasalsomovingrapidlyinitsellipticalorbitaroundEarth.Propulsionwasno lessofa challengebecausea rocketheavyenough tocarryalunarmodulehadneveryet achievedavelocity sufficient tobreak freeofEarth’s gravitationalpull.Lifesupportwasthemostcriticalofallbecauseitrequireddevelopingacapsuleandlandingmodulethatwouldkeepastronautsalive,bothforthejourneytoandfromthemoonandwhiletheyexploredthemoon’ssurface.

President Kennedy’s speech also included another key aspect of Discipline 1—saying no togood ideas—when he acknowledged that were many other worthy objectives that the countrywouldnotpursueinordertoachievethisgoal.But,asheasked,“Why,somesay,themoon?Whychoosethisasourgoal?…Thatgoalwillservetoorganizeandmeasurethebestofourenergiesand skills, because that challenge is one thatwe arewilling to accept, onewe are unwilling topostpone,andonewhichweintendtowin.”10Inthisway,henarrowedthefocusofNASAtoafinishlinewhoseachievementbecameoneofthemostimportantventuresinhumanhistory.

WhatdoyouthinkhappenedtoaccountabilitywithinNASAwhenthechallengeofputtingamanon themoonwas publicly announced? Itwent through the roof.This is particularly clear

whenyourememberthatthespacecrafttheywouldusehadonlyatinyfractionofthecomputingpower of the smartphone in your pocket. Evenworse, the engineers and scientists still had nooperational technology for winning the three necessary battles. Looking back, you might sayhumanbeingshadnobusinessbeingonthemoonin1969.

Now,consideradifferentquestion:Whenaccountabilitysoared,whathappenedtomoraleandengagement?It,too,wentthroughtheroof.Mostleadersfindthissurprising.Wetendtothinkthatwhenaccountabilityisatitshighest,thepressuremakesmoralegodown.Therealityistheopposite:Narrowingyourfocusincreasesbothaccountabilityandtheengagementofyourteam.

Whenateammovesfromhavingadozenwe-really-hopegoalstooneortwono-matter-whatgoals,theeffectonmoraleisdramatic.It’sasthoughaswitchexistsineveryteammember’sheadcalled“Gameon!”Ifyoucanthrowthatswitch,youhavelaidthefoundationforextraordinaryexecution.When PresidentKennedy said to themoon and back by the end of the decade, hethrewthatswitch.

Canyourememberwhatit’sliketobepartofateamwhenthegame-onswitchisactivated?It’sa remarkable experience.Even thoughyou still have todealwith thewhirlwind and itsmyriaddemands,youalsohaveafinishline,somethingclearandimportantatwhichyoucanwin.Evenmore meaningful, it’s something whereby every member of the team can see that theircontributionmakesadifference.Everyonewantstofeelthattheyarewinningandthattheyarecontributingtosomethingmeaningful.And,whentimesaretough,theywantitevenmore.

Whenwe started on this journey years ago,we did not intend to focus on defining or evenrefiningstrategy.However,wequicklylearnedthatthelineseparatingstrategyandexecutionisblurry.Applying this firstdisciplinewill sharpenyour strategymore thanyou think itwill.Butwhatitwillreallydoismakeyourstrategyexecutable.

Thinkofitthisway:Aboveyourheadisathoughtbubble,andinsidethatbubbleareallthevariousaspectsofyourstrategy,includingopportunitiesyouwishyouwerepursuing,newideasandconcepts,problemsyouknowyouneedtofix,andalotof“whats”and“hows”togetitalldone. Your bubble is complicated and chaotic. It’s also completely different from the bubblesaboveeveryotherleader.

ThisiswhyDiscipline1requiresyoutotranslateyourstrategyfromconceptstotargets,fromavaguestrategicintenttoasetofspecificfinishlines.ThefourrulesforimplementingDiscipline1,outlinedabove,giveanentireorganizationaframeworkfordoingthissuccessfully.(Formoreexamplesandprocesssteps,seesections2and3.)

Toomany organizational goals are hazy and imprecise, leaving people wondering “what” they are supposed to do and“how”theyaresupposedtodoit.Discipline1providesclear,unmistakablefinishlinessopeopleknowexactlywhatsuccess

lookslike.

Finally,rememberthatthefourrulesoffocusareunforgiving.Atsomepoint,youwillwanttocheatonthem,evenjustalittle.Weknow.Weoftenwanttodothesameinsideourorganization.However,whatwe’velearnedisthattherulesgoverningfocusareliketherulesgoverninggravity:Theyaren’tconcernedwithwhatyouthinkorwiththedetailsofyourparticularsituation.Theysimplyyieldpredictableconsequences.

Whenyouthinkaboutit,theprincipleoffocusingonthevitalfewgoalsiscommonsense;it’sjustnotcommonpractice.InoneofAesop’sfables,ayoungboyputhishandintoapotfullofhazelnuts.Hegraspedasmanyashecouldpossiblyhold,butwhenhetriedtopullouthishand,he found the neck of the pot was too narrow. Unwilling to lose his catch, and yet unable towithdrawhishand,heburstintotearsandbitterlylamentedhisdisappointment.

Liketheboy,youmightfindithardto letgoofa lotofgoodgoalsuntilyoustartservingagreatergoal.AsSteve Jobsoften said,“I’masproudofwhatwedon’tdoas Iamofwhatwedo.”11Discipline1 isaboutdefiningthatgreatergoal,and it isadiscipline. InSection2of thisbook,we’llgiveyoumoreguidanceabouttheexactprocessofdefininganorganizationalWIG.

Discipline2:ActontheLeadMeasures

The second discipline is to apply disproportionate energy to the activities that drive your leadmeasures.Thisprovidestheleverageforachievingthelagmeasures.

Discipline 2 is the discipline of leverage. Leadmeasures are the “measures” of the activitiesmostconnectedtoachievingthegoal.

Discipline1takesthewildlyimportantgoalforanorganizationandbreaksitdownintoasetofspecific, measurable targets until every team has a wildly important goal that it can own.Discipline2thendefinestheleveragedactionsthatwillenabletheteamtoachievethatgoal.Theillustration below shows the relationship between lagmeasures and leadmeasures at the teamlevel.

Whilea lagmeasure tellsyou ifyou’veachievedthegoal,a leadmeasure tellsyou ifyouarelikely toachieve thegoal.Whilea lagmeasure ishard todoanythingabout, a leadmeasure isvirtuallywithinyourcontrol.

For example, while you can’t control how often your car breaks down on the road (a lagmeasure) you can certainly control how often your car receives routine maintenance (a leadmeasure). And, the more you act on the lead measure, the more likely you are to avoid thatroadsidebreakdown.

Onceyouhavedefinedyourwildlyimportantgoalitwouldseemnatural,evenintuitive,tothencreateadetailedplanlistingallofthespecifictasksandsubtasksrequiredforachievingthegoalinthecomingmonths.ButwithDiscipline2,that’snotwhatyouaregoingtodo.

Long-term plans created bymost organizations are often too rigid. They lack the ability toadapttotheconstantlychangingneedsandenvironmentof thebusiness.Notsurprisingly, theyalsoenduponyourshelfcollectingdustafteronlyafewmonths.

WithDiscipline2,youdosomethingquitedifferentfromthat.Discipline2requiresyoutodefinethedailyorweeklymeasures,theachievementofwhichwill

leadtothegoal.Then,eachdayorweek,yourteamidentifiesthemostimportantactionsthatwilldrivethoseleadmeasures.Inthisway,yourteamiscreatingajust-in-timeplanthatenablesthemtoquicklyadapt,whileremainingfocusedontheWIG.

CONVENTIONALTHINKING 4DXPRINCIPLE

Keepyoureyeonthelagmeasures:thequarterlyresults,thesalesnumbers,poundslost.Stressout.Biteyournailswhileyouwait.

Focusonmovingtheleadmeasures.Thesearethehigh-leverageactionsyoutaketogetthelagmeasurestomove.

LAGVERSUSLEADMEASURESLet’s drill down into the distinction between lag and lead measures. A lag measure is themeasurementofaresultyouaretryingtoachieve.Wecallthemlagmeasuresbecausebythetimeyougetthedatatheresulthasalreadyhappened;theyarealwayslagging.TheformulafromXtoYbywhen in aWIG gives us a lagmeasure, butWIGs are not the only lagmeasures in yourworld. The whirlwind is full of lag measures such as revenue, accounts payable, inventorynumbers,hospitalizationrates,assetutilization,andsoforth.

Leadmeasures are different; they foretell the result. They have two primary characteristics.First,aleadmeasureispredictive,meaningthatiftheleadmeasurechanges,youcanpredictthatthe lag measure also will change. Second, a lead measure is influenceable; it can be directlyinfluencedbytheteam.Thatis,theteamcanmakealeadmeasurehappenwithoutasignificantdependenceonanotherteam.

InDiscipline2,youcreateleadmeasures,themovementofwhichwillbecomethedrivingforcefor achieving theWIG. In the months ahead, your team will invest consistent energy towardmovingtheseleadmeasuresand,aswehaveseenwithhundredsofteams,thisinvestmentwillbethekeytotheirsuccess.

We strongly believe that understanding lead measures will be one of the most importantinsightsyoutakefromthisbook.

Let’sexplorethetwocharacteristicsofagoodleadmeasurefurtherbyfirstassumingyouhaveaWIGto“Increasecornproductionfrom200tonsto300tonsbySeptember1.”TheXtoYofcorn tonnage is your lag measure. You know that rainfall is an important factor in cornproduction,sorainfallcanbepredictiveofthecornharvest.Butis itagoodleadmeasure?No,because you can’t influence the weather to produce the right amount of rain. Rainfall ispredictive,butitisn’tinfluenceable.Rainfallfailsthetestbecausebothcharacteristicsareequallyimportant.Othermeasures,suchassoilqualityorfertilizationrates,however,easilymeetthetest.

Now take another illustration with which many people are intimately familiar: a WIG ofachievingweightloss.Obviously,thelagmeasurewillbeyourweightasreflectedbythebathroomscale.IfyouformatthisWIGcorrectly,youmightdefineitas“Decreasetotalbodyweightfrom190poundsto175poundsbyMay30”(fromXtoYbywhen).Thisisagoodstart,butwhataretheleadmeasuresthatwillbepredictiveofachievingthegoaland,equallyimportant,thatyoucaninfluence?Youwouldlikelychoosebothdietandexercise,and,ofcourse,you’dberight.

These two measures fulfill the first characteristic of being predictive: Reducing caloriesconsumed and increasing calories burned strongly indicates that you’ll lose weight. Just asimportant,however,thesetwoleadmeasuresarealsodirectlyinfluenceablebyyou.Achievethesetwo leadmeasuresat the level specified,outsideyourdailywhirlwind,andyouwill seeyour lagmeasuremovingwhenyousteponthebathroomscale.

LEADMEASURESCANBECOUNTERINTUITIVEThere’saproblemwithleadmeasures.Wheredoleadersnormallyfixate,onleadmeasuresoronlagmeasures? That’s right. As a leader, you’ve likely spent your entire career focusing on lagmeasureseventhoughyoucan’tdirectlyaffectthem.Andyou’renotalone.Thinkaboutyourlastmeeting with the other leaders in your organization. What were you discussing, analyzing,planning,andagonizingabout?Lagmeasuresand,usually,yourinabilitytomovethem.

For example, it’s easy for schoolteachers to measure the reading levels of students with astandardized test.Often, theyobsessover these lagmeasures.However, it’sharder to comeupwithleadmeasuresthatpredicthowstudentswilldoonthetest.Theschoolmighthiretutorsorreservemore time for uninterrupted reading. In any case, the school is likely to do better if ittracksdataontimespentreadingorintutoring(leadmeasures)ratherthanhopeandpraythat

thereadingscores(lagmeasures)willriseoftheirownaccord.Weseethissyndromeeverydayallover theworldand ineveryareaof life.Thesales leader

fixateson total sales, the service leader fixatesoncustomer satisfaction,parents fixateon theirchildren’sgrades,anddietersfixateonthescale.And,invirtuallyeverycase,fixatingsolelyonthelagmeasuresfailstodriveresults.

There are two reasons almost all leaders do this. First, lag measures are the measures ofsuccess;theyaretheresultsyouhavetoachieve.Second,dataonlagmeasuresisalmostalwaysmucheasiertoobtainandmorevisiblethandataonleadmeasures.It’seasytosteponascaleandknowexactlyhowmuchyouweigh,buthoweasyisittofindouthowmanycaloriesyou’veeatentodayorhowmanyyou’veburned?Thatdataisoftenhardtoget,anditcantakerealdisciplinetokeepgettingit.

Here’sawarning:Rightaboutnowyoumightbetemptedtooversimplifywhatwe’resaying.Ifyou’rethinkingsomethinglike“So,allyou’resayingisthatifyouwanttoloseweight,you

should diet and exercise? What’s revolutionary about that?” then you’ve missed the point ofDiscipline2.

There’s a huge difference betweenmerelyunderstanding the importance of diet and exerciseandmeasuring howmanycaloriesyou’ve eatenandhowmanyyou’veburned.Everyoneknowsyou should diet and exercise, but the people who actuallymeasure howmany calories they’veeatenandhowmanythey’veburnedeachdayaretheonesactuallylosingweight!

Intheend,it’sthedataonleadmeasuresthatmakesthedifference,thatenablesyoutoclosethegapbetweenwhatyouknowyourteamshoulddoandwhattheyareactuallydoing.Withoutlead measures, you are left to try to manage to the lag measures, an approach that seldomproducessignificantresults.

W.EdwardsDeming, themanagementandqualityguru, said itbestwhenhe toldexecutivesthatmanagingacompanybylookingatfinancialdata(lagmeasures)istheequivalentof“drivingacarbylookingintherearviewmirror.”12

Leadmeasures also eliminate the element of surprise that a sole focus on lagmeasures canbring.Imagine thisscenario:Youandyour teamhavebeenworkinghardonagoal to improvecustomer satisfaction. It’s your most important measure and the one on which your bonus isbased,and thenewcustomer satisfactionscoreshave justarrived inyour inbox.Asoneofourclients expressed it, you are about to haveoneof two reactions: “Oh, cool!” or “Oh, no!”Buteitherway, there is nothingyou cando to change the results:Theyare in thepast.That sameclientalsopointedout,“Ifluckisplayingasignificantroleinyourcareer,thenyou’refixatingonlagmeasures.”

Wecouldn’tagreemore.Now,imagineinsteadthatyouaretrackingthetwomostpredictiveleadmeasuresofcustomer

satisfaction,andfor thepast threeweeksyour teamhasperformedwellabove thestandardonthosemeasures.Doyou think your experiencewill changewhen thenew customer satisfactionresultsarrive?Absolutely.Itwillbelikesteppingonthescaleknowingthatyouhavemetyourdietandexercisemeasureseveryday.Youalreadyknowthatthelagmeasurewillchange.

DEFININGLEADMEASURES“Increaseannualwaterproductionfrom175millionlitersto185millionlitersbyDecember31.”

That was theWIG for the water-bottling plant of a large beverage company when we beganworkingwiththeseniorexecutiveinchargeofthesupplychaintoimplement4DX.Theplanthadbeenstrugglingtomeetitstargetedwaterproductionlevelsforseveralyearsandtheleaderswereanxioustoidentifytheleadmeasuresthatwoulddrivewaterproductiontonewlevels.

Webeganby asking them to discusswhat they thought a good leadmeasure for increasingannualwaterproductionwouldbe.

“Monthlywaterproduction,”theyquicklyanswered.Sorry,wesaid,thatwon’twork.They seemed confused. “Whynot?” asked the plantmanager. “Ifwehit ourmonthlywater

productiontargets,thenwe’llhitourannualproduction,right?”“You’re absolutely right that monthly water production is predictive of annual water

production,” we replied, “butmonthly production isn’t anymore influenceable by your teamsthanannualproduction.Allyou’redoing is identifyingadifferent lagmeasurethatyoucangetmorefrequentlythanannualproduction.Itisstillalag.”

Thisdialogue is very commonwhen teams firstdetermine leadmeasures, andunfortunately,theleadersatthewaterplantstillweren’tquitegettingit.

Tohelp,weaskedthemwhattheirleadmeasurewouldbeformonthlywaterproduction.“Dailywaterproduction!”theyresponded.We knew that we weren’t getting through. The discussion grew more animated until the

productionmanagerfinallydemandedeveryone’sattention.“I’ve got it,” he saidwith real excitement. “I knowwhat our leadmeasures should be!”He

walkedtothefrontoftheroomandbegantoexplain.“We’reconstantlyrunningshiftswithoutfullcrewsandwehavewaytoomuchmachinedowntime.Thosearethetwomainthingsthatkeepusfromproducingmorewater.”

Now,weweregettingsomewhere.Everyoneintheroomagreedwithhisdiagnosis.Theystilldidn’thaveusableleadmeasures—

theyneeded to translate full crewsandpreventivemaintenance intoactualmeasures—but theyhad captured the idea.Quickly, they identified their first leadmeasure: Increase percentage ofshiftswith full crews from80percent to 95percent.The second leadmeasurewas even easier:Increasepercentageofcompliance topreventivemaintenance schedules from72percent to100percent.

Their strategic bet was that if the plant ensured full crews and a reduction in machinedowntime,itwouldachieveasignificantincreaseinwaterproduction.Overthenextfewmonths,theteamsputadisproportionateamountofeffortintothosetwoleadmeasures,abovetheirday-to-daywhirlwind.Notonlydidtheirwaterproductionincrease,itgrewataratefargreaterthanexpected.

Thisisagoodillustrationoftheprocessfordefiningleadmeasures,butitalsohelpstomakean importantpoint.Ourconsultanton theproject laudedtheplant’s results,but thenaskedanimportantquestion:“Whyweren’tyoualreadydoingthosetwothings?”

His pointwas that their leadmeasures didn’t come fromFranklinCovey.The leaders at theplantalreadyknewtheimportanceofrunningshiftswithfullcrewsandcompliancetopreventive-maintenancestandards,butdespiteknowingit,theyweren’tdoingit.Why?

Aswithmostteams,theirproblemwasnotthattheydidn’tknow, itwasamatterof focus—theydidn’tdo.Thereweredozensof things thatneeded improvement and focus, not just crewstaffingandpreventivemaintenance;andbytryingtoimproveeverything,theyremainedtrappedintheirwhirlwind.Theyspenteverydayspreadingtheirenergyacrosssomanyurgentprioritiesandtryingtomoveallthedialsatoncethatintheend,nothingmoved.Asintheillustrationweofferedearlier,itwasliketryingtomakeholesinapieceofpaperbyapplyingevenpressureonallyourfingers.

Obviously,thisproblemisnotuniquetotheleadersinthisplant.Ifwefollowedyouaroundfora fewdayswewould likely observe twopredominant activities.One, youwould spendmost ofyourtimebattlingyourwhirlwind,andtwo,alotofyourremainingtimewouldbespentworryingover your lagmeasures. The problemwith these two activities is that they consume enormousenergyandproducelittle,ifany,leveragebeyondsustainingyourwhirlwind.Andit’sleveragethatyouneedmost.

Thekeyprinciplebehindleadmeasuresissimplythis:leverage.Thinkofitthisway:achievingyourwildlyimportantgoalisliketryingtomoveagiantrock;butdespitealltheenergyyourteamexerts,itdoesn’tmove.It’snotaquestionofeffort;ifitwere,youandyourteamwouldalreadyhave moved it. The problem is that effort alone isn’t enough. Leadmeasures act like a lever,makingitpossibletomovethatrock.

Now consider the two primary characteristics of a lever. First, unlike the rock, the lever issomethingwecanmove: It’s influenceable. Second,when the levermoves, the rockmoves: It’spredictive.

Howdoyouchoosetherightlevers?Toachieveagoalyou’veneverachievedbefore,youmustdothingsyou’veneverdonebefore.

Look around you. Who else has achieved this goal or something like it? What did they dodifferently? Analyze carefully any barriers you foresee and decide together how to overcomethem.Useyourimagination.Whathaven’tyouthoughtofthatmightmakeallthedifference?

Thenselecttheactivitiesyoubelievewillhavethegreatest impactonachievingtheWIG:the80/20activities.What20percentofwhatyoudohasasmuchormoreleverageontheWIGthan

80 percent of what you do? In the words of consultant and entrepreneur Richard Koch, inbusiness, “The mass of activity will always be pointless, poorly conceived, badly directed,wastefully executed, and largely beside the point. A small portion of activity will always beterrifically effective.… it is probably notwhat you think it is; it is opaque and buriedwithin abasketoflesseffectiveactivity.”13

Finding the right leveramongmanypossibilities isperhaps the toughestandmost intriguingchallengeforleaderstryingtoexecuteaWIG.

Adistinguishedhigh-enddepartmentstoreat theprestigiousPhippsPlazaMallnearAtlantawasunderheavypressurefromnewcompetitors—discountersaswellastwomajornationalchainstores thathadrecentlymoved intothearea.Revenuesweredown8percent fromthepreviousyear.

Whattodotostopthebleeding?Adopting4DX,thestoremanagersannouncedonlyoneWIGfortheyear,whichwastomatch

revenuenumbersfromtheyearbeforethroughincreasingaveragetransactionrates(theamountpurchasedinanygiventransaction).

All eleven departments came up with supporting WIGS but they hadn’t yet found leadmeasures with sufficient leverage to drive achievement of their overall WIG. It just wasn’thappening.Thepressuretoachievetheyear-over-yearlagmeasurewassostrong,managerswerescreaming at everyone, “Sell more! Sell more!” All of their energy was poured into raisingtransactionaverages(alagmeasure)withnospecificideaofwhattododifferently.

Weworkedlateonenightwiththemanageroftheshoedepartment,whichseemedtobedoingbetterthantheotherdepartments.Wedrilleddown, lookingfortheright levers:“Tellusaboutyourpeople.Howdotheysell?”

Thenhetoldusabouthisbestsalesperson,awomanwhosoldthreetimesmoreshoesthantheaverage.Weasked,“Whatdoesshedodifferently?”

Themanagerknewimmediatelywhatshediddifferently.Shewouldgetlostinthecustomer’sworld,noticewhattheywerewearing,askabouttheirfamilies,andunderstandtheirneeds.Thenshewouldbringoutsixpairsofshoesinsteadofonepairtoshowthecustomer.Shewouldsay,“Oh,it’sspring,howaboutthisopen-toedpair?InoticedyourGuccibagwillgoreallywellwiththosesandals.Youlikethoseredshoes?Howaboutthese?”

Also, instead of asking customers if they wanted to set up a charge account and getting arefusal, she would simply ring up the sale and say: “And you’re getting 10 percent off thatpurchasebysettingupachargeaccountwithustoday.Allyouneedtodoissignhere.”

The lightswent on for us. “Howmany of your people do these things?Howmany pairs ofshoesdoyourpeopleshowinaday?”

“Ihavenoidea.Howwouldoursystemsmonitorthat?”“Well,theycan’t,butthatdoesn’tmeanitcan’tbemeasured.”Sotheysetanexperimentalstandard intheshoedepartment:Eachassociatewoulddothree

thingsconsistently:(1)Showatleastfourpairsofshoestoeverycustomer,(2)Writethank-younotes,and(3)Inviteeverycustomertosetupachargeaccount.

“So,howcanItellifthey’redoingthesethings?”themanagerasked.“Youwon’t.Yourpeoplewilltrackthemselves.”Behind the cashier’s desk they set up a simple spreadsheetwith three columns.Each time a

salespersondidthesethreethingswithacustomer,heorshewouldcheckoffacolumn.“HowdoIknowit’saccurate?”themanagerasked.“Whatiftheylie?”

Webethecouldtrust them.Besides,a fraudwouldsurfaceeventually.Transactionaveragesweretrackedforeveryemployee.Whentheleadmeasuresstartedmovingthelagmeasure,theywouldbeabletoseethecorrelation.

Theresult?Thesales teambecamemaniacally focusedonthe three leadmeasures,andtheseleversworked.Itwasexcitingwhenthelagmeasurestartedtomoveup—itturnedouttherewasadirectcorrelationbetweentheleadsandtheachievementofthelagmeasure.Theyinstalledthesemeasures across all the departments in the store and, by year-end, theyhadnot only achievedtheirWIGofmatchingthepreviousyear’srevenues,theysurpasseditby2percent.Thatwasaten-pointimprovementinthreemonths.

Forthestoremanagers,thedoorwayofunderstandingopened.Noneoftheleadmeasureswerenewstothem.Suggestivesellingisjust“Retail101,”butthey

didn’t know if their team members were actually doing it. We knew they could measure thatbehavior.Wehavelearnedthattheleadmeasuresareusuallyalreadythereinthebusiness,butnooneistrackingthem.Managementwasswimmingindata,butnotfocusingonthedatathatwouldreallymakeadifference.Thekeyistoisolateandconsistentlytracktherightlevers.

Finally,insteadofhoundingthestaffto“dobetter,”managerscouldmanagetothedata.TheycouldseeifJanewasshowingonehundredorthreehundredpairsofshoesperday.Theycouldtrack thenumberof charge accounts each salesperson set up.Theybecame teachers,watchingpeople,demonstratinghowtodosuggestivesellingandsharingbestpractices.Theirenergywentup,andtheirresultsfollowed.

Theywillnevermanagethesamewayagain.Ofcourse,attimesitmaytakesomeintenseefforttoidentifytheleadmeasureswiththemostleverage.

An intriguing example comes from the amazing turnaroundof theOaklandAthletics, in the1990s one of the poorest teams in Major League Baseball. The team played in a dilapidatedstadium,attendancewaslow,andsigninggreatplayersseemedmoreandmoreoutofreach.

No way could they bid successfully for players against wealthy teams like the New YorkYankees,whocoulddipintoabudgetfivetimesthatofOakland.

Caught between financial pressure from the owners and the fans’ outcry for better, moreexpensivebaseballplayers,GeneralManagerSandyAlderson’sWIGwastosavetheteam,andtoachievethathehadtofillthestadium.Buthow?

Heknewthatpeoplecometowatchbaseballformanyreasons:Somewanttoseestarplayers,someenjoy theatmosphereof theballpark,and some justwantanightout.Butpeoplealwayscometoseeawinningteam.It’swinningthatmattersmost.

So, he began to ask himself what really produces wins in baseball. No one had asked thisquestion seriously before.Most people assumed that great players were essential to awinningteam.Ifyouhadstars,you’dwin.But,Aldersonthought,supposethereweremoretoit?

HeandhisassistantmanagerBillyBeanebroughttogetherthebestthinkerstheycouldfindonthesubject:Whatproduceswins?Theanswer,ofcourse,isthehighestnumberofruns,butwhatexactlycontributestoruns?Whataretheleadmeasuresthatcreatearun?

That’showstatisticiansandcomputerscientistsgotintothepicture.Theirhardresearchbeganto serve up factors that had always been there but that no one had ever noticed before.Theydiscovered that themighty sluggerswhohithome runswereoftennotall thatproductive. Themostproductiveplayersweretheoneswhocouldjustgetonbase.Iftheycouldgettoonebaseand then another and then another, they could score runsmuchmore reliably than the powerhitterseveryonevaluedsomuch,andwhocommandedastronomicalsalaries.Asintheoldfable,

thetortoisesturnedouttoprovidemuchmoreleveragethanthehares.AfterAldersonleft,BillyBeanebecamethenewmanager.Hedidtheunthinkable,goingona

bingeofrecruitingnobodies.Theplayershehiredweresomeofthemostawkwardandunvaluedprospects, and he paid relatively little for them. Oakland became a laughingstock. What wasBeanethinking?

Then,asortofmagicdevelopedonthefield.Unaccountably,Oaklandstartedwinninggamesagain.Thepoorestteamintheleague—atleastfinancially—wonthedivisiontitle.Thenextyearthey did it again. Soon they were locked in battle with the mighty, wealthy, Yankees for thepennant. Although they didn’t quite make it, Oakland astonished everyone in baseball byregularlybeating teamsmuchmoregifted in termsofmoneyand talent.Stirredbyvictory, thefansreturned,andlittleOaklandwithitsdingystadiumconsistentlyfinishednearthetopofthestandingsyearafteryear.

Foradecade,theOaklandA’smaintainedthefifthbestrecordinMajorLeagueBaseballwhilerankingtwenty-fourthofthethirtymajor-leagueteamsinplayersalaries.Insteadoffallingtothebottomwheretheybelonged,theyrarelystoodlowerthanfirstorsecondintheirdivision.

WhatBillyBeanedidwas to track theon-base recordofplayersacross the leagueand thenrecruitfromthosewhowereverygoodatgettingonbase.Theseplayerswereusuallynotflashy,notthebig-nameathletes,anddidn’tpulldownbigmoney.Buttheyweredependableworkhorseswhocouldbereliedontogetonbase.Gettingonbasewasthebestpredictorofproducingruns.And,inbaseball,runsarethenameofthegame.

The Oakland management team reframed the game by acting on the lead measures thatproducewins.Throughhardresearch,siftingthroughendlessstatisticstogetatthekeyfactorsthat produced runs, they discovered high-leverage leadmeasures no one had noticed before.14Thisexcitingturnaroundstorywaseventuallychronicledinapopularfilm,Moneyball.

Insection2,we’llgiveyoumoreguidanceonhowtoarriveateffectiveleadmeasures,drawnfromthelessonsourclientshavelearned.

Over the years,we’ve seen thousandsof leaders learn that an important key to execution isputtingdisproportionateenergyagainsttheleveragepointsbyfocusingonmovingleadmeasures.If you have a big rock to move, you’re going to need a lever that is highly predictive andcontrollable.Thebiggertherock,themoreleverageyouwillneed.

TRACKINGLEADMEASUREDATAYoungerBrothersConstructionisaresidentialconstructioncompanyinArizonathathadabigproblem:arisingrateofaccidentsandinjuries.Notonlydideachincidentmeanthatamemberoftheircrewwashurt, italsomeantadelay in thecompletionofa tightly scheduledconstructionproject,increasedinsurancerates,andpotentially,thelossoftheirsafetyrating.Reducingsafetyincidentshadbecomethecompany’smostimportantfocus,soitwasn’tdifficultforthemtoarriveattheirwildlyimportantgoal:toreducesafetyincidentsfrom7percentto1percentbyDecember31.

Once the WIG was established, they had to determine the lead measures that were bothpredictiveoffeweraccidentsandinfluenceablebytheteam.

The first idea they considered was to conduct more intensive safety training. It was highlyinfluenceable, as they could simplymake everyone go tomore training. The leaders ultimately

rejected that idea, however, since their people had already undergone significant amounts oftraining that had allowed them to achieve their current levels of safety. They decided thatadditionalhoursoftrainingwouldn’tbesufficientlypredictiveofachievingtheirnewgoal.

TheleadersatYoungerBrothersthenlookedmorecarefullyattheprimarycausesofaccidentsplaguingthecompanyanddevelopedadifferentideafortheirleadmeasure:Compliancetosafetystandards. They decided to measure compliance via six safety standards: wearing hard hats,gloves,boots,andeyewear,aswellasusingscaffoldsandroofbracestokeepworkersfromslidingoff the roof. Theywere certain that enforcing these six standards at high levels of compliancewouldbebothpredictiveandinfluenceableinreducingaccidents.

Withinoneyearof focusingonthe leadmeasureofcompliancetosafetystandardsYoungerBrothersConstructionachievedthebestsafetyrecordinthethirty-yearhistoryofthecompany.Butitwasn’teasy.

Oneofthemostchallengingaspectsoftheirleadmeasurewassimplygettingthedata.Thelagmeasuredataofaccidentsandinjuriescameautomaticallyfromthecompany’ssystemeachweek.Theleadmeasure,compliancetosafetystandards,hadtobephysicallyobserved.

This meant that construction supervisors had to move among the various crews to checkwhetherthepeoplewerewearingtheirhardhats,gloves,andsafetyglassesandthatscaffoldsandroofbraceswerefirmlyinplace.Moreover,theyhadtodothisdespiteanever-endingstreamofdistractions:subcontractorissues,lateshipments,customerconcerns,andweatherdelays.Inthemiddleofthatwhirlwind,checkingforsafetycompliancemightnotseem“wildlyimportant”toaconstructionforeman.However,becausereducingsafetyincidentswasthewildlyimportantgoal,and because safety compliance was the primary leverage point for achieving it, they made ithappenweekafterweek.

Thelessoninthisstoryisthatleadmeasuredataisalmostalwaysmoredifficulttoacquirethanlagmeasuredata,butyoumustpay theprice to trackyour leadmeasures.Weoftensee teamsstrugglewiththis,zeroinginonahigh-leverageleadmeasureonlytosay,“Wow,gettingthatdataisgoingtotakerealwork!We’retoobusytodothat.”Ifyou’reseriousaboutyourWIG,thenyoumustcreateawaytotrackyourleadmeasures.Withoutdata,youcan’tdriveperformanceontheleadmeasures;withoutleadmeasures,youdon’thaveleverage.

AndwhentheWIGistrulywildlyimportant,you’vegottohavethatleverage.TheWIGforeveryairlineflightisasafelanding.Flyingtodayisactuallyremarkablysafe,but

thatwasn’talwaystrue.Inthe1930smanyseriousairplanecrasheswerecausedbypiloterror.In1935,MajorPeteHill,averyexperiencedtestpilotwiththeUSArmy,crashedoneofthebiggestairplaneseverbuiltbecauseheforgottomakesurethetailelevatorswereunlockedbeforetaking

off.As a result, pilots got together and adopted a clear set of lead measures called a preflight

checklist.15 After that, there were far fewer crashes due to pilot error. Today, the preflightchecklististhegreatestpredictorofarrivingsafely.

Thepreflightchecklistisaperfectexampleofwhatwemeanbyahigh-leverageactivity.Goingthroughthechecklisttakesafewminutesbutcanhaveenormousimpact.Onehundredpercentcompliancewiththechecklistisalsoanexcellentexampleofaleadmeasure:Itispredictiveofasafelandingandinfluenceablebythepilots.

Onceyouandyour teambegin todevelop leadmeasures inDiscipline2, you’ll gainan evengreaterappreciationfortheworkyoudidinnarrowingyourfocusinDiscipline1.Drivingtheleadmeasures for a single WIG is a challenging enough objective in the midst of your whirlwind.Leaderswho insist onmore than twoWIGs inDiscipline 1 (despiteour advice) always changetheirmindsoncetheybegintounderstandleadmeasuresinDiscipline2.

LEADMEASURESANDENGAGEMENTOnceateamisclearaboutitsleadmeasures,theirviewofthegoalchanges.

Let’s take a look at what happenedwhen BethWood, a grocery storemanager, set out toachieveaverychallenginggoalofincreasingyear-over-yearsales.

Beth called inBob, her bakerymanager, to get his support in improving their sagging year-over-yearsalesnumbers.

Bobisagood-naturedmanagerand,onatypicalday,hewouldlikelyhavesaid,“Sure,Beth,I’dbegladtohelp,”evenifhedidn’thaveacluewhathecoulddotodrivemoresales.Onthisday,however,Bobhadreachedhislimitandwasn’tinthemoodtojustgoalong.

“Youwantimprovedsales?”hesaidsarcastically“Knockyourselfout,Beth.”StartledbyBob’sresponse,Bethcamebackquickly“Look,Bob,Ican’tdothisalone.You’re

closertothecustomersthanIamandyou’reclosertoyouremployeesthanIam.”Now,Bobwasreallyfrustrated.“Whatexactlywouldyoulikemetodo?It’snotlikeIcanhit

peopleovertheheadanddragthemintothestore.Irunthebakery.Ifyouwantabagel,I’myourguy.”

Ifyoudidn’tknowBethandBobwell,youmightthinkthatBobhasachronicallybadattitude,ordoesn’trespectBeth,orworse,isjustlazy.

Butnoneofthesethingsaretrue.BobactuallylikesBethandwouldalsoliketohelpthestoreimprovesales.Buttwothingsare

holdinghimback:one,hedoesn’tknowhow,andtwo,hedoesn’tthinkhecan.Atthismoment,what’sreallygoingthroughBob’smindis“We’reathirty-yearoldstorethatjusthadaWalmartSupercentermoveindownthestreet.We’realsoonthewrongsideoftheintersectionandallthetraffic has tomake a left to get in here, if they can even see our sign.AndBethwantsme toimprovestoresales?”

Bobcontinues,“IfIknewhowtoimprovesalesdon’tyouthinkI’dalreadybedoingit?I’mnotholdingoutonyou!”

When you seeBob’s perspective, you can better understand his response to this frustratingsituation.Bobisrepresentativeofsomanypeople.Theycanseetherockalltoowell.Theproblemisthattheyjustdon’tseethelever.

Now,let’sreplaythissamescenario,butthistimewithBethusingaleadmeasuretodrivehergoal.Shecallshermanagerstogetherandposesthisquestion:“Abovesustainingourday-to-dayoperation,whatistheonethingyourteamscoulddotoimproveyear-over-yearsalesthemost?”In effect, she is asking themwhat influenceable outcome or behavior is themost predictive ofmovingthelagmeasureofsales,butshe’slimitingittoaverynarrowfocus.

Theybegin todiscuss a lotofpossibilities, suchas raising customer service, improving storeconditions,orgivingawaymorefreesamples.Afteralotofbackandforth,theyfinallycometotheagreementthatthesinglebiggestthingtheycandotoimprovesalesintheirstoreistoreducethenumberofout-of-stockitems.

This leadmeasureof reducingout-of-stocks ishighlypredictiveofbetter store sales—this iswell known in the retail world. Equally important, out-of-stocks is a highly influenceable leadmeasure.Now,Bobseeswhathecando in thebakery todrivesales.Reducingout-of-stocks issomethingheandhisteamcanreallyinfluence.Theycanperformextrashelfreviewstocheckforitemsthataresoldout,theycanorganizetheirbackroomsothatfastmovingproductsareeasierto restock, or they can change the frequency and volume of reordering. In otherwords, it’s agameheandhisteamcanwin,andnowhe’sengaged.

Whena teamdefines its leadmeasures they aremaking a strategic bet. In a sense, they aresaying, “We’re betting that by driving these leadmeasures we are going to achieve our wildlyimportantgoal.”Theybelievethattheleverisgoingtomovetherock,andbecauseofthatbelief,theyengage.

Disciplines3and4aredesigned tohelp the teamputenergy intomoving the leadmeasures.However, the real impact and beauty of good leadmeasures in Discipline 2 is that they trulyconnect your team to the achievement of the WIG. And, ultimately, it’s the front line of anorganizationthatcreatesthebottom-lineresultyou’reafter.

Coming up with the right leadmeasures is really about helping everyone see themselves asstrategic business partners and engaging them in dialogue about what can be done better ordifferentlyinordertoachievetheWIGs.

A good example is the advertising department of theSavannahMorning News, a venerablenewspaper in theAmerican South.Whenwemetwith them, theirWIGwas to close a seriousrevenue gap. They had fallen into the trap of trying to focus on everything at once, includingpushingnewproducts, daily inserts specials, andother add-ons, in anattempt to incrementallymovetherevenuenumber.Theirfocuswasspreadacrosssomanyinitiativesthattheyhadtakentheireyeoffof theirmainproduct.So, theybeganwithDiscipline1, settingawildly importantgoaltoincreaseadvertisingrevenuebyrefocusingontheircoreproduct.

Everything changed when they started practicing Discipline 2: Act on the lead measures.Everybody on the teamwas involved in the dialogue.After thinking throughways to increaseadvertising dollars, they agreed together on three key actions: to increase their number ofcontacts with new customers, potential advertisers who had not done business with thenewspaper;toreactivatecustomerswhohadn’tadvertisedwiththepaperforsixmonthsormore;and toupsell to their existingclients, findingways toaddvalue to themessage—maybeaddingcolortoanad,givingitbetterplacement,orincreasingthesizeofanad.

Inpractice,theplanbrokedownintosimpleleadmeasures:intheweeklyWIGsessionspeoplecommittedtohitacertainnumberofnew-customercontacts,reactivationcalls,andupselloffers.Thenextweektheyreportedtheresults.Individualsalespeoplewerenotonlymanagingtheirownbusiness more effectively, but also regularly communicating to each other best practices,refinementstoapproaches,andwaysofovercomingbarriers.

Theadvertisingdirector said,“I’vebeen in thisbusiness for twentyyears,andI’ve spentmyentirecareerbasicallyprayingoverlagmeasuresandputtingoutfires.”Forthefirsttime,shefeltabletohelpherpeopleachievetheirgoalsintangibleways.Thenewspaperclosedtheirrevenuegapandshotpasttheirgoalsfortheyear.Actingconsistentlyontherightleadmeasuresmadeitallpossible.Basedonhersuccess,MorrisCommunications,theparentcompanyoftheSavannahMorningNews,wentontoimplement4DXwiththeirfortyothernewspapers.

We’lltalkmoreaboutselectingtherightleadmeasuresinsection2.

Discipline3:KeepaCompellingScoreboard

The thirddiscipline is tomake sureeveryoneknows the scoreatall times, so that theycan tellwhetherornottheyarewinning.

Thisisthedisciplineofengagement.

Remember,peopleplaydifferentlywhentheyarekeepingscore.The difference in performance between a team that simply understands their lead and lag

measuresasaconcept,andateamthatactuallyknowstheirscore,isremarkable.Iftheleadandlagmeasuresarenotcapturedonavisualscoreboardandupdatedregularly,theywilldisappearinto the distraction of the whirlwind. Simply put, people disengage when they don’t know thescore.When theycanseeataglancewhetherornot theyarewinning theybecomeprofoundlyengaged.

InDiscipline3,thestrategicbetforyourteam,theirleadandlagmeasures,aretranslatedintoavisible,compellingscoreboard.

Severalyearsago,wewereworkingwithagroupof leadersatNorthropGrummantoapply4DX to thedesignandbuildingofCoastGuard cutters.Ourprojectbeganonly a fewmonthsafter Hurricane Katrina had significantly damaged their facility, and as we were introducingDiscipline 3, they offered an example that perfectly illustrated the importance of having acompellingscoreboard.

On the previous Friday night, the local high-school team had played an important footballgame. As expected, the stands were full and there was the usual excitement leading up to thekickoff.Butasthegameprogressed,somethingwasmissing.Noonewascheering.Infact,nooneseemed tobepayingattention to thegameatall.Theonly sound fromthe standswas thedullhumofconversation.Whatwashappening?

Thescoreboardhadblowndownduringthehurricaneandhadnotyetbeenrepaired.Thefans

couldn’tseeanynumbers.“Noonecouldtellyouwhatthescorewas,whatdownitwas,orevenhowmuchtimewasleft.Therewasagamegoingon,butitwaslikenooneevenknew.”

Thisstoryreallycaughtourattention.Haveyoueverwantedtoshout infrustrationtoyourteam“Don’tyougetit?There’sagamegoingonhereanditreallymatters!”Ifyouhave,it’slikelyyour team ismissing the same critical element that affected the fans at the game: a clear andcompellingscoreboard.

Great teams know at every moment whether or not they are winning. They must know,otherwise,theydon’tknowwhattheyhavetodotowinthegame.Acompellingscoreboardtellstheteamwheretheyareandwheretheyshouldbe,informationessentialtoteamproblemsolvinganddecisionmaking.

That’swhyagreatteamcan’tfunctionwithoutascoreboardthatcompelsaction.Withoutit,energydissipates,intensitylags,andtheteamgoesbacktobusinessasusual.

Weneedtobeveryclearhere.Visuallydisplayingdataisnotnewtoyouoryourteam.Infact,youmaybethinkingthatyoualreadyhaveascoreboard,orevenlotsofscoreboards,allcapturedincomplexspreadsheets insideyourcomputer.Andthedata justkeepscoming in.Mostof thisdata is in the formof lagmeasures accompaniedbyhistorical trends, forwardprojections, anddetailed financial analysis.Thedata is importantand it servesapurpose foryouas the leader;yourspreadsheetsarewhatwewouldcallacoach’sscoreboard.

Butwhatwe’reafterinDiscipline3issomethingquitedifferent.InimplementingDiscipline3,youandyourteamneedtobuildaplayers’scoreboard,onethat’sdesignedsolelytoengagetheplayersonyourteamtowin.

CONVENTIONALTHINKING 4DXPRINCIPLE

Scoreboardsareforleaders.Theyarecoach’sscoreboardsthatconsistofcomplexspreadsheetswiththousandsofnumbers.Thebigpictureisintheresomewhere,butfew(ifanyone)caneasilyseeit.

Thescoreboardisforthewholeteam.Todriveexecutionyouneedaplayers’scoreboardthathasafewsimplegraphsonitindicating:Here’swhereweneedtobeandhere’swherewearerightnow.Infivesecondsorless,anyonecandeterminewhetherwearewinningorlosing?

Tounderstandtheimpactofthiskindofscoreboard,imaginethatyouareataparkwhereagroupofteenagersisplayingbasketball.You’renotcloseenoughtohearthem,butyoucanseethem.Canyoutell, justbywatching, if theyarekeepingscore?Youcan,andthe indicatorsareobvious.

First,you’llseea levelof intensityintheirplaythatyouwouldn’tsee iftheyweren’tkeepingscore.You’ll also see teamwork, better shot selection, aggressive defense, and celebration eachtimetheymakeabasket.Thesearethebehaviorsofafullyengagedteam,andtheyonlyplayatthislevelwhenthegamematters—inotherwords,whenitmattersenoughthattheyarekeepingscore.

If your scoreboard includes complicated data that only you, the leader, understand, itrepresentsa leader’sgame.Butformaximumengagementandperformanceyouneedaplayers’scoreboardthatmakesittheteam’sgame.JimStuart(oneoftheoriginatorsof4DX)saiditbest:“Thefundamentalpurposeofaplayers’scoreboardistomotivatetheplayerstowin.”

Webeganthischapterwithacriticallyimportantstatement:peopleplaydifferentlywhentheyarekeepingscore.Now,weneedtoshifttheemphasistobeevenclearer:Peopleplaydifferentlywhentheyarekeepingscore.Thiscreatesaverydifferent feelingthanwhenyoukeepscoreforthem.When teammembers themselvesarekeepingscore, they trulyunderstand theconnectionbetweentheirperformanceandreachingtheirgoal,andthischangesthelevelatwhichtheyplay.

Wheneveryoneontheteamcanseethescore,thelevelofplayrises,notonlybecausetheycanseewhat’sworkingandwhatadjustmentsareneeded,butalsobecausetheynowwanttowin.

Youseeherethecontrastbetweenacoach’sscoreboardandaplayer’sscoreboard.

Acoach’sscoreboard iscomplexanddatarich,but itrequirescarefulstudytofigureout if theteamiswinning.

Inthisplayers’scoreboard, thegoal(representedbytheblack line) is to increaserevenue.Thegraylineisactualperformance.Atanymoment,teammemberscanseeiftheyarewinning.

Theplayers’scoreboardisessentialtomotivatingtheplayerstowin.

CHARACTERISTICSOFACOMPELLINGPLAYERS’SCOREBOARDThere are four questions we always ask when determining if a scoreboard is likely to becompellingtotheplayers:

1.Isitsimple?Ithastobesimple.Thinkaboutthescoreboardinafootballgame.Usually,onlysixdistinctpiecesofdataaredisplayed:score,time,quarter,downanddistance,andtime-outs.Now,thinkabouthowmanypiecesofdatathecoachistrackingonthesideline:yardspercarry,completionpercentage,third-downconversions,passdistribution,andevenhangtimeandyardageforpunts.Thelistgoesonforever.Coachesneedthisdatatomanagethegame,butthescoreboardonthefieldshowsonlythedataneededtoplaythegame.

2.CanIseeiteasily?Ithastobevisibletotheteam.Thescoreboardatafootballgameishugeandthenumbersgiganticsoeveryonecantellataglancewho’swinning.Ifyourscoreboardsitsonyourcomputerorhangsonthebackofyourofficedoor,it’soutofsight, out of mind for the team. Remember that you are always competing with the

whirlwindandit’satoughadversary.Withoutavisiblescoreboard,theWIGandleadmeasurescouldbeforgotteninamatterofweeks,ifnotdays,intheconstanturgencyofyourday-to-dayresponsibilities.

Visibilityalsodrivesaccountability.Theresultsbecomepersonally importanttotheteam when the scoreboard is displayed where it can be seen by everyone. We’veobservedthisagainandagain.We’veseenaunionshiftatagiantjuice-bottlingplantinMichigan choose to skip their lunch break in order to increase the number of fulltruckloadstheydeliveredsotheycouldmovethescoreboard.Why?Sotheycanmovepast other shifts on the scoreboard. In another instance,we observed the night shiftcometoworkatmidnightandsawthatthefirstthingtheylookedatwasthescoreboardto see how their team was doing compared to the day shift. If your team isgeographicallydispersed,thescoreboardshouldbevisibleonyourdesktopcomputerormobilephone(ForemoreonelectronicscoreboardsseeAutomating4DX).

3.Doesitshowleadandlagmeasures?Itshouldshowboththeleadandlagmeasures.Thisreallyhelpsascoreboardcometolife.Theleadmeasureiswhattheteamcanaffect.Thelagmeasureistheresulttheywant.Theteamneedstoseebothortheywillquicklyloseinterest.Whentheycanseeboththeleadandlag,theycanwatchthebetplayout.Theycan seewhat they aredoing (the lead), andwhat they are getting (the lag).Once theteamseesthatthelagmeasureismovingbecauseoftheeffortstheyhavemadeontheleads, it has a dramatic effect on engagement because they know they are having adirectimpactontheresults.

4.CanItellataglanceifI’mwinning?Ithastotellyouimmediatelyifyouarewinningorlosing.Iftheteamcan’tquicklydetermineiftheyarewinningorlosingbylookingatthescoreboardthenit’snotagame,it’sjustdata.Checkyournextreport,graph,scorecard,orscoreboardbeforeyoudismissthisasobvious.Glanceatthespreadsheetsthatshowthe weekly financial data. Can you instantly tell if you are winning or losing? Couldother people tell?We call it the five-second rule. If you can’t tell within five secondswhetheryou’rewinningorlosingyouhaven’tpassedthistest.

This simple illustration comes from one of our clients, an events management company

responsible for booking trade shows for outdoor retailers. The WIG was to book a certainnumberofexhibitorsbyacertaindate.

In the scoreboardon the left youcan see the statusof the team’sprogress todate,butyouhaveno idea if theyarewinningor losing.Winningor losing requiresyou toknow two things:whereyouarenowandwhereyoushouldbenow.

The difference in the scoreboard on the right is the addition of where the team should be,illustratedbythegoat.Becausesomanyoftheircustomersweremountainclimbers,theyusedamountaingoattorepresenttheperformanceneededeachweektoachievetheirgoal.Nowyoucaneasilyseethattheyarelosing,andseveralotherimportantaspectsoftheteam’sperformancearealso immediately apparent:Youknowhow long theyhavebeen losing (twoweeks).Youknowthatachievingthegoalisgettingharder,noteasier.Youknowthattheperformanceoftheteamisstartingtoleveloff,insteadofclimbing.Andyouknowthattheteamisclosertotheendoftheracethanthebeginning.

Asbasicasthismayseem,whenweaskleadersinourprogramstoreportthissortofdataonthespottheywilloftensay,“IthinkIcangetmostofthat,butI’llneedafewminutestopullittogether.”Keepinmindthatthesearecapableleaders.Theirproblemisnottheabsenceofdata;theirproblemistoomuchofitandlittlesenseofwhatdataismostimportant.

Imagineifnotonlyyou,buteverymemberofyourteamunderstoodtheteam’sperformancethis clearly.Would it change the way they engaged in the game? After implementing 4DX inthousandsofteams,wecanassureyouthatitwill.

LikeDisciplines 1 and 2, Discipline 3 is not intuitive for most leaders. You don’t naturallycreate a player’s scoreboard. Your instinct will be to create a coach’s scoreboard: a complexscoreboardwithlotsofdata,analysis,andprojectionsdesignedforthecoaches,nottheplayers.Andyou’renotalone.Weseldomfindevenasinglescoreboardinmostorganizationsthatmeetsthefourcriterialistedhere.

LINK:http//www.4dxbook.com/qr/Scoreboards

In the end, it isn’t actually the scoreboard that’s compelling.Although teams enjoy creatingtheirownscoreboards,whatultimatelydrivesengagementisthegamethescoreboardrepresents.You’ll never hear a sports fan saying, “Did you see that game last night? What an amazingscoreboard!”Thescoreboardwasabsolutelynecessary,butitwasthegamethatinterestedthem.

Oneofthemostdemoralizingaspectsoflifeinthewhirlwindisthatyoudon’tfeelyoucanwin.Ifyourteamisoperatingexclusivelyinthewhirlwind,they’regivingeverythingtheyhavejusttosustaintheirdaytodayoperationandsurvive.They’renotplayingtowin;they’replayingnot tolose.Andtheresultisabigdifferenceinperformance.

Butwith4DX,notonlydoyoucreateagameforyourteam,youcreateawinnablegame.Andthesecrettothatgamebeingwinnableistherelationshipbetweentheleadandlagmeasuresthatplaysoutonthescoreboardeveryday.

Inessence,youandyourteammakeabetthatyoucanmovetheleadmeasuresandthatthoseleadmeasureswillmove the lagmeasure.When it starts towork,evenpeoplewhohaveshownlittleinterestbecomeveryengagedastheentireteamstartstoseethattheyarewinning,oftenforthefirsttime.Keepinmindthattheirengagementisnotbecausetheorganization iswinning,oreventhatyouastheirleaderarewinning:it’sbecausetheyarewinning.

Someyearsago,wewereinvitedtohelpalow-performingplantrunbyaglobalmanufacturingcompany to come up to the quality standards of the rest of the company. The plant was old,strugglingwithoutdatedtechnology,andinaremotelocation.Forus, itrequiredall-dayflightsandalongdrivetotheendofaforestroadinCanadatoreachtheplant.

In 25 years, this plant hadnever hit its targeted production number.Additionally, they had

massivequalityissuesintheirworkproduct,particularlywiththenightshiftsthatemployedtheleast experienced workers. The quality score was in the low seventies, while the rest of thecompanywasinthehigheighties.

Itwasn’tuntilthescoreboardswentupthatthingschangedradically.Theyhadbeenplayinginthe dark, and the new scoreboards “turned on the lights.”Data is like light—the best growthagentknown.Whenwinnersaregivendatathatshowsthattheyarelosing,theyfigureoutawaytowin.Withthelightson,theycanseewhattheyneedtodotoimprove.

Ashiftwouldcomeinatmidnight,comparetheirscoreboardwiththoseoftheshiftswhohadbeenworkingallday,andgetenergizedtogobeyondwhateverthepreviousshifthaddone.Thiswas a hockey-playing culture: For entertainment in this remote locale, there were two hockeyrinksandnotmuchelse.Theworkersknewthey’dbeplayinghockeyanddrinkingwiththeguysfromtheothershiftontheweekends,andtheywantedtobetheshiftwithbraggingrightsabouthigherscores.

As4DXleveragedthenaturalurgetocompete,thequalityscoresoaredfrom74to94,fromworstinthefleettobestandfarabovetheindustrystandard.Andwithinayear,thisplantthathadneverhititsproductionnumberexceededitby4,000metrictons,addingatleast$5milliontothebottomline.

The players’ scoreboard is a powerful device for changing human behavior anywhere, evendeepinthewoods.

In section 2, we’ll give you guidance on exactly how to create and maintain a compellingscoreboard.

THE4DISCIPLINESANDTEAMENGAGEMENTWe’d like to be able to say thatwe understood the connection between the implementation of4DX and team engagement all along, but we didn’t.We learned it through experience. As webegantoimplement4DXwithteamsaroundtheworld,wesawsignificantincreasesinmoraleandengagement,eventhoughtheirWIGsweren’taboutmoraleandengagement.Thatoutcomemightnotcomeasasurprisetoyou,basedonhowwe’vedescribed4DXsofar,butatthetime,itdidtous.

FranklinCovey had built a worldwide reputation for helping to increase the personaleffectiveness of individuals and teams, and with it, their morale and engagement. 4DX wasdesigned to occupy the other end of the FranklinCovey offering continuum,with an exclusivefocusonbusinessresults.However,inourearlyimplementations,theincreaseinengagementthatweobservedasteamsbegantofeeltheywerewinningwasnotasubtlething.Itwaspalpable.Infact,wewouldhavetohavebeenblindtomissit.

Our implementationsusually involvedseveraldaysof intensiveworkwith leadersand teams,andtheseteamsincludedtheirshareofnaysayersandresisters.Tooursurprise,wewouldreturntwomonthslaterandfindthattheseinitialresisters,alongwitheveryoneelseontheteam,wereexcitedtoshowuswhattheywereaccomplishing.

Manybelievethatengagementdrivesresults,andsodowe.However,weknownow,andhavewitnessedconsistentlyovertheyears,thatresultsdriveengagement.Thisisparticularlytruewhenthe teamcansee thedirect impact theiractionshaveon the results. Inourexperience,nothingaffectsmoraleandengagementmorepowerfullythanwhenapersonfeelsheorsheiswinning.In

many cases, winning is amore powerful driver of engagement thanmoney, benefits packages,workingconditions,whetheryouhaveabestfriendatwork,orevenwhetheryoulikeyourboss,allofwhichare typicalmeasuresofengagement.Peoplewillwork formoneyand theywillquitovermoney,butmanyteamsarefilledwithpeoplewhoarebothwellpaidandmiserableintheirjobs.

In1968,authorFrederickHerzbergpublishedanarticleintheHarvardBusinessReviewaptlytitled:“OneMoreTime:HowDoYouMotivateEmployees?”In it,heemphasizesthepowerfulconnection between results and engagement: “People are most satisfied with their jobs (andthereforemostmotivated)whenthosejobsgivethemtheopportunitytoexperienceachievement.”

Forty-threeyearslaterinanotherHarvardBusinessReviewarticle,“ThePowerofSmallWins,”authorsTeresaAmabile andStevenKramer emphasize the importanceof achievement to teammembers:“Thepowerofprogressisfundamentaltohumannature,butfewmanagersunderstanditorknowhowtoleverageprogresstoboostmotivation.”16

Wehavelearnedthatscoreboardscanbeapowerfulwaytoengageemployees.Amotivatingplayers’ scoreboard not only drives results but uses the visible power of progress to instill themindsetofwinning.

Ifyoustillhavedoubtsaboutthe impactofwinningonteamengagement, thinkofa time inyourown careerwhenyouwere themost excitedand engaged inwhat youweredoing, a timewhenyoucouldn’twaittogetoutofbedinthemorning,whenyouwereconsumedwithwhatyouwere doing professionally.Now ask yourself this question, “At that time, did I feel like I waswinning?”Ifyouarelikethevastmajorityofpeople,youranswerwillbe“yes.”

4DX enables you to set up a winnable game. Discipline 1 narrows your focus to a wildlyimportantgoalandestablishesaclearfinishline.Discipline2createsleadmeasuresthatgiveyourteamleveragetoachievethegoal.Thisiswhatmakesitagame:Theteamismakingabetontheirlead measures. But, without Discipline 3, without a compelling players’ scoreboard, not onlywouldthegamebelostinthewhirlwind,noonewouldcare.

A winning team doesn’t need artificial morale boosting. All the psyching up and rah-rahexercises companies do to raise morale aren’t nearly as effective in engaging people as thesatisfactionthatcomesfromexecutingwithexcellenceagoalthatreallymatters.

Disciplines 1, 2, and 3 are powerful drivers of execution, and yet, they are really only thebeginningofthestory.Thefirstthreedisciplinessetupthegame,butyourteammaystillnotbeinthegame,asyouareabouttolearn.

Discipline4:CreateaCadenceofAccountability

The fourth discipline is to create a cadence of accountability, a frequently recurring cycle ofaccountingforpastperformanceandplanningtomovethescoreforward.

Discipline4 iswhereexecutionactuallyhappens.Aswe’vesaid,Disciplines1,2,and3setupthegame;butuntilyouapplyDiscipline4,yourteamisn’tinthegame.

Thisisthedisciplinethatbringstheteammembersalltogether,andthatiswhyitencompassestheotherdisciplines.

Manyleadersdefineexecutionsimplyastheabilitytosetagoalandachieveit.Afteryearsofteaching these principles, we can tell you that this definition is insufficient. But, as discussedabove,what’sdifficult—andrare—istheabilitytoachieveacriticalgoalwhilelivinginthemidstofa ragingwhirlwind.And it is evenmore difficultwhen achieving the goal requires changing thebehaviorsofalotofpeople.

Greatteamsoperatewithahighlevelofaccountability.Withoutit,teammembersgooffinalldirections with each doing what he/she thinks is most important. Under this approach, thewhirlwindsoontakesover.

Disciplines1,2,and3bringfocus,clarity,andengagement,whicharepowerfulandnecessaryelements for your success. But with Discipline 4, you and your team ensure that the goal isachieved,nomatterwhatishappeningaroundyou.

In most organizations, accountability means the annual performance review, hardly anengagingexperiencewhetheryouaregivingorreceivingthereview.Itcanalsomeanbeingcalledonthecarpetforsomethingyoufailedtoaccomplish.

Ontheotherhand,ina4DXorganization,accountabilitymeansmakingpersonalcommitmentstotheentireteamtomovethescoresforwardandthenfollowingthroughinadisciplinedway.

CONVENTIONALTHINKING 4DXPRINCIPLE

Accountabilityonourteamisalwaystopdown.Wemeetwiththebossperiodicallyandheletsusknowhowwe’redoingandwhatweshouldfocusonnext.

Accountabilityonourteamisshared.Wemakecommitmentsandthenwe’reaccountabletoourboss,butmoreimportant,toeachother,forfollowingthrough.

THEWIGSESSIONInDiscipline4,yourteammeetsat leastweekly inaWIGsession.Thismeeting,which lastsnolongerthantwentytothirtyminutes,hasasetagendaandgoesquickly,establishingyourweeklyrhythmofaccountabilityfordrivingprogresstowardtheWIG.

Thisdisciplineliterallymakesthedifferencebetweensuccessfulandfailedexecution.InMay1996,notedauthorJonKrakauer triedclimbingMt.Everestwithagroupofpaying

climbers. As they encountered obstacles such as blizzards, 62 mph winds, and high-altitudesickness,thegroupbegantofallapart.Someofthemoreheadstrongclimbersdecidedtotryforthesummitthemselvesandstruckoutontheirown.Teamdisciplinewasabandoned.Theyallhadthesamegoal,butthelossofdisciplineandsenseofaccountabilityforeachotherinanextremelyunforgivingenvironmentturnedouttobelethal.Theresult:eightpeopledied.17

Five years later, another group set out to climbMt.Everest; their goalwas to help a blindclimber, Erik Weihenmayer, reach the summit. The team carefully planned the route, just asKrakauer’s group had done. A big difference, however, was that at the end of each dayWeihenmayer’sgrouphuddledtogetherinwhattheycalledthe“tentmeeting”totalkoverwhatthey had accomplished and what they had learned, which would help them to plan andmakeadjustments for thenextday.Faster climberson the team“cleared thepath,” fixed ropes, andthenworkedtheirwaybacktomeetErikalongthetrail.Eriksaid,“Ourteamstucktogetherandtookcareofeachother,whichgavemejustenoughcouragetofinish.”

At one critical point, it took thirteen hours for their blind leader to cross the aluminumextension ladders that spanned the bottomless crevasses of the extremely dangerous KhumbuIcefall.Theteamknewthatonsummitdaytheywouldhavetogetacrossintwohours.Innightlytentmeetings (a formofWIGSession), they shared lessons learnedandcommitted to thenextday’sstrategy.Ittookdaysanddaysofpracticeandnightafternightoftentmeetings.

Theresult?Onsummitday,theyactuallypassedsightedteamsastheyworkedtogettheentireteamtotheothersideoftheicefallinrecordtime.

This cadence of accountabilitywas the key to successful execution of the goal.OnMay 25,2001,ErikWeihenmayerbecamethefirstblindpersontostandonthesummitofMt.Everest.Histeam’sotherremarkablefirst:ThegreatestnumberofpeoplefromoneteamtoreachthetopofEverestinasingleday,eighteeninall.Intheend,Erikandalmosteveryoneonhisteamreachedthehighestpeakontheplanetandreturnedsafely.18

ThefocusoftheWIGsessionissimple:toholdeachotheraccountablefortakingtheactionsthatwillmovetheleadmeasures,resultingintheachievementoftheWIGdespitethewhirlwind.

Easytosay,buthardtodo.Toensurethatthisfocusisachievedeveryweek,tworulesofWIGsessionsmustabsolutelybefollowed.

First, the WIG session should be held on the same day and at the same time every week(sometimes even more often—daily, for instance—but never less often than weekly). Thisconsistencyiscritical.Withoutit,yourteamwillneverbeabletoestablishasustainedrhythmofperformance.Missingevenasingleweekcausesyoutolosevaluablemomentum,andthislossofmomentumimpactsyourresults.ThismeansthattheWIGsessionissacred—ittakesplaceeveryweek,eveniftheleadercan’tattendandhastodelegatetheroleofleadingit.

Itistrulyamazingwhatyoucanaccomplishbythesimpledisciplineofmeetingaroundagoalonaweeklybasisoveranextendedperiodoftime.Thereisnothingquite likeit.Frankly,we’redumbfounded that this discipline isn’t practiced more frequently.We have asked hundreds ofthousandsof employees in various industries around the globe to respond to the statement: “Imeetatleastmonthlywithmymanagertodiscussmyprogressongoals.”Tooursurprise,only34percentcanrespondpositivelytothisstatement,evenwhenthereviewisonlyonceeachmonth,let alone weekly—the best practice of high-performing teams. It’s no wonder that highaccountabilityisabsentinsomanyorganizations.

WhatissospecialaboutholdingaWIGsessioneachweek,youmayask?Wehavefoundthatformost organizational units, theweek embodies a perfect slice of “life.” It is a short enoughperiodoftimetokeeppeoplefocusedandremainhighlyrelevant,but longenoughtoallowforcommitments made in these meetings to actually get done. In many operating environments,weeks represent a natural rhythmof organizational life.We think inweeks.We talk inweeks.Theyhavebeginningsandends.Theyareastapleofthehumanconditionandmakeforaperfectcadenceofaccountability.

Second,thewhirlwindisneverallowedintoaWIGsession.Nomatterhowurgentanissuemayseem, discussion in the WIG session is limited solely to actions and results that move thescoreboard.Ifyouneedtodiscussotherthings,holdastaffmeetingafter theWIGsession,butkeeptheWIGsessionseparate.ThishighleveloffocusmakestheWIGsessionnotonlyfast,butextremelyeffectiveatproducingtheresultsyouwant.ItalsoreaffirmstheimportanceoftheWIGto every team member. It sends a clear message that, as it relates to achieving the WIG, nosuccess in the whirlwind can compensate for a failure to keep the commitments made in lastweek’sWIGsession.Manyofourclientorganizationsdoexactlythis:TheyholdaWIGsessionfor twenty to thirtyminutes and then hold a staff meeting right after, during which they candiscusswhirlwindissues.

KeepingyourWIGsessionstotwentytothirtyminutesisastandardtostrivefor.Whenyoufirst start holdingWIG sessions theymay takemore time. But, ultimately, as you increasinglyfocus your time and attention onmoving the scoreboard and nothingmore, your sessionswillbecomeincreasinglyeffectiveandefficient.Wealsorecognizethatdependingupontheparticularfunctionornatureofyourteam,theymaytakeabitmoretime.Buteventhen,anyteaminanyfunctioncanlearntoconductfast,efficientsessionscenteredonthewildlyimportantgoalinplaceofprotractedmeetingscoveringeverythingunderthesun.Often,tokeepyourWIGsessionsfastandfocused,youmayneedtoscheduleothermeetingstoresolveissuesthatgrowoutoftheWIGsession. For example, youmight say, “Bill, you bring up an important problem that has to beresolvedthisweek.Whydon’twesetupanothermeetingthisThursdaytodoadeepdiveonthisproblemtoseeifwecansolveit,”andthencontinuewithyourWIGsession.

WIGsessionsmightvaryincontent,buttheagendaisalwaysthesame.Here’sthethree-part

agendaforaWIGsessionalongwiththekindoflanguageyoushouldbehearinginthesession:

1.Account:Reportoncommitments.•“Icommittedtomakeapersonalcalltothreecustomerswhogaveuslowerscores.Idid,

andhere’swhatIlearned…”

•“Icommittedtobookatleastthreeprospectsforasitevisitandendedupgettingfour!”

•“ImetwithourVP,butwasn’tabletogettheapprovalwewanted.Here’swhy…”

2.Reviewthescoreboard:Learnfromsuccessesandfailures.•“Ourlagmeasureisgreen,butwe’vegotachallengewithoneofourleadmeasuresthat

justfelltoyellow.Here’swhathappened…”

• “We’re trending upward on our leadmeasures, but our lagmeasure isn’tmoving yet.We’veagreedasateamtodoubleoureffortsthisweektogetthescoremoving.”

•“Althoughwe’retrackingtowardachievingourWIG,weimplementedagreatsuggestionfromacustomerthisweekthatimprovedourleadmeasurescoreevenfurther!”

3.Plan:Clearthepathandmakenewcommitments.•“Icanclearyourpathonthatproblem.Iknowsomeonewho…”

•“I’llmakesuretheinventoryissueimpactingourleadmeasureisresolvedbynextweek,nomatterwhatIhavetodo.”

•“I’llmeetwithBobonournumbersandcomebacknextweekwithatleastthreeideasforhelpingusimprove.”

AWIGSessionisashort,intenseteammeetingdevotedtothese—andonlythesethree—activites.ThepurposeoftheWIGSessionistoaccountforpriorcommitmentsandmakecommitmentstomovetheWIGscoreboard.

LINK:http//www.4dxbook.com/qr/WIGSession

STAYINGFOCUSEDINSPITEOFTHEWHIRLWINDInaWIGsession,youandeverymemberofyourteamareaccountableformovingthemetricsonthescoreboard.Youaccomplishthisbycommittingeachweek(intheWIGsession)tooneortwospecificactionsthatwilldirectlyaffectyourleadmeasures,andthenreportingtoeachotherinthenextweek’sWIGsessiononyourresults.

Toprepareforthemeeting,everyteammemberthinksaboutthesamequestion:“WhataretheoneortwomostimportantthingsIcandothisweektoimpacttheleadmeasures?”

Weneedtobeverycarefulhere.Theteammembersarenotaskingthemselves,“Whatisthemost important thing I cando thisweek?”Thatquestion is sobroad that itwill almostalwaystake their focus back to something in their whirlwind. Instead, they are asking a much morespecificquestion:“WhatcanIdothisweektoimpacttheleadmeasures?”

Asdiscussedabove,thisfocusonimpactingtheleadmeasureseachweekiscriticalbecausetheleadmeasures are the team’s leverage for achieving theWIG. The commitments represent thethingsthatmusthappen,beyondthedaytoday,tomovetheleadmeasures.ThisiswhysomuchemphasisisplacedinDiscipline2onensuringthattheleadmeasuresareinfluenceable:sothattheteamcanactuallymove themthroughtheirperformanceeachweek.Simplyput, thekeepingofweekly commitmentsdrives the leadmeasures, and the leadmeasuresdrive achievementof theWIG.

Bykeepingtheirweeklycommitments,teammembersinfluencetheleadmeasure,whichinturnispredictiveofsuccessonthelagmeasureoftheWIG.

Let’staketheexampleofSusan,anursemanagerwhoseleadmeasureistoreducethetimeittakestoadministerpainmedicationtopatients.Susancanseefromherscoreboardthattwoofherteams,seventhfloordayshiftandeighthfloorintensivecare,arelaggingbehindtheothers.She knows that the seventh floor team has a new supervisor who is still learning the pain-managementprocedures.Shealsoknows that theeighth floor team isunderstaffed.SoSusan’scommitmentstomovetheleadmeasuresforthisweekmightbetoreviewthepain-managementprocedureswiththeseventhfloorteamandtofilltheopenpositionontheeighthfloorteam.

Now,let’staketheexampleofTom,amemberofasalesteamwhoseleadmeasureistogetout

twonewproposals eachweek.Tomknows that his list of prospects is running low, so for thisweek his commitment might be to acquire names and contact information for ten additionalprospects,ensuringhehasenoughtosuccessfullymovetwoofthemtotheproposalstage.

Inthesetwoexamples,bothleadersandteammembersmakeweeklycommitments(Moreonthis in Installing Discipline 4: Create a Cadence of Accountability). The nature of thecommitmentsmightchangeeveryweekbecausethebusiness,alongwiththeperformanceoftheteam,isalwayschanging;onlytheprocessisconstant.

Realize that these weekly commitments are often not urgent or necessarily even new. Theyoftenarethingstheteamshouldbedoingnaturally,buttherealityisthatthesearetheactionsthewhirlwinddevours first.Without the steady rhythmof accountabilityofDiscipline 4, therewillalways be things the team members know they should do, but never actually do with realconsistency.

CREATINGACADENCEMICARE,whichproducesthecoalthatfuelsmanyofMexico’spowerplants,isoneofthelargestprivateenterprisesinMexico.4DXpermeateseverythingatMICARE.

Monday morningWIG sessions take place in every department of this vast company. Themeetingsareconnectedbyvideophonetoremotelocationssothateveryonewillbeonthesamepageatthesametime.Everymanager’sresultsarevisibleonthescreenforalltosee.

Each group (production, delivery, human resources, finance, operations, and so forth) hasscoreboardsthatarepostedaroundthecompanyandkeptconstantlyupdated.Everyoneinthecompany—engineers, miners, even maintenance workers—can recite their team WIGs to you.When touringMICARE, we were reminded of this observation by JackWelch, the legendaryleaderofGE:

“Goals cannot sound noble but vague. Targets cannot be so blurry they can’t be hit.Yourdirectionhastobesovividthatifyourandomlywokeoneofyouremployeesinthemiddleofthenightandaskedhim,‘Wherearewegoing?’hecouldstillanswerinahalf-asleepstupor.”19

ThatisthelevelofstrategicclarityandcommitmentevidentthroughoutMICARE.Whathasthe4DXoperatingsystemmeanttotheachievementofMICARE’sWIGs?Overa

seven-yearperiod:

•Lost-timeaccidentsdroppedfromnearlysevenhundredperyeartofewerthansixty.

•Waterconsumedinprocessingcoal—amajorenvironmentalconcern—droppedbytwo-thirds.

•Annualrehabilitationofmined-outpropertiesrosefromsixhectarestomorethantwohundred.

•Suspendedparticulatesintheairaroundtheminesdroppedfromthreehundredforty-sixunitspercubicmetertoeighty-four.

•Metrictonsofcoalproducedperworkergrewfromsixthousandtotenthousandperyear.

In summary, and according toMICARE’sCEO, 4DXhasproduceddramatic hardbusiness

resultsforMICAREandenabledmajorimprovementstosafetyandtheenvironmentaswell.MICAREcreditsconcentratedattentiontothecadenceofaccountabilityasthemajorfactorin

MICARE’s success.The regularWIG session, as simple in concept as it is, keeps bringing thewholeorganization’sfocusbacktowhatmattersmost.

RememberthattheWIGsessionshouldmoveatafastpace.Ifeachpersonsimplyaddressesthethreecadenceitemsdescribedearlier,itdoesn’trequirealotoftalking.Asoneofourlargestclientsisfondofsaying,“Themoretheytalk,thelesstheydid.”

TheWIGsessionalsogivestheteamthechancetoprocesswhatthey’ve learnedaboutwhatdoes and doesn’t work. If the lead measures aren’t moving the lag, the team brings creativethinking to the table, suggesting new hypotheses to try. If people are running into obstacleskeeping their commitments, teammembers can commit to clear the path for eachother.Whatmightbetoughforafrontlineworkertoachievemighttakejustastrokeofthepenfortheteamleader.Infact,astheleaderyoushouldoftenaskeachteammember“WhatcanIdothisweektoclearthepathforyou?”

It’salsoimportanttonotethat,unlessyouareafrontlineperson,youwilllikelybeintwoWIGsessionseveryweek:oneledbyyourbossandonethatyouleadwithyourteam(MoreonthisinInstallingDiscipline4:CreateaCadenceofAccountability).

For now, let’s applyDiscipline 4 to the example ofYoungerBrothersConstruction thatwediscussedearlier.RememberthattheWIGforYoungerBrotherswastoreducesafetyincidentsfrom fifty-seven to twelve byDecember 31, and their leadmeasure was compliance to the sixsafetystandardstheybelievedwouldeliminatethevastmajorityofaccidents.

Imagine that you are a project manager at Younger Brothers responsible for a number ofcrews.IntheWIGsessionwithyourboss,youwoulddothreethings:

1.Reportonlastweek’scommitments:“LastweekIcommittedtoordernewbracesforthescaffoldingsothatconditionsforallmycrewswereuptocode(oneofthesixsafetystandards)andIcompletedthat.”

2.Reviewthescoreboard:“Mylagmeasureforsafetyincidentsiscurrentlyaveragingfivepermonth, slightly abovewherewe should be for this quarter.My leadmeasure forcompliance to safety standards is green at 91 percent, but crews nine, eleven, andthirteen are hurting the score because they aren’t consistently wearing their safetyglasses.”

3.Makecommitmentsforthecomingweek:“ThisweekIwillmeetwiththesupervisorsofcrewsnine,eleven,andthirteen,reviewtheirsafetyrecords,andensurethattheyhaveenoughsafetyglassesforeveryone.”

Eachcommitmentmustmeettwostandards:First, thecommitmentmustrepresentaspecific

deliverable. For example, a commitment to “focus on” or “work on” crews nine, eleven, andthirteen is too vague. Because this type of commitment doesn’t make you accountable for aspecific result, itusuallygets lost in thewhirlwind.Second, the commitmentmust influence theleadmeasure. If the commitmentdoesn’tdirectly target the leadmeasure, itwon’tadvance theteamtowardachievingtheWIG.

AsyoubegintounderstandtheWIGsession,you’llalsoseemoreclearlytheimportanceofthetwo characteristics of lead measures we discussed in Discipline 2. If the lead measures are

influenceable,theycanbemovedbytheweeklycommitments.Iftheyarepredictive,thenmovingthemwillleadtoachievementoftheWIG.

The WIG session is like an ongoing science experiment. Team members bring their bestthinkingas tohowto influence thescoreboard.Theycommit to trynew ideas, testhypotheses,andbringbacktheresults.

Forexample,attheMinnesotaCysticFibrosisCenterattheUniversityofMinnesotaMedicalCenter, Fairview, staff doctors hold a weekly meeting to review lung function among theirvulnerablepatients,mostoftheminfantsandsmallchildren.Cysticfibrosisgraduallyreducesthevictim’sability tobreathe, so theWIGfor thisworld-class treatmentcenter is100percent lungfunction for all their patients. They are not satisfied with 80 percent of normal, or even 90percent,asalagmeasure.

Intheseweeklymeetings,thedoctorsreviewwhatthey’veobservedthatweekaboutimprovinglungfunctionandtheymakecommitmentstofollowup.Forexample,becausebodyweightmightbealeadmeasureinlunghealth,doctorscarefullymonitoritandgivesomeinfantssupplementalfeedings.They conduct experimentswithmist tents andmassage vests andotherways to clearlungs.Thentheyreportbacktotheteamontheoutcomes.

Eachweektheylearnmoreandsharetheirlearning.FewpeopleholdthemselvesasrigorouslyaccountableforaWIGastheFairviewteamdoes,

andtheresultsshowthevalueoftheircadenceofaccountability:Theyhaven’t lostapatienttocysticfibrosisinmanyyears.20

WhiletheleaderoftheWIGsessionisresponsibleforensuringthequalityofcommitments,it’scritical that the commitments come from the participants.We cannot emphasize this stronglyenough.Ifyousimplytellyourteamwhattodo,theywilllearnlittle.Butwhentheyareabletoconsistently tell you what’s needed to achieve the WIG, they will have learned a lot aboutexecution,andsowillyou.

Havingteammembersgeneratetheirowncommitmentsmayseemcounterintuitive,especiallywhenyoucanseesoclearlywhatshouldbedoneandwhenyourteammayevenexpectorwantyoutojusttellthemwhattodo.However,whatyouultimatelywantisforeachmemberofyourteamtotakepersonalownershipofthecommitmentstheymake.Asaleader,youmaystillcoachpeoplewhoarestrugglingtomakehigh-impactcommitments,butyouwanttoensurethat,intheend,theideasaretheirs,notyours.

THEBLACKANDTHEGRAYFinally,theWIGsessionsavesyourwildlyimportantgoalsfrombeingengulfedbythewhirlwind.Below is the calendar for a typical week. The black blocks represent your WIG sessioncommitmentsandthegrayblocksrepresentyourwhirlwind.Thissimplevisualisidealforshowingwhatthebalanceoftimeandenergyinvestedinexecutionlookslike.

WhenweintroduceDiscipline4inourprocess,someleadersmistakenlypictureaweekthat’smostlyblack,meaningthatthecommitmentsarethepredominantfocusfortheweek.Thisseldomrepresentsreality.Thevastmajorityofyourenergywillstillbespentmanagingyourday-to-daypriorities,as it shouldbe.But thecriticalvalueof the4Disciplines isensuringthat theblack—yourinvestmentoverandaboveyourdaytoday—staysconsistentlyfocusedonyourWIG.

WeeklyCommitments

The gray blocks represent your day-to-day whirlwind; the black blocks represent yourweeklycommitmentstomovetheWIGscoreboard.Ifyouactivelyschedulethemintoyourweek,thewhirlwindislesslikelytodrawyourfocusawayfromtheWIG.

Whatwouldhappenifyoupulledoneofthoseblackblocksoutofyourweek?Woulditremainempty?

Thinkaboutthelasttimeyouwererelievedtolearnthatameetinghadbeencancelled,freeinganhourinyourschedule.Howlongwasitbeforethreeothermeetingsandfiveurgentrequestswereallcompetingforthatoneopenspot?Intermsofthediagram,howlongwoulditbebeforethewhirlwinddevouredthatopentime,turningitgray?

Whenweaskthisquestioninoursessions,everyleaderknowstheanswer:“Immediately!”Thegray doesn’t want the black in your week. In other words, the whirlwind will consume everymomentoftimeandeveryounceofenergyitcan.Parkinson’sLawstates:“Workexpandssoasto fill the time available for its completion,” and nowhere is this principle of expansion andconsumptionoftimeandenergymoretruethanwithyourwhirlwind.ExecutiononyourWIGisallaboutdrivingtheblackintothegray,nomatterwhatittakes.

Now, thinkof thediagramas representing the combined energyof aweek fromyour entireteam,notjustfromyou.Inthisnewcontext,theblackrepresentstheenergyofeverymemberofyour teamas theykeep their commitments everyweek.This is thekindof focused energy thatproducesresults.Ifyoukeepthecadenceofaccountability,weekafterweek,yourteamunleashesthisfocusedenergyagainsttheleadmeasuresthathaveadirecteffectontheWIG.

Thisweeklydisciplinealsohasarealeffectonmorale.Thinkaboutthelasttimeyouhadanall-grayweek,aweekoflonghoursconsumedbytheendlesscrisesofthewhirlwind.Theworstpartofitwasthesickeningfeelinginthepitofyourstomachthat,despitekillingyourselfallweek,youdidn’treallyaccomplishanything.

Ifyourall-grayweeksbecomearegularexperience,youfeelthe lifedrainingoutofyouasaleader.Evenworse,youwillseethesamefeelingreflectedintheengagementandtheperformanceofyourteam.

WIGsessionsaretheantidotetoall-grayweeks.WhenthedisciplineofholdingWIGsessionsissustained—whenyouandyourteamforcetheblackintothegrayeveryweek—notonlywillyoumake consistent progress toward your goals, you’ll alsobegin to feel that you, rather than thewhirlwind,areincharge.

WIGSESSIONSANDENGAGEMENTMarkMcChesney,theolderbrotherofoneofourauthors,wantedonlyonethinggrowingup:todesign cars. His parents still have elementary-school homework assignments with beautifullydrawncarsinthemargins.MarkworkedveryhardtoachievehisdreamandwaseventuallyhiredasadesignerforoneofthebigthreeautomakersintheUnitedStates.AlmostallofthedesignersonMark’s teamhad the samedream, adream that they arenow livingby spending everydaydoingtheonethingtheywantedtodomorethananythingintheworld:designingcars.

Youwouldthinkthattheirlevelofengagementwouldbeoffthecharts.However,hereisthefascinatingpartof this story:Thisdesigndepartmenthas the lowest engagement scoresof anyteamwithinthatgiantorganization.That’sright,peoplewhoaredoingtheonethingtheyalwayswantedtodohavethelowestscores.Howcanpeoplewhohavemadeacareerdoingwhattheylovehavelowengagement?

In his bookTheThree Signs of aMiserable Job, Patrick Lencioni describes brilliantly threereasonsindividualsdisengagefromwork.

1.Anonymity:Theyfeeltheirleadersdon’tknoworcarewhattheyaredoing.

2.Irrelevance:Theydon’tunderstandhowtheirjobmakesadifference.

3.Immeasurement:Theycannotmeasureorassessforthemselvesthecontributiontheyaremaking.21

All three of Lencioni’s signs are present in the automotive design department. First, the

designer’soriginalwork is changedsomuchby the time itactuallybecomesaproduct that theoriginator is often forgotten (anonymity). Second, theproduct is released years after designersworkon it, so theymaynotbeable to see their contribution in the finalproduct (irrelevance).Andthird,evaluationsofperformanceareextremelysubjective(immeasurement).

Lencioni’sthreesignsnotonlyexplainwhat’shappeninginthedesigndepartment,aswellasinmanyother jobs,butalsodescribe life in thewhirlwindperfectly—whatwehavecalledan“all-grayweek.”ThegoodnewsisthatDiscipline4,ifdoneright,isthecureforallthree.

On a team that keeps the cadence of WIG sessions, the individual members are notanonymous.On the contrary, they are in the spotlight at least once aweek.They are also notirrelevant,becausetheycanseeexactlyhowtheircommitmentsaremovingtheleadmeasuresthatdriveawildly importantgoal.And theyaredefinitelynot suffering from immeasurement:Theyhaveaclearandpublicscoreboardthatisupdatedweeklytoreflecttheirperformance.

ThefullimpactoftheWIGsessionwon’tbefeltrightaway.ItoftentakesthreetofourweeksbeforeateamestablishesaneffectiverhythminwhichtheylearntostayfocusedontheWIGand

avoidtalkingaboutthewhirlwind.Butsoonthemeetingbeginstofeelmoreproductive;andaftera fewmoreweeks, something important starts to happen.The leadmeasures actually begin tomovethelagmeasureandtheteamstartstofeelthattheyarewinning.

ADIFFERENTKINDOFACCOUNTABILITYOuron-linesystemusedforrunningWIGsessions,my4dx.com(explainedbeginningonpage194)has capturedmillionsof commitments from teamsallover theworld.More than75percentofthosecommitmentshavebeenkept,despitethewhirlwind.Thisreal-worlddatashowsthatWIGsessionscreaterealaccountabilityandfollow-through.

However,it’stheparticularkindofaccountabilitycreatedinaWIGsessionthatwewantyoutounderstand.

Oftentheverywordaccountabilityhasastrongnegativeconnotation.Ifyourbosssays,“Comeseemeinanhour;weneedtohaveanaccountabilitysession,”youcanbefairlycertainit’snotagoodthing.

However,theaccountabilitycreatedinaWIGsessionisverydifferent.It’snotorganizational,it’spersonal.Insteadofaccountabilitytoabroadoutcomeyoucan’tinfluence,it’saccountabilitytoaweeklycommitmentthatyouyourselfmadeandthatiswithinyourpowertokeep.And,one-by-one, you report your results not only to the boss, but to each other. The question youultimatelyanswer inaWIGsession is, “Didwedowhatwecommitted to eachotherwewoulddo?”

When the answer is “yes,” when members of a team see their peers consistently followingthroughonthecommitmentstheymake,theygrowinrespectforeachother.Theylearnthatthepeople they work with can be trusted to follow through. When this happens, performanceimprovesdramatically.

TaketheexperienceofNomaco,aleadingcompanyinengineeredpolymer-foamextrusions.Inshort,theymakeamazingthingsoutofcoloredfoam,fromhigh-techinsulationtoswimming-pooltoys.

AsoneofthreeNomacomanufacturingplants,TarboroinNorthCarolinawasagoodplant.Theywerebeatingbudgetonallfronts—costs,profitability,andsafety—buttheydidnotyetfeelthat it was a great plant, because although they were improving, they were not producingbreakthroughperformance.

The plant’s organizational structure was traditional, and despite an open and friendlyenvironment, people still depended on the plant manager to supervise, monitor, make all thedecisions,and,essentially,ensureeveryoneintheplantwasdoingwhattheyweresupposedtobedoing.

4DXbroughtthebreakthroughtheywerelookingfor.Intheeighteenmonthsafteradopting4DX,TarboroPlant:

•Cutmorethan$1millionincostsofftheproductionline

•Cameinmorethan30percentbelowbudgetforthefiscalyear

•Experiencednolost-timeaccidentsandonlyonerecordableaccident

•Beatprojectedbudgetforthefollowingfiscalyearinthefirstquarter

Of4DX,theplantmanagerconcluded,“Itissimplyastrongtooltoensuresuccessinanytypeof initiative an organization chooses to bring on board. Whether it is Six Sigma, leanmanufacturing, or self-directedwork teams…4DXwill get you the results you are desiring toachieve.”

ThekeytothisshiftwasintheWIGsessions.AtTarboro,everyteamheldWIGsessionsweekly.Allemployeesreportedonhowtheywere

movingtheneedle,changingthescore,andachievingtheWIG.Eachweek,theycameupwithnewideastokeepthescoreboardgreen.TheWIGsessionskeptthemfocusedonachievingthewildlyimportantgoals,butmorethanthat,thesessionsenabledthemtothinktogether,makedecisionstogether,helponeanother,andcelebratetheirwins.

As a result, the Tarboro plant created a culture of highly engaged employees who heldthemselves,andeachother,accountableforresults.

JulianYoung,presidentofNomacoduringthe4DXimplementation,summarizedtheimpactofWIGsessionsinthisway:“TheWIGsessionshavealotmoreenergythanyourtraditional,old-fashionedmanufacturingmeetings.Theyhaveimprovedproductivitysubstantiallyateachofourlocationsandhavemadeaccountabilityincrediblysimple.”

Overtheyears,we’veobservedthousandsofWIGsessionslikethoseattheTarboroplant,andthisexperiencehasmadeonethingclear:TheaccountabilitytotheirpeersthatiscreatedintheWIGsessionisanevengreatermotivatorofperformanceformostindividualsthanaccountabilitytotheirboss.Intheend,peoplewillworkhardtoavoiddisappointingtheirboss,buttheywilldoalmostanythingtoavoiddisappointingtheirteammates.

However,toreachthislevel,youstillneedtounderstandoneadditionalpoint.We’vesaidthatthefirstthreedisciplinessetupthegamebutuntilyouapplyDiscipline4,yourteamisn’tin thegame.Butnowwewanttosayitevenmoreclearly:ThelevelofimportanceyouplaceontheWIGsessionwilldirectlydetermine the resultsyour teamproduces.Basedonyourconsistency,yourfocus,andyourownmodelingofmakingcommitmentsandfollowingthrough,youwillestablishtheWIGsessionaseitherahigh-stakesgameoralow-stakesgameinthemindsofyourteam.

Thinkofthispointappliedtoagameplayedinthepreseasonversustheplayoffs.Inpreseason,you’dliketowin,butloseintheplayoffsandyourteamgoeshome.Whichtypeofgamedrivesthehighest level of play? Simply put, if the game doesn’t reallymatter,why should your teamcare?Thisiswhyrealaccountabilityinspirestheteamtoengageatthehighestlevelofplay.

CREATINGANINNOVATIVECULTURESomepeopledon’tlikethefactthatWIGsessionsaresostructured.Actually,whendoneright,WIGsessionsarealsohighlycreative.Structureandcreativitytogetherproduceengagement,aseminentbrainscientistDr.EdwardHallowellhasdiscovered.Themostmotivatingsituations,hesays,arethosethatare“highlystructuredandfullofnoveltyandstimulation.”22

Thecadenceofaccountabilitycanreleasethecreativityoftheteam.Whenyouthinkofateamthathasacultureofdisciplineandexecution,youdon’texpectto

hear that they are also creative and innovative. However, we’ve regularly seen all of thesecharacteristicsinteamsthatapply4DXwell.

The WIG session encourages experimentation with fresh ideas. It engages everyone inproblem-solvingandpromotessharedlearning.It’saforumforinnovativeinsightsastohowto

move the leadmeasures, andbecause somuch is at stake, it bringsout thebest thinking fromeveryteammember.

Towne Park is a great example. The largest provider of valet parking services for high-endhotels and hospitals, Towne Park has always been extremely well run. When GaylordEntertainment(oneofTownePark’slargestcustomers)hadgreatsuccessasanearlyadopterofthe4DX,theleadersatTowneParkbecameinterestedaswell.

TowneParkwasalreadymeasuringvirtuallyeveryaspectofitsbusiness:Didattendantsopenthedoorforyouandyourguestswhenyouarrived?Didtheyusetheproperhotelgreeting?Didtheyofferyouabottleofwater?Theirexecscouldtellyouallthis,astheywereliterallymeasuringeverythingtheythoughtmatteredtotheircustomers.

Still, they decided to apply 4DX to the wildly important goal of the company, increasingcustomersatisfaction,toseeiftheycouldimproveitevenmore.WhiledevelopingleadmeasuresinDiscipline2,theyrealizedthatonethingtheyweren’tmeasuringmightactuallybetheirpointofhighest leverage inpleasing the customer:How long it takes the customer togethisorher carback.

So, they chose reducing retrieval time as the most predictive lead measure for furtherimprovingcustomersatisfaction.Althoughtheyhadalwaysknownthiswasanimportantaspectof thebusiness, theyhadnevermeasured it because it isn’t an easymeasure to get, even for acompany that believes in measurement. They knew that collecting retrieval-time data wouldrequire themtoclockwhenthecustomercalledfor thecarandwhenthevaletarrivedwiththecar. The elapsed time between the two points, the retrieval time, would then need to beconsistentlycapturedforallteamsinalllocations.

Youcanimaginehowdifficultitwouldbetogatherthisdatainthewhirlwindofincomingandoutgoingcars, sodifficult that some leadersargued that it couldn’tbedone.However,becausethey were committed to their WIG of unparalleled customer satisfaction, and because theybelieved retrieval timewas themostpredictive and influenceablemeasure for achieving it, theycommittedtotrackingit.Likeallgreatleadershipteams,oncethedecisionwasmade,theyfoundaway.

Initially, they wondered if retrieval time was really influenceable because of all the externalfactorsthatimpactit,suchasthelocationoftheparkingareaandthedistancetothecar.Despitetheseworries,theywereabletoreduceretrievaltimedramatically.

How?Theteamsfigured itoutbecause theywerehighlyengaged in thegame.Oncethe leadmeasurewentuponthescoreboard,thevaletsbeganfindingnewwaystowin.Forexample,theystartedadvisingarrivinggueststocallbeforecheckingoutsothattheircarwouldbewaitingforthem.”Whenevertheguestcalledinadvance,thevaletknewtheretrievaltimewouldbezero.

Thevaletsalsobegantoaskwhatdaytheguestplannedoncheckingout.Ifitwaslaterintheweek,theywouldparkthecar inthebackofthe lot.Asthedayofdeparturedrewcloser, theywouldmovethecarforwardsothatretrievaltimewouldbereduced.

Theseandahostofotherinnovationsnotonlyreducedtheleadmeasureofretrievaltime,butimmediately raised the lag measure of customer satisfaction. Towne Parke was winning, butwithouttheteam’sengagementinthegame,theseideasmightneverhavesurfaced,letalonebeenimplemented.

However, a Towne Park team in Miami, Florida, faced an obstacle that seemedinsurmountable: A four-foot-high concrete wall ran down the middle of the parking garage,forcingthevaletstodrivearoundittoretrieveeverycar.

Afterseveralmonthsoftryingtocompensateforthewall,aliteralbreakthroughcameduringtheirWIGsession.JamesMcNeil,oneoftheassistantaccountmanagers,committedtohisteamthatthewallwascomingout.Heobtainedclearancefromthehotel’sengineerwhoconfirmedthatthewallwasnotload-bearing,borrowedaconcretesaw,andrecruitedseveralothersupervisorstohelp.Startingearly the followingSaturdaymorning, theycutandhauledout several tonsofconcrete;bytheendoftheday,thewallwasgone.

If you’re a leader, you should be fascinated by this story. If a Towne Park executive hadordered the team to do something as far outside their normal responsibilities as removing aconcretewall,whatdoyouthinktheteam’sreactionwouldhavebeen?Atbest,resistance,andatworst,mutiny,evenfromagoodteam.

Butbecausetheleadmeasurehadbecomeahigh-stakesgame,onetheplayersdidn’twanttolose,theeffectwastheopposite.Takingoutthewallwastheiridea;andtheirdesiretowinwassostrong, you couldn’thavekept them fromdoing it.Necessity really is themotherof invention.Oncetheymaderetrievaltimeahigh-stakesgame,thecreativityandinventionfollowed.

What’s critical to understand is that this level of engagement seldom if ever comes from acommand-and-control approach—that is, one that relies exclusively on the formal authority oftheleader.Authorityaloneatbestyieldsonlycompliancefromateam.

By contrast, 4DX produces results not from the exercise of authority but from thefundamentaldesireofeachindividualteammembertofeelsignificant,todoworkthatmatters,andultimately,towin.

Thatkindofengagementyields truecommitment, thekindofcommitment that ledaTownePark team to tear down a wall. And it’s only that kind of commitment that producesextraordinaryresults.

In section 2, we’ll give you precise guidance on how to achieve that kind of commitmentthroughthecadenceofaccountability.

THEPOWEROF4DXNowthatwe’veexaminedeachofthe4DisciplinesofExecution,wehopeyousensetheirpowerto transform your culture and your business results.Whenwe introduce leaders to 4DX, theyoften believe they are already doing most of what we teach. After all, goals, measures,scoreboards,andmeetingsarefamiliartopics.But,once4DXisimplemented,thesesameleadersreport in their teamsadramaticparadigmshift thatproducespredictable results,often for thefirsttime

Ifyoucontrast4DXwiththefamiliarpracticesofannualplanning,youcanseehowdifferentthisparadigmisfromthetypicalmindsetaboutgoals.

LINK:http//www.4dxbook.com/qr/BestMoment

Theannualgoal-settingprocessusuallybeginswiththecreationofamasterplanfortheyear,focused on a large number of objectives. Then each objective is broken down into the manyprojects,milestones,tasks,andsubtasksthatmustbeaccomplishedoverthecomingmonthsfortheplantosucceed.Thedeepertheplanningprocessgoes,themorecomplextheplanbecomes.

Despitethisgrowingcomplexity,theleadersmayfeelsymptomsofwhatwecallthe“planninghigh.”It’sthathopefulfeelingtheygetastheysay“Thiscouldreallywork!”

Finally,theycreateasetofcolorfulPowerPointslidestoexplaintheplan,andthendeliveraconvincing formalpresentation.Soundfamiliar so far? If so, there’sonlyonestep leftafter theplanispresented:watchingitslowlyfallintoobscurityasthechangingneedsofthebusiness,noneofwhichwereaccountedfor,maketheplanlessandlessrelevant.

Now, in contrast, thinkback to the experienceofYoungerBrothersConstruction and theirWIGtoreduceaccidents.Nomatterhowdetailedorstrategicallybrillianttheirannualplanmighthavebeen,itcouldneverhaveforeseenthatinweekthirty-two,aleaderwouldneedtomeetwithcrewsnine,eleven,andthirteentofocusonsafetyglasses.Inotherwords,theveryinformationneededtodrivethehighestlevelofresultsthatweekwouldnotbeintheplan,anditneveris.

However,inDiscipline4,theteamplansweeklyagainsttheirleadmeasures,inessence,creatingajust-in-timeplanbasedoncommitmentsthattheycouldnothaveimaginedatthebeginningofthemonth,letalonethebeginningoftheyear.

The constant weekly energy applied against the lead measures creates a unique form ofaccountabilitythatconnectstheteamdirectlytothegoal,againandagain.

IfYoungerBrothershadattackedtheirWIGwithouttheleadmeasureofsafetycompliance,theywouldstillhavebeenabletomakeweeklycommitmentsbutagainstalessspecifictarget.Canyou imagine each teammembermakinga commitment to reduceaccidents thisweek? Itwouldseemsobroadastobeoverwhelmingtothem,liketryingtoboiltheocean.

Evenworse, imagine theperspectiveof the leaders.Canyouhear themsaying in frustration,“Thesearealladultswho’vebeenworkingconstructionforyears.Iftheydon’tcareabouttheirownsafety,whatamIsupposedtodoaboutit?”

Oncepeoplegiveuponagoalthatlooksunachievable—nomatterhowstrategicitmightbe—thereisonlyoneplacetogo:backtothewhirlwind.Afterall,it’swhattheyknowanditfeelssafe.Whenthishappens,yourteamisnowofficiallyplayingnottoloseinsteadofplayingtowinandthereisabigdifference.Simplyput,4DXgetsanorganizationplayingtowin!

Think of 4DX like the operating systemon your computer.You need a powerful operatingsystemtoexecutewhateverprogramsyouchoosetoinstall.Iftheoperatingsystemisn’tequaltothe task, itdoesn’tmatterhowbeautifullydesigned theprogram, itwon’tworkconsistentlyonyourcomputer.

Likewise, without an operating system for executing your goals, no matter how beautifullydesignedyourstrategy,itwon’tworkconsistently.Evenifyouachieveresults,youwon’tbeableto sustain them, or surpass them, year after year. 4DX ensures the precise and consistentexecutionofanygoalyouchoosetoinstallinyourteamororganizationandcreatesafoundationforgreatersuccessinthefuture.

Oneofthekeyreasonsthat4DXworkssopowerfullyisthatit’sbasedontimelessprinciples;andit’sproventoworkwithvirtuallyanyorganizationinanyenvironment.Wedidn’tinventtheprinciplesof4DX;wesimplyuncoveredandcodifiedthem.Othershaveusedthesameprinciplestoeffectivelychangehumanbehaviorintheserviceofagoal.

In 1961, Jean Nidetch of Queens, New York, was losing patience with dieting. She wasuncomfortablyoverweightandfounditdifficulttostayonadiet.Shefailedtoachievehergoalevery time she tried. Sowhen she decided to try a diet she obtained from theNYCBoard ofHealth,shedecidedtotryanewapproach:Sheinvitedafewfriendswhowerealsofightingtheirweighttomeeteachweekandcheckoneachother.Theysetreasonable,bite-sizedgoalstolosea

poundortwoperweek.Theycarefullymonitoredtheirintakeofcaloriesandgaugedtheamountofexercisetheyweregetting.

Over a period of about two years, they achieved their weight-loss goals, and they did ittogether.

Jean’sweight-loss club continued to addmembers and, in 1963, incorporated as theWeightWatchersorganization.Sincethen,WeightWatchershasgrownintoaninternationalnetworkofclubs,with a product line of diet drinks, sugar substitutes, and publications. “My little privateclubhasbecomeanindustry,”saidJeanNidetch.

Nootherprogramhasmatched their record forhelping largenumbersofpeoplemaintainahealthyweight.

ThesuccessofWeightWatchersisduetothesameprinciplesthatunderliethe4Disciplines:

•Discipline 1:Careful focus on a clear lagmeasure: losing a certain amount ofweightwithinacertaintimeframe—fromXtoYbywhen.

• Discipline 2: Acting on the high-leverage leadmeasures of calorie intake and outputthroughexercise,measuresthattheparticipantscancontrol.These leadmeasuresareexpressedintermsofpointsthatareeasilytracked.

• Discipline 3: Regular scorekeeping and monitoring of the lead measures and the lagmeasure.Acompellingscoreboardengagespeopleandkeepsthemontracktowardthegoal.

•Discipline4:Thecadenceofaccountability:theweeklymeetingwithotherswhohavethesamegoal.Theysharestories,checkthescoreboard(thescale),celebratesuccesses,andtalkabout lapsesandwhat todoabout them.Manyparticipants say that theweeklyweigh-inisthemostmotivatingthingabouttheprogram.23

The principles underlying 4DX are universal and timeless, a conclusion we have confirmedagainandagaininworkingwithsomeofthebestcompaniesintheworld.

Section2

Installing4DXwithYourTeam

As you’ve learned in section 1, 4DX is an operating system for achieving the goals youmust

achieve.Insection2,you’lllearnwhattoexpectwhenyouinstall4DXwithyourteamandthespecific

steps for doing so. You’ll benefit from the experience of thousands of work teams who’vecommittedthemselvestothesameexhilaratingchallenge.

Pleasekeepinmindthat4DXisnotasetofguidelines,butasetofdisciplines.Installing4DXwillrequireyourfinestefforts,butthepayoffwillbeateamthatperformsconsistentlyandwithexcellence.

Thissectionisdesignedtoguideyouininstalling4DX.Thinkofitasafieldguidewithalltheinformationtoensureyoursuccess.Ifyou’reaseniorexecutivewhowillleadtheeffortsofothersinimplementing4DX,you’llfinditavaluableoverviewofthejourney.Ifyou’realeaderwhowillbeimplementing4DXwithyourownteam,you’llfindadetailedroadmapofthatjourney.You’llappreciateitsvalueonceyoubegin.

Ineithercase,you’ll likely refer to this sectionmany timesduring implementationandagainovertheyearsasyourexperiencewith4DXgrows.

WhattoExpect

The famousGreekmythofSisyphus tellsofamanwhomthegodspunishby requiringhim topushaboulderupamountain.Eachtimehereachesthepeak,thestonerollsbackdownandhehastopushitbackupthemountainalloveragain,foreternity!

It’salittlelikethefeelingofleavingworkattheendofanexhaustingdaywithoutbeingabletopoint to a single significant accomplishment, and knowing that tomorrow you’ll begin pushingthatboulderalloveragain.

Jim Dixon, the general manager of Store 334 in a large grocery chain, felt very much likeSisyphuseveryday.Store334hadtheworstfinancialperformanceof250storesinthedivision.Peopledidn’twanttoshopthere,andtheydidn’twanttoworkthereeither.

EverydaywhenJimcametowork,hewoulddowhathecalledthe“headslap”overthesameoldproblems.Shoppingcartsandtrashallovertheparkinglot.Brokenbottlesintheaisles.Biggapsinproductsontheshelves.NothinginthatstorehappeneduntilJimtoldsomebodytodoit,orhedidithimself.Midnightoftenfoundhimstockingshelvesormoppingupspilledmilk.Notonlyhadhehiredpeopletodothesethings,hehadhiredpeopletohirepeopletodothesethings.

LikeSisyphus,Jimfelthewaspushingthesameboulderupthehilleverydayjusttowatchitrolldownagain.Heneverhadtimeorenergytoactuallymovethestoreforwardinasignificantway.

Jimhadbeenconsideredahigh-potentialleaderwhenhewasputinchargeatStore334.Now,heseemedtobealow-potentialmicromanager.Whenwemethim,he’dbeenworkingsixteendaysstraightandhadn’ttakenavacationinoverayear.Saleswerewaydownwhileemployeeturnoverwasup.Thevicepresidentofhumanresourcesconfidedtous,“Jim’seithergoingtoquit,orwe’regoingtohavetolethimgo.”

Withallhehad todo,youcan imaginehowdelightedJimwouldbe togo toa4Disciplinesworkshopontopofeverythingelse.AndinDecember,too,whichisthebusiesttimeoftheyearforthegrocerybusiness.

For Jimandhisdepartmentheads, thewildly important goalwasnomystery. If theydidn’tmeet the year-over-year revenue figure, the store itself was in danger of closing. Nothing elsereallymattered.However, the tricky problemwas determining their leadmeasure:What couldtheydodifferentlythattheyweren’tdoingalready?Whatwouldhavethemostimpactondrivingupstorerevenues?

Jimandhisteamwereprettysurethatifstoreconditionsimproved,revenuewouldimprove.Aclean, attractive, fully stocked store should draw more customers. So each departmentindividuallycameupwiththetwoorthreemostimportantthingstomeasureforthatdepartment,andtheydecidedtoscorethemselvesdailyonaone-to-tenscale.

•Forthemeatdepartment,freshcutsinacrystal-cleardisplay.

•Shelvesintheproducedepartmentfullystockedbyfiveinthemorning.

•Forthebakery,hot,freshbreadontherackseverytwohours.

At the end of this process, Jim and his team had a plan! They would start executingimmediately,andtheassistantmanagerandthedepartmentheadswouldupdatethescoreboarddaily.Thebetwasthatasstoreconditionsimproved,sowouldyear-over-yearrevenue.Itfeltlikeitmightwork.

Thatmorningtheypostedthescoreboards,andthatnighttheemployeestorethemdown.Thenext day they put the scoreboards back up again, but the whirlwind of day-to-day pressuressuckedthedepartmentheadsrightbacktowheretheyhadbeenbefore.Aftertwoweeks,thefivedepartmentswere averaging thirteenout of fifty on a scale they’d created themselves! Jimwasfrustrated,andthewildlyimportantgoalwasintrouble.

Laterinthissection,you’llseewhy—andlearntherestofthisstory.

STAGESOFCHANGEBecausechanginghumanbehaviorissuchabigjob,manyleadersfacechallengeslikethesewheninstalling4DX.Infact,we’vefoundthatmostteamsgothroughfivestagesofbehaviorchange.Inthischapter,wehopetohelpyouunderstandandmanageyourwaythroughthesestages.

Stage1:GettingClearLet’sfollowMarilyn,theleaderofthesurgicalnursingunitata largeinner-cityhospital,assheinstallsthe4DXwithherteam.Sheandherteamfaceawhirlwindlikenoother,aslivesliterallydependonhowwelltheyexecutedozensofsurgerieseveryday.

STAGE1:GettingClearTheleaderandtheteamcommittoanewlevelofperformance.Theyareorientedto4DXanddevelopcrystal-clearWIGs,lagandleadmeasures,andacompellingscoreboard.TheycommittoregularWIGsessions.Althoughyoucannaturallyexpectvaryinglevelsofcommitment,teammemberswillbemoremotivatediftheyarecloselyinvolvedinthe4DXworksession.

Marilyn’steamhadrecentlyseenasharpriseinperioperativeincidents—thingsthatgowrongin surgery. Despite the raging whirlwind of an operating room, they all shared a passion forreducingtheseincidentsthatendangeredtheirpatients.

In a 4DX work session, they translated this focus into a wildly important goal: Increasesurgerieswithoutperioperativeincidentsfrom89percentto98percentbyDecember31.

Theteamthencarefullyreviewedthefactors thatcausedthemost incidents,aswellas thosethatcreatedthegreatestrisktopatients,andisolatedtwoleadmeasuresthatwouldgivethemthegreatestleverage:Achieve100percentcomplianceonallpre-surgeryauditsatleastthirtyminutesbeforesurgery,anddoublecountsurgicalitemsfollowing100percentofsurgeries.

Now that Marilyn and her team had a wildly important goal (Discipline 1) and two LeadMeasures (Discipline 2), they designed a simple scoreboard (Discipline 3) for tracking theirperformanceandscheduledaweeklyWIGsessiontoholdthemselvesaccountableforcontinuous

progress(Discipline4).Astheyclosedtheteammeeting,Marilynlookedforwardtothelaunchthenextweek.Shehad

neverfeltcleareraboutagoalandaplan.Therest,shethought,wouldbeeasy.Ofcourse,shewasunderestimatingthetask.Thereasonthishappensistheinherentdifficulty

of changing human behavior in the midst of a raging whirlwind. Success starts by getting tocrystal clarity on theWIGand the 4DXprocess.Remember yourkey actions in implementing4DX:

•Beamodeloffocusonthewildlyimportantgoal(s).

•Identifyhigh-leverageleadmeasures.

•Createaplayers’scoreboard.

•ScheduleWIGsessionsatleastweeklyandholdthem.

Stage2:LaunchMarilynlaunchedthe4DXprocessbeginningwiththefirstsurgeryoftheweek:Mondaymorningatseven.Bynoon,theteamwasalreadystruggling.Theleadmeasurerequiredthenursestodoequipmentauditstwentyminutesearlierthannormal,buttheschedulechangeandanewchecklistconfusedeveryone.

Witha full surgical scheduleandanursehomesick,Marilyn’shandswere fullandher teamscrambling.That firstmorning taught her about the problemsof executing in themidst of thewhirlwind.

Marilynalsonoticedsomeweremorewillingtochangethanothers.Hertopperformersweresucceeding, andalthough itwasn’t easy, they relished the challenge.However, twoofhermostsenior nurses still wondered why the change in the audit routine was needed and complainedabout the added stress. Furthermore, Marilyn saw that the newer nurses, who were not yetconfidentintheirroles,wereactuallyslowingdowntheaudit.

That week,Marilyn realized that what was simple to planwas very difficult to launch. Shefacednotonlyawhirlwind,butateamwithmixedmotivations.

STAGE2:LaunchNowtheteamisatthestartingline.Whetheryouholdaformalkickoffmeeting,orgatheryourteaminabriefhuddle,youlaunchtheteamintoactionontheWIG.Butjustasarocketrequirestremendous,highlyfocusedenergytoescapetheearth’sgravity,theteamneedsintenseinvolvementfromtheleaderatthispointoflaunch.

Thelaunchphaseof4DXisnotguaranteedtogosmoothly.Youwillhaveyourmodels(thosewhogetonboard), yourpotentials (thosewho struggle at first), andyour resisters (thosewhodon’twanttogetonboard).Herearesomekeystoasuccessfullaunch:

•Recognizethatalaunchphaserequiresfocusandenergy—especiallyfromtheleader.

•Remainfocusedandimplementthe4DXprocessdiligently.Youcantrusttheprocess.

•Identifyyourmodels,potentials,andresisters(moreonthesegroupsbelow).

Stage3:AdoptionMarilynworkedhard tomaintain focuson theWIG.Her teamadjusted schedules and refinedmethods of scorekeeping. She trained and coached her potentials. She counseled the resistersabouttheneedforchange.

Eachweektheyworkedattheleadmeasuresandtheyslowlyimproved.Whentheymetintheirweekly WIG sessions, they first reviewed their scoreboard and then individually madecommitmentsoftheirowntomovetheneedleonthescores.

STAGE3:AdoptionTeammembersadoptthe4DXprocessandnewbehaviorsdrivetheachievementoftheWIG.Youcanexpectresistancetofadeandenthusiasmtoincreaseas4DXbeginstoworkforthem.Theybecomeaccountabletoeachotherforthenewlevelofperformancedespitethedemandsofthewhirlwind.

Beforelong,Marilynsensedtheteamfindingitsrhythm,andtheincidentratedeclined.Astheteamsawthat the leadmeasurewasworking, theirexcitementgrew.For the first time inmanymonths,theybegantofeelthattheywerewinning.

Recognize thatadoptionof thenew4DXprocesswill take time.Adherence to theprocess isessentialtoyoursuccessontheWIG:berespectfulbutdiligentaboutstickingwiththeprocess.Otherwise, thewhirlwindwillquicklytakeover.Rememberthesekeystosuccessfuladoptionof4DX:

•Focusfirstonadherencetotheprocess,thenonresults.

•MakecommitmentsandholdeachotheraccountableinweeklyWIGsessions.

•Trackresultseachweekonavisiblescoreboard.

•Makeadjustmentsasneeded.

•Investinthepotentialsthroughadditionaltrainingandmentoring.

•Answerstraightforwardlyanyissueswithresistersandclearthepathforthemifneeded.

Stage4:OptimizationOver the next eightweeks,Marilynwas pleasedwith her team’s progress andwith the steady,thoughsmall,declineinsurgicalincidents.ButtheteamwouldhavetopickupthepacetoreachtheWIGbytheendoftheyear,andshewasn’tsurewhatmoretheycoulddo.

IntheWIGsessionlaterthatday,hernursessurprisedherbyproposingchangestotheleadmeasures.First,theywantedtorepositiontheequipmenttraysintheoperatingroomsothattheycoulddotheirauditsmorequicklyandaccurately.Second,iftheyauditedtheoperatingroomsfor

bothfirstandsecondsurgeriessimultaneouslyatthebeginningoftheshift,theycouldstayaheadofscheduletherestoftheday.Third,theysuggestedthepatienttransportteamnotifythemassoon as the patientwas on theway to surgery, giving them time to cross-check the operatingroomafinaltime.

Stage4:OptimizationAtthisstage,theteamshiftstoa4DXmindset.Youcanexpectthemtobecomemorepurposefulandmoreengagedintheirworkastheyproduceresultsthatmakeadifference.Theywillstartlookingforwaystooptimizetheirperformance—theynowknowwhat“playingtowin”feelslike.

Marilyn was pleased and surprised that her team had found these ways to optimize theirperformance.Itstruckherthatifshehadproposedthesethingsherself,theteamprobablywouldhaveresistedtheextrawork.Butbecausethe ideascamefromthem,theywerenotonlywillingbutexcitedtocarrythemout.

Marilynhadcreatedagamethatmattered,andnowherteamwasplayingtowin.Thenurses tookownershipof theprocess.Theykeptcomingupwithnewways tomovethe

leadmeasures,andthelagmeasurecontinuedtorise.Theirweeklycommitmentswerepreciseandtheirfollow-throughexcellent.TheWIGsessionsweretightlyfocusedonresults.

However,what really fascinatedMarilynwasanew levelof engagementandenergy shehadneverseenbefore.

Ifyou’reconsistentabout4DX,youcanexpectteammemberstobeginoptimizingitontheirown.Herearekeystomakingthemostofthisstage:

•Encourageandrecognizeabundantcreativeideasformovingtheleadmeasures,evenifsomeworkbetterthanothers.

•Recognizeexcellentfollow-throughandcelebratesuccesses.

• Encourage team members to clear the path for each other and celebrate it when ithappens.

•Recognizewhenthepotentialsstartperforminglikethemodels.

Stage5:HabitsMarilyn proudly walked to the podium amidst enthusiastic applause at the hospital’s annualmeeting.Itwashardtobelievethatonlyelevenmonthsbeforeshehadbeenfacingacrisis—therising incident rate could have impacted her job and, much more important, the lives of herpatients.Now,sheandherteamwerebeingrecognizedforhavingexceededtheirgoalandforthelowestincidentrateinthehospital’shistory.

Marilynknewthatthechangeinherteamwentfarbeyondtheachievementoftheirgoal;theyhadfundamentallychangedthewaytheyperformedand,intheprocess,haddevelopedhabitsofexecutionthatwouldensurefuturesuccess.Thebehaviorchangesthathadbeensohardtomakewere now standard performance for her team. In essence, the practices that reduced surgical

incidentswerenowanormalcomponentofherwhirlwind,butbecauseofthem,herwhirlwindhadbecomefarmoremanageable.

Stage5:HabitsWhen4DXbecomeshabitual,youcanexpectnotonlytoreachthegoalbutalsotoseeapermanentriseinthelevelofyourteam’sperformance.Theultimateaimof4DXisnotjusttogetresults,buttocreateacultureofexcellentexecution.

Asaresult,sheknewtheteamcouldsustainawholenewleveloffocusandcommitment;andastheyturnedtoanewWIG,theywereonawinningtrack.

LINK:http//www.4dxbook.com/qr/HealthCare

4DXishabitforming:Oncethenewbehaviorsbecomeingrainedintheday-to-dayoperation,youcansetnewgoalsandstillexecutewithexcellenceagainandagain.Herearekeystohelptheteammake4DXhabitual:

•CelebratetheaccomplishmentoftheWIG.

•MoveimmediatelyontonewWIGsinordertoformalize4DXasyouroperatingsystem.

•Emphasizethatyournewoperatingstandardissustainedsuperiorperformanceonleadmeasures.

• Help individual team members become high performers by tracking and moving themiddle.

MOVINGTHEMIDDLEAswe’vesaid,peoplegenerallydealwithchangeinoneofthreeways:

Models.Themodelsarenotonlythetopperformersbutthemostengaged.Theyembrace4DXenthusiasticallyanduseittotaketheirperformancetoahigherlevel.Theyarealsotheonesyou’dmostliketoclone.

Resisters.Theresistersaretheopposite.Whenyouintroduce4DX,somewillimmediatelytellyouwhy itwon’twork and how impossible itwill be to implement given the demands of theirwhirlwind.Otherswillwithdrawfromtheeffortandhopenoonenotices,but4DXmakes theirresistancehighlyvisibletoeveryone.Asoneofourclientsremarked,“Whenyouimplementthe4Disciplines,there’snoplacetohide.”

Most people fall in the middle between the models and the resisters. They represent yourgreatestpotentialleverageforimprovingperformance.

Potentials.Thepotentialsare thosewith the capacity tobe topperformers,butwhohaven’tarrived.Somemaylackthefocusongoalsorthespecificknowledgetheyneedtoimprove.Othersmayneedtheaddedpressureofaccountabilitytomotivatethem.

Theperformanceofanygroupofpeoplegenerallylookslikethis:

There’sabigbulgeinthemiddle.Naturalvariability inany systemproduces thisbulge, calledanormalcurve.Youwill always

have a top 20 percent (the pockets of excellence), the bottom 20 percent (the inevitable weakperformers)andthemiddle60percent,themajoritywhocoulddobetteriftheyweremotivatedto.

Thesearethepotentials,thepeoplewhocouldcontributemuchmoreifonlytheyknewhow.Ofcourse,thenumbersvary,butwhatifthatmiddle60percentperformedmorelikethetop20percent?Whatwoulditmeantoyourperformanceifthegraphlookedlikethisinstead?

Thecurveshiftstowardbetteroverallperformanceasthemiddleperformersconsistentlyrisetothelevelofthetop20percent.Inotherwords,becausemorepeoplearedoingthingsbetter,thecurve shifts right and tight all the time.Meanwhile, in an ordinary team, normal performanceremainsleftandloose.

•Ahotelsatisfiedwithnormalguest-satisfactionscoresisleftandloose.Afterall,nearlyeveryoneissatisfied,right?

•A high-school faculty happywith normal graduation rates (which alsomeans normaldropoutrates)isleftandloose.

• A hospital whose administration is content with keeping infections within acceptednorms is left and loose. (And in this case, one may well ask if accepted norms areacceptable,sincewe’retalkingaboutpreventablesufferinganddeath!)

None of these organizations will make the leap to great performance as long as they arecontentwiththeleft-and-loosenormalcurve.

However, even these organizations have pockets of great performance—teams who areconsistentlyrightandtight.

One example of great performance is Erasmus Medical Center near Rotterdam in theNetherlands.As intherestof theworld,Europeanhospitals faceadisturbing increase in lethalhospital-acquiredinfections(HAIs),whichareestimatedtoaccountfortwo-thirdsofthe25,000hospitaldeathseachyearontheContinent.

AtErasmusMedicalCenter, infectionswere stillwithinacceptable limits, but administratorsweredeterminedtowipethemout.ToachievetheirWIGtheyadoptedasetofleadmeasurestheycalledSearchandDestroy,whicheliminatednearlyallHAIswithinfiveyears.Totheircredit,theentirehospitalsystemoftheNetherlandsfollowedtheirlead.24

Bydefinition, hospitals are filledwith sick people.Germs abound.Andmost hospitals seemcontentwith infectionrateswithinacceptednorms.However, forahigh-performance team likethe administrators ofErasmusMedicalCenter, the only acceptable infection rate is zero. Thatmeantmovingthemiddleinabigway.

TheErasmusteammovedaleft-and-loosecurvetorightandtightwithinamatterofmonths.Vulnerablepatientsstoppedgettingsickanddying.Mosthospitalsdonotlacktheknow-howtogetthesameresults,but,asfamousUniversityofKentuckybasketballCoachAdolphRuppsaid,“Wheneveryouseeamanontopofamountain,youcanbesurehedidn’tfallthere.”

Ifyoucouldmovethemiddletowardthesummitofperformance,theimpactonresultswouldbesignificant.Youdothatbyconsistentlymotivatingnewandbetterbehavior,whichistheaimof4DX.

Inourexperience—whetherwithhospitals,grocerychains,engineeringfirms,hotels,softwarecompanies,powerplants,governmentcontractors,ormultiunitretailoperations—theoutcomeisalmostalwaysthesame:Anewcultureofhighperformancealongwithconsistentresults.

Gettingthereisn’teasyanddoesn’thappenovernight.Ittakesfocusanddisciplineovertimetoimplement4DXandtomakeitstick.Thepatterntoexpectusuallylookslikethis.

Initially, results improve quickly, but we’ve noticed a plateau period as the team works toadopt the newmindset. Once teammembers become habituated to 4DX, it starts to pay real

dividends.Webeganthisbookbypointingoutthatpossiblythesinglegreatestchallengeyouwillfaceasa

leaderisdrivingastrategythatdependsonchanginghumanbehavior.4DXisaprovensystemformeetingthatchallenge,notjustonce,butagainandagain.Inthe

followingchapters,wewilltakeyoustepbystepthrougheachdisciplinesoyoucanapplyitwithyourteam.

InstallingDiscipline1:FocusontheWildlyImportant

Superb teamperformance beginswith selecting one or twoWIGs.Focusing on these vital fewgoalsisthefoundationalprincipleof4DX:Withoutit,yourteamwillgetlostinthewhirlwind.

Manyteamshavemultiplegoals—sometimesdozens,allofwhicharepriorityone.Ofcourse,thatmeansthatnothingispriorityone.

Aclientputitbest:“Whenyouworkonthatmanygoals,youactuallyworkonnoneofthem,becausetheamountofenergyyoucanputintoeachoneissosmall,it’smeaningless.”

Selecting therightWIGiscrucial.Leadersoftenhesitate tonarrowtheir focusbecause theyworryabouttheconsequencesofchoosingthewrongWIGorfailingtoachieveit.Still,whenyouchooseaWIG,you’restartingagamethatmatters;onewherethestakesarehighandtheteamcanmakearealdifference.Discipline1isnecessaryifyou’regoingtoplaytowin.

STEP1:CONSIDERTHEPOSSIBILITIESBegin by brainstorming possible WIGs. Although you might feel you already know what theWIGsshouldbe,youmightendthisprocesswithentirelydifferentWIGs.Inourexperience,thishappensoften.

You’lldothisbrainstormingdifferentlydependingonthekindoforganizationyoubelongtoandtheplaceofyourteamintheorganization:

GettingInputYouhavethreeoptions:

• Brainstorm with peer leaders, especially if you are all focusing on the sameorganizationalWIG.Ifyou’reconcernedthat theymightnotunderstandyourteam’soperation,theiroutsideperspectivewillstillbevaluable,particularlyifyoudependonthemortheydependonyou.

•Brainstormwithyourteammembersorwitharepresentativegroup.Obviously,iftheyareinvolvedinselectingtheWIG,theywilltakeownershipofitmorereadily.

•Brainstormalone.Youwill still be able to validate theWIGwith the teamwhen youdevelopleadmeasures.

TopDownorBottomUp?ShouldWIGscomefromtheleaderorfromtheteam?

Withthe4Disciplines,leadersprovidetop-downstrategicdirectionindefiningtheWIG,whileteammembersprovideactiveinputthatincreasestheirengagementandcommitmenttotheWIG.

TopDown:A leaderwho imposesWIGswithout input from the teammight have problemsgettingteamownership.Ifshedrivesaccountabilitymostlythroughherauthority,sheprobablywon’t develop a high-performance team and will pay a price in lost retention, creativity, andinnovation.

BottomUp:WIGs that come exclusively from the teammight lack relevance to the overallWIG.Withoutstrongdirection,theteamcouldlosevaluabletimeandenergyingettingconsensusoneverymove.

TopDownandBottomUp: Ideally, both the leader and the team participate in defining theWIGs. Only the leader can provide clarity about what matters most. The leader is ultimatelyresponsible for the WIG, but shouldn’t engage team members solely through the exercise ofauthority.Toreachthegoalandtotransformtheteam,teammembersmusthaveactiveinputindefiningtheWIG:“Noinvolvement,nocommitment.”

DiscoveryQuestionsWe’vefoundthesethreequestionsusefulindiscoveringtheWIG.

•“Whichoneareaofourteam’sperformancewouldwewanttoimprovemost(assuming

everythingelseholds)inordertoachievetheoverallWIGoftheorganization?”(Thisquestionismoreusefulthan“What’sthemostimportantthingwecando?”)

•“WhatarethegreateststrengthsoftheteamthatcanbeleveragedtoensuretheoverallWIG is achieved?” (This questionwill generate ideas in areas in which your team isalreadysucceeding,butwheretheycanalsotaketheirperformancetoanevenhigherlevel.)

•“Whataretheareaswheretheteam’spoorperformancemostneedstobeimprovedtoensure the overall WIG is achieved?” (This question will generate ideas aroundperformance gaps that, if not improved, actually represent a threat to achieving theoverallWIG.)

Don’t settle for just a few ideas for theWIG.Gather asmany ideas as you can reasonablycapture.Ourexperience shows that the longerandmorecreative the listofpossibleWIGs, thehigherqualitythefinalchoice.

Thinkwhat,nothow.Don’tmakethecommonmistakeatthispointofshiftingthefocusfromtheWIGitselftohowtoachieveit.The“how”isthenewandbetterbehaviorthatwillleadtotheWIG.ThatdiscussioncomeslaterinDiscipline2.

A five-star hotel chain had this overallWIG: Increase total profit from $54million to $62million by December 31. Various departments in one hotel brainstormed ideas for their teamWIGs:

Housekeeping Cleanguestroomslikethey’veneverbeencleanedbefore.We’realreadythebest—let’sgetbetter!

Restaurant Makeallianceswithlocalsportsandculturevenues.

ValetParking Ensurenoonewaitsfortheircar.

Reception Movegueststhroughthesystemmorequickly.Nomorequeuesattheregistrationdesk.

Let’slookattheactuallistofideasfromonedepartment,EventManagement.Sincethisgroupcanimpactprofitbothbyincreasingrevenueandreducingexpenses,theybrainstormedideastodoboth.

EventManagementTeamIncreasedRevenue

•Increasecorporateeventsandannualmeetings

•Increaseaveragefoodandbeveragesalesperevent

•Increasepercentageofeventsselectingthepremiumbaroffering

•Increaseweddingsheldatthehotel

•Increasepercentageofeventsselecting“allinclusive”option

ReducedExpenses•Reduceovertimecostsperevent

•Reducelinenandamenitiescosts

•Reduceoverallfoodcosts

•Reduce(oreliminate)costsfortemporaryhelpandoutsidelaborforservers

STEP2:RANKBYIMPACTWhenyou’resatisfiedwithyour listofcandidateteamWIGs,you’rereadyto identifythe ideasthatpromisethegreatestpotentialimpactontheoverallorganizationalWIG.

CalculatingtheimpactofateamWIGdependsonthenatureoftheoverallWIG:

IftheoverallWIGis ThenranktheWIGintermsof

AfinancialgoalProspectiverevenues,profitability,investmentperformance,cashflow,and/orcostsavings.

AqualitygoalEfficienciesgained,cycletimes,productivityimprovements,and/orcustomersatisfaction.

AstrategicgoalServicetothemission,competitiveadvantagesgained,opportunitiescaptured,and/orthreatsreduced.

Susan,whorunstheeventmanagementteam,isresponsibleformeetings,banquets,andspecialevents.Instep1,theyidentifiedteamWIGsthatwouldcontributetotheoverallprofitWIG.

Tonarrowthislist,theycalculatedthefinancialimpactofeachidea.Itwasn’thardtoidentifytheideasthatwouldgeneratethemostprofitforherteam,butthatwasnottherightfocus.

TherealchallengewastoranktheideasintermsofimpactontheoverallorganizationalWIG;inotherwords,toisolatethosethatwouldgeneratethemostprofitfortheentirehotel.Whentheydidthatranking,corporateeventsandweddingsrosetothetopbecausetheygeneratedrevenuebeyondtheeventitself,throughroomsbookedbyout-of-townguests,restaurantmeals,evenspaservices.

AvoidthetrapofselectingWIGsthatimprovetheteam’sperformancebutmighthavelittleto

dowithachievingtheoverallWIG.Intheend,SusanandherteamchosetwocandidateWIGsthatwouldclearlyhavethegreatest

impactontheoverallWIG:

AmajordrugcompanyusedthissamenarrowingprocesstoidentifytheirWIG:Shortentimetomarket for new products from approximately seven-and-a-half years to five years. For thiscompany, one year’s sales of a blockbuster product averagesmore than $1 billion, so the oldsaying,“timeismoney,”isnojoketothem.

Clive,whorunstheregulatoryaffairsdivision,overseestheprocessofgettingdrugsapprovedby the medicine control authorities of various nations. Every new drug has to go through acomplexapplicationprocessthat’sdifferentforeachcountry.

Instep1,theteamcameupwiththesecandidateWIGs:

1.Writeapplicationdocumentsthatmeetthecriteriaforeverycountry,insteadofadifferentapplicationforeachcountry.

2.Hiresomeformerregulatorsasconsultants.

3.Eliminatemistakesintheapplicationdocuments.

4.Lobbygovernmentstobroadentheircriteriaforfast-trackinganewdrugsothatitcangettomarketfaster.

SometeammembersarguedforcefullyforcandidateWIG2becausetheyfeltthedepartment

lackedexpertise.Othersbelievedgovernmentagenciesweretoblameandwantedtospendtheirefforts on candidate WIG 4. WIG 1 was also important because meeting so many differentcriteriawassofrustrating.

ButwhentheyexaminedtheirideasinlightoftheoverallWIGtoshortentimetomarket,theydiscoveredsomethingtheyhadn’tnoticedbefore:Theauthoritieskeptsendingapplicationsback

togetmistakescorrectedandunclear thingsexplained.Thesedelayswereactuallydoublingtheamountoftimeittooktogetapproval.

Fromthatpoint,candidateWIG3wastheobviouschoicefortheteam’sentirefocus.In a similar example, a largeScandinavian shipping company announced three goals for the

year:Toimprovequalityandproductivityandreducecosts.Steinwasresponsible for loadingandunloadingcontainersatacompanyfacility inNorway.

He recognized that the corporategoalswerehazy,buthewas eager forhis team tocontributemeasurablytoallthreeemphases.

ManyreasonablecandidateWIGscameoutofa4DXworksession,suchas:

•Increasemaintenanceoftheonshorecranestoreducedowntime.

•GeteveryonecertifiedinSixSigmatoimprovetheloadingprocess.

•Rebuildthedepotattherailheadtosmooththeflowofcontainerstotheships.

EachcandidateWIGimpactedoneofthethreecompanygoals,butnotallofthematonce.NowSteinhadreadontheWebaboutaMalaysianportthathadrecentlybrokentheworld

recordforthenumberofcontainermovesperhour.Theteamtherehadoff-loadedagiantshipinsevenhours—halftheaveragetime.

Hetoldtheteamallaboutit.Theircompetitivespiritwasfiredupandtheirenergyledtothechoice of a final WIG: Double our number of container moves per hour. It would requiremaximumproductivityandmaximumquality,but thecut inhourswouldautomaticallymeanacutincosts.

STEP3:TESTTOPIDEASOnceyou’ve identifiedacoupleofhigh-impactWIGcandidates, test themagainst four specificcriteriaforawildlyimportantgoal:

•IstheTeamWIGalignedtotheoverallWIG?

•Isitmeasurable?

•Whoownstheresults—ourteamorsomeotherteam?

•Whoownsthegame—theteamortheleader?

Isitaligned?IsthereaseamlesslineofsightbetweenthecandidateWIGandtheoverallWIG?TocreatemeaningfulteamWIGs,youshouldhaveaclearlineofsightbetweenyourteam(inthecenter)andtheWIGsoftheoverallorganization(iftheycanbeidentified).

Althoughthistestmayseemobvious,manyteamsbecomesoexcitedaboutanideathattheyforgetachievementoftheoverallWIGisthetoppriority.Iftheideafailsthistest,eliminateitandchoosethenextmosthigh-impactideafromthelist.

Is it measurable? As one of our clients put it, “If you’re not keeping score, you’re justpracticing.”Agamewithoutaclearlymeasurablescorewillneverbeagamethatmatters.

AWIGrequiresthatacrediblemeasurementbeinplacefromthedayyoubeginexecuting. Ifsignificanteffortisrequiredbeforeyoubeginmeasuring,aswiththeperformanceofasystemthathasn’t been developed yet, it should be crossed off for now. Once the system is running,reconsiderit,buttimeinvestedinagamewithoutascoreistimelost

Whoownstheresult?Doestheteamhaveatleast80percentownershipoftheresult?Thistestisabouteliminatingsignificantdependenceonotherteams.Theconceptualmeasureof80percentcanhelpyoudeterminehowmuchyourteamwillhavetodependonotherteamstoachievetheWIG.

Ifit’slessthan80percent,neitherteamwilltakeresponsibilityandaccountabilitywillbelost.Of course, if two teams own the same WIG, joint ownership can be a powerful driver of

performance,solongasbothteams,andbothleaders,understandthattheywinorlosetogether.Whoowns thegame—leaderor team? Is it a leader’sgameora teamgame?This final test is

moresubtlethantheothers,butequallyimportant.Thequestioniswhetherresultsaredrivenbytheperformanceoftheleaderortheperformanceoftheteam.

IftheWIGdependstoomuchonfunctionsthatonlytheleaderperforms,theteamwillquicklyloseinterestinthegame.TheteamWIGshoulddependprimarilyonwhattheteamdoes,notjusttheleader.

Failure topass anyof these tests should lead you to reevaluate the idea you’re considering.Don’tasktheteamtoplayagamethat’sflawed;underthepressureofaccountability,thoseflawswillquicklybecomeapparent.

STEP4:DEFINETHEWIGOnceyou’veselectedandtestedyourideasforhigh-impactteamWIGs,makethemasclearandmeasurableaspossible.DefinetheWIGsaccordingtothefollowingrules:

•Beginwithaverb.

•DefinethelagmeasureintermsofXtoYbyWhen.

•Keepitsimple.

•Focusonwhat,nothow.

BeginwithaVerb

Simple verbs focus themind immediately on action.Almost allmultisyllable verbs have simpleequivalents.

Long,overwroughtintroductionsarealsounnecessary.JuststatetheWIG:

THIS NOTTHIS

Cutcosts...Growrevenue...Raisecustomersatisfactionscore...Addoneplant...Launchproduct...

Inordertodriveincreasedvaluetoourshareholders,enhancethecareersofouremployees,andremaintruetoourfundamentalvalues,wewillbeimplementingaWildlyImportantGoalthisyearto...

DefinetheLagMeasureLagmeasures tellyou ifyou’veachieved thegoal.Theymarkaprecise finish line for the team.WritelagmeasuresintheformatfromXtoYbywhen,astheseexamplesshow.

CurrentResult(FromX) DesiredResult(ToY) Deadline(ByWhen)

11%errorrate 4%errorrate July31

8inventoryturnsperyear 10inventoryturnsperyear fiscalyearend

12%returnoninvestmentperyear

30%returnoninvestmentperyear

within3years

TheresultingWIGslooklikethis:

•Decreaseroutingerrorratefrom11percentto4percentbyJuly31.

•Raiseannualinventoryturnratefromeighttotenbyfiscalyearend.

•IncreaseouraverageROIfrom12percentto30percentwithinthreeyears.

KeepItSimpleEarlier, we shared the startling fact that 85 percent of working adults cannot tell you theirorganization’smostimportantgoals.Amongthemanyreasonsforthis:Mostorganizationalgoalsarevague,complex,andpretentious.

THIS NOTTHIS

Raiseourcustomer-loyaltyscorefrom40to70byDecember31st.

“Wearecommittedtoenhancingandenrichingourrelationshipswithourcustomers.”

Increasecustomerutilizationofourinvestmentcounselingserviceby25%thisfiscalyear.

“Ourprincipalaimforthecomingfiscalyearistofacilitateinvestment,infrastructure,andaccessgrowththrougheffectivecoordination.”

Launchthree$10millionbioproductswithinfiveyears.

“Wehopetofosterindustryinnovationbyaddressingneedsforbio-basedresourcesthroughbiotechnology.”

FocusonWhat,NotHowManyteamsdefineacleargoalbutthencomplicateitbyaddingalengthydescriptionofhowthegoalwillbeachieved.

THIS NOTTHIS

Increaseguestretentionfrom63%to75%overthenexttwoyears.

Increaseguestretentionfrom63%to75%overthenexttwoyearsthroughprovidingexceptionalcustomerexperiences.

You will identify how you plan to achieve the goal when you develop lead measures inDiscipline2.TheWIGshouldfocusexclusivelyonwhattheteamplanstoachieve.

MakeSuretheWIGIsAchievableWeoftenencounterleaderswhobelieveinsettinggoalsthatarefarbeyondanythingtheirteamcanachieve,whileprivatelyacknowledging that they’llbe satisfied if theyget75percentof thegoal.Thistypeofgamesmanshipcansignificantlyundermineyourabilitytodriveengagementandresults.

Wewanttobeverycarefulhere.We’renotadvocatinggoalsthatareeasytoreach.Setagoalthatchallengestheteamtorisetotheirhighestlevelofperformancebutnotbeyondit.Inotherwords,createaWIGthatisbothworthyandwinnable.

TheDeliverableThedeliverableforDiscipline1isateamWIGandlagmeasure.

Atthehotel,Susan’steamultimatelyselected“increasecorporateevents”astheWIG,because

theybelieveditwouldgeneratemorerevenueand,consequently,moreprofitforthehotel.Susanthenconsideredcarefullythelagmeasure.DefiningthegapbetweenXandYisacritical

decision.Thegaphadtobechallengingbutrealistic.Sheneededtocreatenotonlyagamethatmattered,butawinnablegame.

ThefinalWIGforSusan’steamwassignificant,clear,andchallenging:Increaserevenuefromcorporateeventsfrom$22millionto$31millionbyDecember31.HavingexperiencedDiscipline1,younowknowthat the simplicityof thisWIG isdeceptive.

However, the teamnowhasa clear focusonwhatmattersmost, a focus that canbe sustainedbeyondtheday-to-dayrequirementsofyourteam’soperation.Likeacompass,theWIGprovidesclear,consistentdirectiontowardaresultthat’swildlyimportant.

WhatIfYourWIGIsaProject?Sometimes,yourwildlyimportantgoalwillbethesuccessfulcompletionofamajorproject.Ifthisisthecase,theprinciplesofDiscipline1stillapply,butyou’llneedtopayparticularattentiontosettingyourlagmeasurefinishline.

Sofar,we’veusedexamplesoflagmeasuresthatarebasedonnumericalvalues,suchasprofit,customersatisfaction,ornumberofaccidents.Butwithaproject,yourfirstinclinationmaybetoset a lagmeasureof 100percent completion.While thismay seemobvious, it’s usually far lessprecise than a numerical value. And because of other factors, such as scope expansion, 100percentcompletionmayturnouttobeimpossibletoactuallymeasure.

Withprojects,it’sfarbettertoestablishalagmeasurethatrelatestothebusinessoutcometheproject isdesigned tomeet.As legendaryHarvardmarketingprofessorTheodoreLevittput it,“Peopledon’twanttobuyaquarter-inchdrill.Theywantaquarter-inchhole.”25

So, instead of defining your lagmeasure solely as “Complete and implement the newCRMsystembyDec31,”youmightestablishamoreprecise lagmeasurebyaddingmeasuressuchasthefollowing:

•Meeting100percentofthespecifiedmarketingfunctions

•ProvidingfullintegrationwithMicrosoftOutlook

•IncludingfullfunctionalityforsmartphonesandtabletPCs

Because they aremore focused andmore precisely defined than completion, these types ofmeasureswillprovideaclearfinishlineandanaccuratemeasureofsuccess.(Foradescriptionofprojectleadmeasures,seeInstallingDiscipline2.)

TRYITUsetheWIGbuildertooltoexperimentwithyourideasforawildlyimportantgoalfortheteam.

WIGBuilderTool

1.BrainstormideasfortheWIG.

2.Brainstormlagmeasuresforeachidea(fromXtoYbywhen).

3.RankinorderofimportancetotheorganizationortotheoverallWIG.

4.Testyourideasagainstthechecklistonthefacingpage.

5.WriteyourfinalWIG(s).

DidYouGetItRight?

CheckoffeachitemtoensureyourTeamWIGsandlagmeasuresmeetthestandard:

Haveyougatheredrichinputbothtopdownandbottomup?

Will theTeamWIGhaveaclear,predictable impactontheoverallorganizationalWIGorstrategy,notjustonteamperformance?

IstheTeamWIGthemostimpactfulthingtheteamcandotodriveachievementoftheoverallWIG?

IDoestheteamclearlyhavethepowertoachievetheWIGwithoutheavydependenceonotherteams?

Does the WIG require the focus of the entire team, not just of the leader or asubgroup?

IIsthelagmeasurewrittenintheformat“fromXtoYbywhen”?

CantheWIGbesimplifiedanyfurther?Doesitstartwithasimpleverbandendwitha

clearlagmeasure?

InstallingDiscipline2:ActontheLeadMeasures

Great teams invest their best efforts in those few activities that have themost impact on theWIGs:theleadmeasures.Thisinsightissocrucialandsodistinctive,yetsolittleunderstoodthatwe call it the secret of excellence in execution.Unlike lagmeasures,which tell you if youhaveachievedyourgoal,leadmeasurestellyouifyouarelikelytoachieveyourgoal.YouwilluseleadmeasurestotrackthoseactivitiesthathavethehighestleverageontheWIG.

LeadmeasuresmustbebothpredictiveofachievingtheWIGandinfluenceablebytheteam,astheseexamplesshow:

Team LagMeasure LeadMeasure

HospitalQualityImprovementTeam

Decreasemortalityrateinthehospitalfrom4%to2%thisyear.

Evaluatesusceptiblepatientstwiceadayagainstpneumoniapreventionprotocols.

ShippingCompanyDispatchingTeam

Reducetruckingcostsby12%thisquarter.

Ensure90%ofalltripsarewithfullyloadedtrucks

RestaurantIncreaseaveragecheckamountby10%byyearend.

Suggestthespecialtycocktailofthedayto90%ofalltables.

Eachoftheseleadmeasuresisbothpredictiveandinfluenceable.Theteamcanmanageablyactontheleadmeasure,whichinturnwillmovethelagmeasure.

Acting on lead measures is essential to superb performance, but it is also the single mostdifficultaspectofinstalling4DXinyourteam.

Therearethreereasonsforthis:

•Leadmeasurescanbecounterintuitive.Mostleadersfocusonlagmeasures,thebottomlineresultsthatultimatelymatter.Thisfocusisonlynatural.Butyoucannotactonalagmeasurebecauseit’sinthepast.

• Lead measures are hard to keep track of. They are measures of new and differentbehaviors,andtrackingbehaviorsismuchharderthantrackingresults.Often,thereisno readily available system for tracking leadmeasures, so youmight have to inventsuchasystem.

•Leadmeasuresoftenlooktoosimple.Theydemandaprecisefocusonacertainbehaviorthatmightlookinsignificant(althoughitisn’t),particularlytothoseoutsidetheteam.

Forexample,aretailstorechosethisleadmeasurefordrivingsales:Limitoutofstocksontopitems to twenty or fewer per week. Can this very commonmeasure reallymake an importantdifference? And shouldn’t they be doing that already? But if this simple lever is appliedinconsistently,customerswhocan’tfindwhattheywantwillnotreturn.

Often,leadmeasuressimplyclosethegapbetweenknowingwhattodoanddoingit.Justasasimplelevercanmoveabigrock,agoodleadmeasureprovidespowerfulleverage.

TWOTYPESOFLEADMEASURESBefore you and your team begin to develop leadmeasures, we want you to understandmoreaboutthetypesandcharacteristicsofthesepowerfuldriversofexecution.Tobegin,therearetwotypesofleadmeasures:smalloutcomesandleveragedbehaviors.

Smalloutcomes are leadmeasures that focus the teamonachievingaweekly result,butgiveeachmember of the team latitude to choose their ownmethod for achieving it. “Limit out ofstockstotwentyorfewerperweek”isasmall-outcomeleadmeasurewhereavarietyofactionscouldbeapplied.Whateveractionstheychoose,withasmall-outcomeleadmeasuretheteamisultimatelyaccountableforproducingtheresult.

Leveragedbehaviorsareleadmeasuresthattrackthespecificbehaviorsyouwanttheteamtoperformthroughouttheweek.Theyenable theentire teamtoadoptnewbehaviorsat thesamelevelofconsistencyandquality,andprovideaclearmeasurementofhowwelltheyareperformed.With a leveraged behavior leadmeasure, the team is accountable for performing the behavior,ratherthanforproducingtheresult.

Both types of leadmeasures are equally valid applications of Discipline 2 and are powerfuldriversofresults.

ThisexampleisdrawnfromourimplementationatYoungerBrothersConstruction,wherethewildlyimportantgoalwasaloweraccidentrate.TheychosethesmalloutcomeofCompliancetoSafety,whichinvolveddrivingmultiplenewbehaviors.Iftheyhadbelievedthattheirteamwouldbeunsuccessful focusingon thismanybehaviors, theycouldhavechosen tobeginwithasingle

leveragedbehaviorof,say,wearingsafetyboots(oneofthesixsafetystandards)andovertimeincorporatedtheadditionalbehaviorsasnewhabitsfortheteam.

This example is drawn from our work with a large grocery chain, where one of the mostpowerful drivers of increased sales was ensuring that the highest selling products were alwaysavailabletocustomers.Theychosetofocusonaleveragedbehavior,“Complete2additionalshelfreviews,”inwhicheverymemberoftheteamcouldparticipate.

Whatwewantyoutosee fromtheseexamples is thatbothtypesof leadmeasuresgiveyourteamrealleverageforachievingthegoal.It’snotaquestionofwhichisabetterleadmeasure.It’saquestionofwhichisabetterleadmeasureforyourteam.

Herearethestepsforarrivingathigh-leverageleadmeasures.

Step1:ConsiderthePossibilitiesBegin by brainstorming possible lead measures. Resist the temptation to choose quickly—ourexperience has taught us that the more ideas generated, the higher the quality of the leadmeasures.

We’vefoundthesequestionsusefulindiscoveringtheleadmeasures:

•“Whatcouldwedothatwe’veneverdonebeforethatmightmakeallthedifferencetotheWIG?”

• “What strengths of this team can we use as leverage on the WIG? Where are our‘pocketsofexcellence’?Whatdoourbestperformersdodifferently?”

• “Whatweaknessesmight keep us from achieving theWIG?What couldwe domoreconsistently?”

Forexample,agrocerystorehasthisWIG:“Increaseyear-over-yearsalesby5percent.”Herearesomecandidateleadmeasures:

IdentifyNewandBetterActions

•Greetpeopleatthedoorbetween5and7p.m.(rushhour)andoffertohelpthemfindwhatthey’relookingfor.

•Takegroceryordersbytextandemailandhavethemreadyforcustomerstopickup.

LeveragePocketsofExcellence

•Buildcreativenewproductdisplaysineverydepartmenteverymonth.• Adapt the customer-service checklist the bakery uses to all departments in the

store.

FixInconsistencies

•Conductshelfreviewsforout-of-stockitemseverytwohours.•Minimizequeuestotwocustomersatanytime

Staysolely focusedon ideas thatwilldrive theWIG.Don’tdrift intoageneraldiscussionofgoodthingstodoratherthanthingsthatwillimpacttheWIG,oryouwillendupwithalonglistofirrelevancies.

Afamousexampleofaproductive leadmeasure is the15percentruleat3MCompany.Fordecades, this great company has held out the strategic WIG of creating a flow of great newproducts thatnever stops.Todrive this goal, theyadopted the leadmeasureof requiring theirresearchteamstodevote15percentoftheirtimeonprojectsoftheirownchoice.TheauthorJimCollinscomments:

“No one is toldwhat products towork on, just howmuch towork.And that loosening ofcontrolshasledtoastreamofprofitableinnovations,fromthefamousPost-itNotestolesswell-knownexamplesasreflectivelicenseplatesandmachinesthatreplacethefunctionsofthehumanheart during surgery. 3M’s sales and earnings have increased more than forty-fold sinceinstitutingthe15percentrule.”26

Theidealleadmeasure,like3M’s15percentrule,isextremelyfruitfulindrivingtheWIGandiswithinthecontroloftheteam.

Step2:RankbyImpactWhenyou’resatisfiedwithyourlistofcandidateleadmeasures,you’rereadytoidentifytheideasthatpromisethegreatestpotentialimpactontheTeamWIG.

Inserviceofthehotel’sWIGtoincreaseprofitability,theeventmanagementteamhassetthisWIG:IncreaseRevenuefromCorporateEventsfrom$22millionto$31millionbyDecember31.

Ina4DXworksession,SusanledherteaminbrainstormingleadmeasuresforthisWIG:Now, Susan and her team narrowed the focus to three ideas that would have the greatest

impactonachievingtheirTeamWIG:

1.Increasethenumberofsitevisits.Susan’steamknewfromexperiencethatwhenevertheycouldinfluenceacustomertovisitthehotel,theirsuccessatwinningthecontractfor

theeventwassignificantlyhigher.

2.Upsellthepremiumbarpackage.Sincemarginswerehighestonproductsinthepremiumbarpackage,everyevent thatupgraded to thisoption increasednotonlyrevenuebutprofitability.

3.Generatemorehigh-qualityproposals.Theproposalwasthelaststepinthesalesprocess,sothemoreoftenprospectsadvancedtothisstage,themorelikelytheywouldbuy.Theidea was to make sure each proposal went through a checklist of winning qualitystandards.

EventManagementTeam

WIG: Increase revenue from corporate events from $22million to $31million byDecember31st.

LeadMeasureIdeas•Increasethenumberofsitevisitsweconduct

•Developcontactsatnewlocalcorporations

•Exploreadditionalopportunitiesforeventswithexistingclients

•Attendtradeshowsforcorporateevents

•Developandimplementanewmarketingprogram

•Improveourbanquetfoodoptions

•Upsellourpremiumbarpackage

•Upsellourexpandedaudiovisualpackage

•Generatemorehighqualityproposals

•Joinmeetingplannerassociationsandattendmeetings

•Contactformerclientslosttootherhotelsandwinthemback

WATCHOUTAfterproducingthelistofcandidateleadmeasures,weoftenhearteammemberssay,“Weneedtodoallofthesethings.”Nodoubttheyareallgoodthingstodo,butthemoreyoutrytodo,thelessenergyyouhavetogivetoanyonething.

Additionally, narrowing the focus to a few leadmeasures permits stronger leverage. As weoftensay,“Alevermustmovealottomovetherockalittle.”Inotherwords,theteammustpresshardonthe leadmeasuretomovethe lagmeasure.Toomanyleadmeasures,andyoudissipatethatpressure.

Step3:TestTopIdeas

Onceyou’veidentifiedacoupleofhigh-leverageleadmeasures,testthemagainstthesesixcriteria:

•Isitpredictive?

•Isitinfluenceable?

•Isitanongoingprocessora“onceanddone”?

•Isitaleader’sgameorateamgame?

•Canitbemeasured?

•Isitworthmeasuring?

ISTHEMEASUREPREDICTIVEOFACHIEVINGTHEWIG?This is thefirstandmost importanttestforacandidate leadmeasure.If the ideafailsthistest,even if it’s a good idea, eliminate it and choose the next most impactful idea from thebrainstorminglist.

CANTHETEAMINFLUENCETHEMEASURE?Byinfluence,wemeantoaskiftheteamhasatleast80percentcontroloverthemeasure.AsinDiscipline1,thistesteliminatessignificantdependenciesonotherteams.

ThesearecandidateleadmeasuresthatSusan’seventmanagementteammighthaveproposedasanalternativetouncontrollablelagmeasures:

UninfluenceableLagMeasures InfluenceableLeadMeasures

Raisefood-and-drinkprofitabilityby20%

Upsellpremiumbarpackageandimprovebanquetoptions

Winbackformerclients Contactformerclientslosttootherhotelsandgeneratepersuasiveproposalstore-sign

Bookmoreconventions Participateactivelyintheconventionplanningassociationmonthlymeetings

Remember,theidealleadmeasureisanactionthatmovesthelagmeasureandthattheteamcanreadilytakewithoutasignificantdependenceonanotherteam.

ISITANONGOINGPROCESSOR“ONCEANDDONE”?The ideal lead measure is a behavior change that becomes habitual and brings continuousimprovements to the lag measure. Although an action taken once might bring temporaryimprovement,itisnotabehaviorchangeandhaslittleeffectonthecultureoftheteam.

Here are some examples thatmight have been used by Susan’s team and that illustrate theimportantdifferencesthistestreveals:

Ongoingprocess(DoThis) Onceanddone(NotThis)

Ensurethateveryclientisawareofouraudio-visualcapabilitiesandreceivesacustomizedset-up

Upgradeourentireaudio-visualsystem

Maintain100%compliancetothebanquettablesettingchecklist

Holdingatrainingsessiononthestandardsforsettingupbanquettables

AttendallChamberofCommercemeetingsandcontactallcompaniesopeningnewlocationsinourcity

JointheChamberofCommerce

Althoughtheonce-and-doneideascanmakeatemporarydifference—possiblyabigone—onlythebehavioralhabitstheteamdevelopscandrivepermanentimprovements.

ISITALEADER’SGAMEORATEAMGAME?Thebehavioroftheteammustdrivetheleadmeasure.Ifonlytheleader(oroneindividual)canmovetheleadmeasure,theteamwillquicklyloseinterestinthegame.

For example, a quality initiative requires the leader to audit the process frequently, and anoutcomeiscontinuouslyimprovingauditresults.

Iftheproposedleadmeasureismorefrequentaudits,itfailsthistestbecauseonlytheleadercandoaudits.Butiftheproposalistorespondinatimelymannertoallauditfindings,itbecomesateamgame.Theactionstodriveanauditscoreinvolveeveryoneontheteam.

Inthesameway,candidatemeasuressuchasfillingopenpositions,reducingovertimehours,orimprovingschedulingareusuallyexamplesofaleader’sgameinmostorganizations.Remember,leadmeasuresconnecttheteamtotheWIG,butonlyifit’stheteam’sgametoplay.

CANITBEMEASURED?Aswe’vesaid,lead-measuredataishardtoget,andmostteamsdon’thavesystemsfortrackinglead measures. But success on lag measures absolutely requires successfully tracking the leadmeasures.

IftheWIGistrulywildlyimportant,youmustfindwaystomeasurethenewbehaviors.

ISTHELEADMEASUREWORTHMEASURING?Ifittakesmoreeffortthanitsimpactisworth,orithasseriousunintendedconsequences,itfailsthetestofaleadmeasure.

For example,one large fast-food retailerhired inspectors tovisit each franchise regularly tomeasurecompliancewiththecompany’sstandards.Theinspectorswerewidelyconsideredtobespies. Team members felt disrespected. To the direct cost of hiring this army of inspectors,companyleaderscouldaddthecostofmountingdistrustandsinkingmorale.

Ultimately, the lead measures developed by Susan’s event management team passed all thetests.Inthetestingprocess,theydiscoveredthatnearlyeverysitevisittheyconductedresultedin

asuccessfulproposal.So theydecided to focusonconductingmoresitevisitsandfollowingupwithproposals.

Step4:DefinetheLeadMeasuresAnswerthesequestionsasyouputtheleadmeasuresinfinalform:

AREWETRACKINGTEAMORINDIVIDUALPERFORMANCE?Thischoicewillaffectyourscorekeeping,thedesignofyourscoreboard,and,ultimately,howtheteam isheldaccountable.Tracking results for individualperformerscreates thehighest levelofaccountabilitybutalsothemostdifficultgametowinbecauseitdemandsthesameperformancefrom everyone. Alternatively, tracking team results allows for differences in individualperformancewhilestillenablingtheteamtoachievetheoutcome.

AREWETRACKINGTHELEADMEASUREDAILYORWEEKLY?Toreachthehighestlevelofengagement,teammembersneedtobeabletoseetheleadmeasurescoresmoving at leastweekly; otherwise, theywill lose interest fast.Daily tracking creates thehighest level of accountability because it demands the same performance from every associateeveryday,whereweeklytrackingallowsforvaryingperformanceeachdayaslongastheoverallresultfortheweekisachieved.

Hereisanexampleofthesameleadmeasurewithindividualanddailyscoring,aswellasdailyandweeklytracking.

IndividualScore TeamScore

Engage20customersperAssociateperdaywithawarmgreetingandofferassistance

Engage100customersperdayasateamwithawarmgreetingandofferassistance

MeasuredDaily

Engage100customersperAssociateperweekwithawarmgreetingandofferassistance

Engage700customersperweekasateamwithawarmgreetingandofferassistance

MeasuredWeekly

Theseconsiderationsshouldplayapartinyourdecisionmaking:

IndividualScore TeamScore

•Everyteammembermustachievetheleadmeasure

•Theteamcanwinevenwhenindividualmembers

•Personalaccountabilityisveryhighastrackingisdonebyperson

•Scorekeepingisverydetailed

underperform•Resultsfromhighperformers

canmaskthosefromlowperformers

MeasuredDaily

•Individualscanwinfortheweekevenifsomedailygoalsaremissed

•Theteamwinsonlywheneverymemberperforms

•Scorekeepingisdetailed

•Theteamcanwinfortheweekevenwhendailygoalsaremissed

•Resultsfromhighperformerscanmaskthosefromlowperformers

•Theteamwinsorlosestogether

MeasuredWeekly

WHATISTHEQUANTITATIVESTANDARD?Inotherwords,“Howmuch/howoften/howconsistentlyarewesupposedtoperform?”

AtYoungerBrothers, the leadmeasurewas97percentcompliancewithsixsafetystandards.Howdidtheyarriveat97percent?Howwouldyou?

YoudecidebasedontheurgencyandimportanceoftheWIG.Rememberthattheleverhastomovealottomovetherockalittle.Ifsafetycomplianceisonly67percent,goingfor97percentwillmovetherockalot—andiflivesandlimbsareatstake,thatrockneedstomovedramatically.Choosenumbersthatchallengetheteamwithoutmakingitanunwinnablegame.

Forexample,intheNetherlands,everypatientadmittedtoahospitalisswabbedforinfection,akey leadmeasureforwipingoutHAIs.Obviously,swabbingeverypatientconsumestimeandresources,but itcanbemanaged.OthercountrieswithahighertoleranceforHAIs,orperhapslessofaproblem,mightscreensomebutcertainlynotallpatients:Forthem,zeroHAIsisnotaWIG.

Sometimesyoudiscoverthenumbersthroughtrialanderror.Abuilding-materialsclientsenttwoemailblastsouteveryweekbeforeasale,butgotlittleresponsefromtheblasts.Whentheyexperimented with sending out three emails, they were flooded with business. There wassomethingmagicalaboutthreeemailsinsteadoftwo.Whoknew?

If you’ll be measuring an activity your team already does, it’s essential that the level ofperformance go up significantly beyond where it is today. Otherwise, you’ll be playing out afamiliardefinitionof insanity:Doing the same things you’ve always done, but expectingdifferentresults.

WHATISTHEQUALITATIVESTANDARD?Inotherwords,“Howwellarewesupposedtoperform?”

Notallleadmeasureshavetoanswerthisquestion.Still,themostimpactfulleadmeasuressetthestandardnotonlyforhowoftenorhowmany,butalsohowwelltheteammustperform.

At Younger Brothers, the six safety standards are the qualitative component of the leadmeasure.Fora team ina leanmanufacturing facility, itmightbecompliancewithvalue streammaps.

DOESITSTARTWITHAVERB?Simpleverbsfocusthemindimmediatelyonaction.

WIG LeadMeasure

Make$2millioninnewrevenuebyquarterend

Complete500moreoutboundcallsperweek

Raiseourwinrateonbidsfrom75%to85%thisfiscalyear

Ensureallproposalsachieve98%compliancewithourqualitywritingstandards

Improvecustomerloyaltyscorefrom40to70withintwoyears

Achieve99%serveravailabilityeachweek

Increaseinventoryturnsfrom8to10thisyear

Send3emailstocontactsforeveryspecialoffer

ISITSIMPLE?Stateyourleadmeasureinasfewwordsaspossible.Eliminateopeningexplanations,suchas“Inorder to achieve ourWIG and to exceed the expectations of our customers we will…”Whatcomesafter thewords“wewill” is the leadmeasure,and it’s all youneed to say.AclearWIGstatementcapturesmostofwhatyouwouldsayinaprefacingstatementanyway.

SPECIALNOTEABOUTPROCESS-ORIENTEDLEADMEASURESAnotherwayto identifypowerful leadmeasures is to lookatyourwork in the formofprocesssteps,particularlyifyoualreadyknowthatyourWIGcomesoutofaprocess(exampleswouldbea sales revenueWIG froma sales process, a qualityWIG fromamanufacturing process, or aprojectcompletionWIGfromaprojectmanagementprocess).

Theexamplehereisabasiceleven-stepsalesprocess.

Processes alwayspresent the same challenges: Is theprocess gettingus results?Arewe evenfollowingtheprocess?Dowehavetherightprocess?

Somewhere in every process there are leverage points, critical steps in the process whereperformance falters. If these leverage points become lead measures, the team can applyconcentratedenergyagainstthem.

Inthischart,theteamhasdecidedthatasignificantlybetterjobonneedsanalysis(step4)andbusinesscases(step7)wouldhavethegreatestimpactontheirresults.Theyhavemadetheirbet.

The team now defines lead measures for these leverage points. They’ll ask, “How do wemeasurewhether a good needs analysis has taken place?” “How dowe knowwe have a goodbusinesscase?”Thiskindofleadmeasureisvastlymoreeffectivethanproposingtoimproveanentireprocessallatonce.Inthatcase,theleaderwouldspreadtheirenergypushingchangeacrossthewholeprocess,andtheteamwouldneverbreaktheoldhabits.

4DXgivesaleadertheabilitytolockdownthemostcriticalpointsofaprocessandthenmoveontothenextmostcriticalpoints.

CANPROJECTMILESTONESBEGOODLEADMEASURES?IfyourWIGisasingleproject,yourprojectmilestonesmaybeeffectiveleadmeasures,butyou’llneed to evaluate them carefully. If themilestones are both predictive of project success (for adescriptionofprojectlagmeasures,seepage131)andinfluenceablebytheteam,theycanbegoodcandidates.However, theymustalsobesignificant enough forweeklycommitments tobemadeagainst them.The smallerormoregranular themilestonesare, the lessopportunity forweeklycommitments.Amilestonethatrequireslessthansixweekstocompleteisgenerallynotsignificantenoughtoserveasagoodleadmeasure.

Alternatively,ifyourWIGconsistsofmultipleprojects,yourleadmeasuresaremorelikelytobe procedures that you are using to ensure success in all projects, such as the completion offormalscoping,functionalrequirementsdefinition,projectcommunication,ortestingprocedures.Inthiscase,youshouldchoosethemostpredictiveandinfluenceablecomponentsofyourprojectprocessasleadmeasures.

THEDELIVERABLEThedeliverableforDiscipline2isasmallsetofleadmeasuresthatwillmovethelagmeasureontheWIG.

ThefinalleadmeasuresforSusan’steamwereclear—andchallenging:

•Completetwoqualitysitevisitsperassociateperweek.

•Upsellourpremiumbarpackageto90percentofallevents.

Discipline2providesSusanwithaclear, concise,andmeasurable strategy for improvingherteam’sperformanceanddeliveringgreatresultsforthehotel.

Discipline2isexcitingformanyteams,andwithgoodreason.TheyhavenotonlyaclearWIGwith a defined finish line, but also some carefully constructed leadmeasures for achieving theWIG;formany,itisthemostexecutableplanthey’veevermade.They’reconfidentthey’vedoneeverythingnecessarytomakeithappenandthatfromhereit’salleasy.

Theycouldnotbemorewrong.Despite the beautiful game they’ve just designed, it will disappear into thewhirlwindwithin

daysofthelaunchunlesstheygoontoDiscipline3.

TRYITUsetheLeadMeasureBuildertoolonthenextpagetoexperimentwithcreatingleadmeasuresforyourWIG.

LeadMeasureBuilderTool

1.InserttheWildlyImportantGoalandlagmeasureinthetopbox.

2.Brainstormideasforleadmeasures.

3.Brainstormmethodsformeasuringthoseideas.

4.RankinorderofimpactontheWIG.

5.Testyourideasagainstthechecklistonthefacingpage.

6.Writeyourfinalleadmeasures.

DidYouGetItRight?

Checkoffeachitemtoensureyourteam’sleadmeasureswillmovethelagmeasureoftheWIG:

Haveyougatheredrichinputontheleadmeasuresfromtheteamandothers?

Aretheleadmeasurespredictive—thatis,themostimpactfulthingstheteamcandotodriveachievementoftheTeamWIG?

Aretheleadmeasuresinfluenceable—thatis,doestheteamclearlyhavethepowertomovetheleadmeasure?

Are the lead measures truly measurable? Can you track performance on the leadmeasuresfromdayone?

Aretheleadmeasuresworthpursuing?Orwill thedatacostmoretogatherthanit’sworth?Willthesemeasuresleadtounintendedconsequences?

Doeseachleadmeasurestartwithasimpleverb?

Iseverymeasurequantified—includingqualitymeasures?

InstallingDiscipline3:KeepaCompellingScoreboard

Discipline 3 is the discipline of engagement. Even though you’ve defined a clear and effectivegameinDisciplines1and2,theteamwon’tplayattheirbestunlesstheyareemotionallyengaged—andthathappenswhentheycantelliftheyarewinningorlosing.

Thekeytoengagement isabig,visible,continuallyupdatedscoreboardthat iscompellingtotheplayers.Whydoweputsomuchemphasisonthescoreboard?

In a recent FranklinCovey survey of retail stores, we found that 73 percent of the topperformers agree with this statement: “Our success measures are visible, accessible, andcontinuallyupdated.”Only33percentofthebottomperformersagreedwiththestatement.Topperformersarethusmorethantwiceas likelytoseeand interactwithsomeformofcompellingscoreboardsotheycanseeiftheyarewinningornot.Whyisthisso?

Recallthreeprinciples.

PEOPLEPLAYDIFFERENTLYWHENTHEYAREKEEPINGSCOREPeoplegivelessthantheirbestandfinesteffortifnooneiskeepingscore—it’sjusthumannature.Andnotetheemphasis:Peopleplaydifferentlywhentheyarekeepingscore.There’saremarkabledifferencebetweenagamewheretheleaderscorestheteamandagamewheretheplayersscoreeachother.Itmeansthattheteamtakesownershipoftheresults.It’stheirgametoplay.

ACOACH’SSCOREBOARDISNOTAPLAYERS’SCOREBOARDA coach’s scoreboard is complex and full of data.A players’ scoreboard is simple. It shows ahandfulofmeasuresthatindicatetotheplayersiftheyarewinningorlosingthegame.Theyservedifferentpurposes.Asleaderyoucanguide,butyoucan’tbuildaplayers’scoreboardwithouttheinvolvementoftheplayers.

THEPURPOSEOFAPLAYERS’SCOREBOARDISTOMOTIVATETHEPLAYERSTOWINIfthescoreboarddoesn’tmotivateenergeticaction,itisnotcompellingenoughtotheplayers.Allteammembersshouldbeabletoseeitandwatchitchangemomentbymoment,daybyday,orweekbyweek.Theyshouldbediscussingitallthetime.Theyshouldneverreallytaketheirmindsoffit.

Inthischapter,you’lllearnhowtoinvolvetheteamincreatingacompellingscoreboard.You’llalsoseehowdifferentscoreboarddesignsdrivedifferentbehaviors.

We’vefoundthatthemoretheteamisinvolvedindesigningthescoreboard,illustratedinthisgraphicbygivingtheteammoredistinctresponsibilities,themorethescaleistippedtoinstilltheirownership.

Step1:ChooseaThemeChoose a theme for your scoreboard that displays clearly and instantly themeasures you aretracking.Youhaveseveraloptions.

TRENDLINES.By far themostuseful scoreboards fordisplaying lagmeasures, trend lines easily communicatefromXtoYbywhen.Thegoatshowsyouwhereyoushouldbenowifyou’replanningtogetYbyacertaintimeand,therefore,whetheryou’rewinning.

SPEEDOMETER.Likeanautomobilespeedometer,thisscoreboardshowsthestatusofthemeasuresinstantly.It’sidealfortimemeasures(cycletime,processspeed,timetomarket,retrievaltimes,etc.).Considerothercommongaugessuchasthermometers,pressuremeters,rulers,orscales.

BARCHART.Thisscoreboardisusefulforcomparingtheperformanceofteamsorgroupswithinteams.

ANDON.Anandonchart consistsof colored signalsor lights that showaprocess ison track (green), indanger of going off track (yellow), or off track (red). This kind of scoreboard is useful for

showingthestatusofleadmeasures.

PERSONALIZED.When teammemberscanpersonalize the scoreboard, it’softenmoremeaningful to them.Theycanaddateamname,photographsofteammembers,cartoons,orotheritemsthatrepresenttheteam.Personalizingthescoreboardisnotonlyfun,itservesanimportantpurpose—themoretheyfeel it’s their scoreboard, themore theywill take ownership of the results.Achieving theWIGbecomesamatterofpersonalpride.

We’veseeneventhemostserious-mindedindividualsjumpintothiseffort.Cardiacnursesputsurgicalinstrumentsonascoreboard,engineerssetupflashinglights,motorcycle-ridingchefsaddleatherchaps.Whenthescoreboardbecomespersonal,theybecomeengaged.

Step2:DesigntheScoreboardOnceyou’vedeterminedthethemeortypeofscoreboardyouwant, theteamshoulddesignthescoreboardwiththesequestionsinmind:

ISITSIMPLE?Resistthetemptationtocomplicatethescoreboardbyaddingtoomanyvariablesorsupportingdata suchashistorical trends,year-over-yearcomparisons,or futureprojections.Don’tuse thescoreboard as a communication board to post reports, status updates, and other generalinformation that distracts the team from the results they need to see. In the midst of thewhirlwind,simplicityisthekeytokeepingtheteamengaged.

Teammemberscanimmediatelyseeifthey’rewinningfromthescoreboardontheleft,buttheywouldhavetostudycarefullythescoreboardontherighttounderstandit—therearetoomanyvariablestointerpret.

CANTHETEAMSEEITEASILY?Postthescoreboardwheretheteamwillsee itoften.Themorevisiblethescoreboard,themorethe teamwill stay connected to thegame. Ifyouwant tomotivate the teamevenmore,post itwhereother teams can see it as well. If your team is dispersed geographically, the scoreboardshouldbevisibleremotely(moreonelectronicscoreboardsinthechapterAutomating4DX).

DOESITCONTAINBOTHLEADANDLAGMEASURES?Includebothactualresultsandtargetresults.ThescoreboardmustanswernotonlyWherearewenow?butalsoWhereshouldwebe?

Iftheteamcanseeonlytheunitstheyproduceeachmonth,theycan’ttellifthey’rewinningorlosing.Theyneedtoseethenumberofunitsplanned—italsohelpstodothemathforthemandshowifthey’reupordownonthegoal(netgainorloss).

IncludeboththeWIGlagmeasureandtheleadmeasures.Includelegendsandotherminimallabelstoexplainthemeasures:Don’tjustassumethateveryoneknowswhattheyare.(Remember,85percentofteammemberswesurveyedcouldnotnametheirmostimportantgoals!)

LagMeasure

LeadMeasure

This team’sWIGwas to produce a certain number of bottles ofwater eachweek.The leadmeasurewastodomaintenanceonthebottlingunitsonastrictschedule—aslongasthebottlingunitswereupandrunning,theycouldmeetthegoal.

Whentheynotedacorrelationbetweenadropinmaintenanceandadropinproduction,theybecamemoreconsistentabouttheleadmeasureandshotpastthegoal.

CANWETELLATAGLANCEIFWE’REWINNING?Design the scoreboard so that in five secondsor less the teamcandeterminewhether theyarewinningorlosing.Thisisthetruetestofaplayers’scoreboard.

Step3:BuildtheScoreboardLettheteambuildthescoreboard.Thegreatertheirinvolvement,thebetter—theywilltakemoreownershipofitiftheybuilditthemselves.

Of course, the size and nature of your teamwillmake a difference. If they have very littlediscretionary time, the leaderneeds to takemoreof a role inproducing theactual scoreboard.Still,most teams embrace the opportunity to create their own scoreboard and often volunteertheirowntimeforit.

Finally,itdoesn’tmattermuchwhatmediumyouuseforthescoreboard.Youcanputupanelectronic sign, a poster, a whiteboard, or even a chalkboard, as long as it meets the designstandardsdiscussedhere.

Step4:KeepItUpdatedThedesignofthescoreboardshouldmakeiteasytoupdateatleastweekly.Ifthescoreboardishard to update, you’ll be tempted to put it off when the whirlwind strikes—and your wildlyimportantgoalwilldisappearinthenoiseandconfusion.

Theleadershouldmakeveryclear:

•Whoisresponsibleforthescoreboard.

•Whenitwillbeposted.

•Howoftenitwillbeupdated.

ANEXAMPLELet’sfollowSusan’seventmanagementteamastheydesignandbuildascoreboard.

ApplyingDiscipline1,theysetaTeamWIGtoincreaserevenuefromcorporateeventsfrom$22millionto$31millionbyDecember31.TheythenappliedDiscipline2 to identify twohigh-impactleadmeasures:

•Completetwoqualitysitevisitsperassociateperweek.

•Upsellourpremiumbarpackageto90percentofallevents.

Withthegameclearlydefined,Susanandherteamwerenowreadytobuildascoreboard.TheybeganbydefiningclearlyonthescoreboardtheWIGandlagmeasure:

Nexttheyaddedleadmeasure1withadetailedgraphfortrackingindividualperformance.

Finally,theyaddedleadmeasure2andabargraphtotrackupsellattempts.

WiththeWIGontopandtheleadmeasuresclearlycharted,Susan’sscoreboardeasilymeetsthedesignstandards.

It’ssimple,notoverloadedwithdata.Ithasonlythreemajorcomponents,andeachcomponentiscrystalclearandquantifiable.

It’svisible,withlarge,darkfontsandeasilygraspedvisuals.It’scomplete.Theentiregameisshown.TheTeamWIG,itslagmeasure,andtheleadmeasures

areclearlydefined.The team’sactualperformanceversus the target is clear.The scoreboard ismotivatingbecause the teamcansee theiractualresults inrelationtowhere theyshouldbe foreachweek:Thedarkertargetlinemakesthatpossible.

In this case, the lagmeasure is a straightforward financial goal based on the organization’sWIGs.WithotherpossibleWIGs, suchas increasedcustomer satisfactionor improvedquality,

theremightnotbeapredeterminedwaytomeasureprogression.Insuchcases,drawthetargetlinesubjectivelybasedonyourexpectationsandknowledgeoftheteam’sperformance.

Butwhetherformallybudgetedorsubjectivelydetermined,atargetlinemustappear.Withoutit,theteamcan’ttelldaybydaywhetherthey’rewinningornot.

For lead measures, the target line is usually set as a single standard for performance (forexample,the90percentbarinthegraphontheleft).Thatstandardmustbenotonlyreachedbutsustained.Insomecases,youmightdrawaramp-uptarget,indicatedbyadiagonalline,followedbythehorizontallineindicatingsustainedperformance(inthegraphabove).

The leadmeasuretocomplete twoqualitysitevisitsperassociateperweekrequiredthat theteam’sperformancebereportedindividually.Eachteammemberrecordedonthescoreboardhisorherownresultseachweek.

Toensurethecredibilityofthescoreboard,the leaderperiodicallyauditstheperformanceoftheteamtovalidatethatthescoresbeingrecordedmatchthelevelofperformanceobserved.Therulehereistrust,butverify.

WECANTELLIFWE’REWINNINGORLOSINGATAGLANCE.Because every graph displays both actual results and the target results, team members caninstantly tellwhether theyarewinningor losingoneach leadmeasureaswellas theWIG.Thecolorsgreenandred,whenused,canmakeiteveneasiertotellhowthey’redoing.

Note thatwith leadmeasure 2, the teamwinsonlywhen everymemberperforms.The team

trulywinswheneverybodyshowsgreen(thelightercolorinthischart),indicatingcompletionoftwoormoresitevisitsthatweek.

THEDELIVERABLEThedeliverableforDiscipline3isascoreboardthatkeepstheteamengaged.

There’s a huge difference in performance between a team that knows about WIGs andmeasuresasaconcept anda team that actuallyknows the score.As JimStuart said, “Withoutclear,visiblemeasures,thesamegoalwillmeanahundreddifferentthingstoahundreddifferentpeople.”Ifthemeasuresaren’tcapturedonahighlyvisiblescoreboardandregularlyupdated,theWIGwilldisappearintothedistractionofthewhirlwind.Simplyput,peopledisengagewhentheydon’tknowthescore.

It’sthesenseofwinningthatdrivesengagement,andnothingdrivesresultsmorethanateamthatisfullyengaged—you’llseethateverytimeyouupdatethescoreboard.

BypracticingDisciplines1,2,and3,you’vedesignedateamgamethatisclearandwinnable,but that game is still on the drawing board. InDiscipline 4, you put that game into action aseveryonebecomesaccountable—toeachother—forhighperformance.

TRYITUsetheScoreboardBuilderTooltoexperimentwithscoreboardsforyourWIG.

ScoreboardBuilderTool

Use this template to createa compelling scoreboard.Test your ideas against thechecklistonthefacingpage.

TeamWIG LagMeasure

LeadMeasure1 Graph

LeadMeasure2 Graph

DidYouGetItRight?

Check off each item to ensure that the team scoreboard is compelling andwill drivehighperformance:

Hastheteambeencloselyinvolvedincreatingthescoreboard?

DoesthescoreboardtracktheTeamWIG,lagmeasures,andleadmeasures?

IsthereafullexplanationoftheWIGandmeasuresalongwiththegraphs?

Does every graph display both actual results and the target results (Where are wenow?Whereshouldwebe?)?

Canwetellataglanceoneverymeasureifwe’rewinningorlosing?

Is thescoreboardposted inahighlyvisible locationwheretheteamcansee iteasilyandoften?

Isthescoreboardeasytoupdate?

Isthescoreboardpersonalized—auniqueexpressionoftheteam?

InstallingDiscipline4:CreateaCadenceofAccountability

Discipline4 is thedisciplineofaccountability.Even thoughyou’vedesignedagame that’sclearandeffective,withoutconsistentaccountability theteamwillnevergivetheirbestefforts tothegame.Youmightbeginwell,yourteammayhavethebestofintentionstoexecute,butbeforelongthewhirlwindwillpullyoubackintoaconsumingcycleofreactingtotheurgent.

AuthorJohnCasedescribedthisperfectlyinanarticleinInc.magazine:

Managersputupwhiteboards, chalkboards, and corkboards.They crankoutdataondefects per thousand, average time spent on hold, and dozens of other performancemeasures.Youcan’twalkintoaplant,warehouse,orofficewithoutseeingametricortwochartedonthewall.

Forawhile,thenumbersonthechartsimprove.Peoplepayattentiontotheboardsandfigureouthowtoimprovetheirperformance.

But, then, something funny happens. A week goes by when no one updates thescoreboard.Ormaybe awholemonth. Somebody finally remembers to enter the newnumbersandnoticestherehasn’tbeenmuchimprovement.Sonobody’seagertoupdatethe board the next time. Before long, the boards fall into disuse. Eventually, they’retakendown.

Withhindsight,thatoutcomeisn’tsosurprising.Whatgetsmeasureddoesgetdone—butonlyforawhile.Thenquestionsarise:“Whyaretheyalwaysmeasuringus?”“Whoreally cares if we make those numbers, anyway?” “Are we still doing that?” Ascoreboardcancometofeellikeadreadedreminderof“somethingweshouldbedoingbutaren’t.”27

Discipline 4 breaks this cycle by constantly reconnecting teammembers to the game.More

crucially, it reconnects them in a personal way. Because they are frequently and regularlyaccountabletoeachother,theybecomeinvestedintheresultsandplaytowin.

WhenleadershearaboutDiscipline4,theyareunderstandablyskeptical:“Anothermeeting—everyweek?”“Canyoureallyaccomplishthatmuchinsuchashortmeeting?”

Afteronlyafewweeks, thesesame leadersoftentellus,asourbiggestclientdid,“I thoughtanothermeetingwasthelastthingweneeded.Now,it’stheonemeetingwewon’tcancelbecauseit’sthemostimportantthingwedo.”

Discipline 4 asks teams to meet frequently and regularly in WIG sessions in which eachmemberoftheteammakespersonalcommitmentstodrivetheleadmeasures.

Because aWIG sessionmight sound like just another quickmeeting, youmight see nothingmuchnewaboutit.You’reabouttoseethatthecadenceofaccountabilityrequiresrealskillandadegreeofprecisionifyouwantyourteamtoperformatthehighestlevel.

WHATISAWIGSESSION?

AWIGsessionisunlikeanyothermeetingyouwilleverattend.Ithasasingularpurpose:torefocustheteamontheWIGdespitethedailywhirlwind.Ittakes

placeregularly,atleastweekly,andsometimesmoreoften.Ithasafixedagenda,asillustratedinthemodelbelow:

A WIG Session is a short, intense team meeting devoted to these three—and onlythese three—activities. The purpose of the WIG Session is to account for priorcommitmentsandmakecommitmentstomovetheWIGscoreboard.

1.Account:Reportonlastweek’scommitments.Eachteammemberreportsonthecommitmentstomovetheleadmeasuresthatheorshemadethepriorweek.

2. Review the scoreboard: Learn from successes and failures. The team assesses whethertheir commitments are moving the lead measure and whether the lead measure ismovingthelagmeasure.Theydiscusswhatthey’velearnedaboutwhatworksandwhatdoesn’tandhowtoadapt.

3.Plan:Clearthepathandmakenewcommitments.Basedonthisassessment,eachmemberoftheteammakescommitmentsforthecomingweekthatwillraisetheleadmeasurestothe required level of performance. Because team members create the commitmentsthemselves,andbecausetheyarepubliclyaccountableforthemtoeachother,theygoawaydeterminedtofollowthrough—itbecomespersonallyimportant.

Although this cadenceof accountability is simple in concept, it takes focus anddiscipline tomaintaininthemidstofthewhirlwind.

WIGHUDDLES

Someteams,suchastheemergencyroomteaminaninnercityhospital,withlittletonodiscretionarytimewillneedtoholdanalternativemeetingcalledaWIGHuddle.

WIGHuddlestakeplaceonceeachweekforfivetosevenminuteswiththeentireteaminacirclearoundthescoreboardwheretheydothreethings:

1.ReviewtheScoreboard–reinforcingtheiraccountabilityforresults.

2.ReportonLastWeek’sTeamCommitment—makingasingleteamcommitmenttoraisetheirperformance.

3.MakeCommitmentsfortheComingWeek

WHYHOLDWIGSESSIONS?•Thesessionskeeptheteam’sfocusontheWIGdespitetheconstantwhirlwindofother

urgentdemands.

•Thesessionsenableteammemberstolearnfromeachotherabouthowtomovetheleadmeasures.Ifonepersonsucceeds,otherscanadopthisorapproach.Ontheotherhand,ifacourseofactionisn’tworking,theteamfindsoutearly.

• The sessions give team members the help they need to keep their commitments. Ifsomeonerunsintoabarrier,theteamdecideshowtoclearthepath.

•Thesessionsenabletheteamtoadaptontheflytothechangingneedsofthebusiness.Thesessionendswithajust-in-timeplanthataddresseschallengesimpossibletoforeseethroughannualplanning.

•The sessionsprovideanopportunity tocelebrateprogress, reenlist theenergiesof theteam,andreengageeveryone.

We started thinkinghardaboutWIGsessionsafter learning from successfulbusiness leaderStephenCooper.WhenCoopertookoveralittlecompanycalledETECinSiliconValley, itwasgenerating$1million in red inkeverymonth.Cooper set theWIGto increase revenues tenfoldwithinsevenyears.ToachievethatWIG,heaskedeachteamtoidentifyafewenablinggoalswithmetricsandtoreducetheirplantoasinglesheetofpaper.

Thisexerciseprovidedclarityforeachteam,buttherealkeytoCooper’sultimatesuccesswashis weekly reviews. He instituted three rules to keep those reviews fast and focused. “Peopleshould limit their statusreports to fourminutes.Foreachgoal,peopleshouldcoverobjectives,status,issues,andrecommendations.Finally,thereviewsshouldencouragejointproblemsolvingratherthanjustreporting.”

One of Cooper’s team leaders said of these weekly sessions, “[They] stop problems frombecoming crises.… People have time to react in a comfortable manner instead of a chaoticmanner. Each manager takes a few minutes to present and review progress charts, surfaceproblems, and try to solve them.These routines help you tokeep your eyeon theball. People

moveforwardwithaminimumofdirection.Itgiveseveryonetheirmarchingorders.”28

Inspired byCooper,we experimented for yearswith different formats for theWIG session.Today, it’sa sleekandhighlydevelopedconceptusedbyhundredsoforganizations toadvancetheirmostimportantpriorities.

WHATHAPPENSINAWIGSESSION?ToillustratehowaWIGsessionshouldwork,let’slookinonSusan’sEventManagementTeam.

Remember that they have defined a teamWIG—to increase revenue from corporate eventsfrom$22millionto$31millionbyDecember31—andtwohigh-impactleadmeasures:

•Completetwoqualitysitevisitsperassociateperweek.

•Upsellourpremiumbarpackageto90percentofallevents.

Andtheyhavebuiltacompellingscoreboard.AsSusanandherteambegintheirWIGsessiononMondaymorning,theyhavejustcompleted

theirthirdmonthofexecutionandtheirscoreboardisuptodate.

Susan:“Goodmorningeveryone.It’seight-fifteen.Let’sgetstartedbyreviewingthescoreboard.”[Reviewthescoreboard.]

“Wehavegoodnewstoday.We’vejustcompletedourthirdmonthofexecutionandweareabovetargetforourteamWIGofincreasingrevenuefromcorporateevents!Ourlagmeasurescoreforlastmonthis$14Magainstatargetof$10.4M.Congratulationseveryone.

“Asyoucansee,lastweekweraisedoursitevisitsonleadmeasure1toatotalof14,ourhighestresultinthepastsevenweeks.Congratulationstoourtopperformers,EmilyandRichard,whoeachcompletedfoursitevisits.

“Inaddition,wehitourhighestpercentageofupsellingsofaronleadmeasure2with95percentofalleventshavingbeenofferedourpremiumbarpackage,butwe’vemissedourpercentagegoalfouroutofthelastsevenweeks.WhileIknowwe’repleasedwithlastweek’spercentage,wehaveworktodotodemonstratethatwecansustainit.”

[Reportonlastweek’scommitments.]“Now, for my commitments, last week I committed to work with Kim and Karen for twenty

minutes each on improving their upselling scripts for our bar package, as well as practicing theirdelivery.Icompletedthis.

“IalsocommittedtoattendtheChamberofCommercemeetingandtocaptureatleastthreenewcorporate contacts that are not currently holding events at our hotel. Iwas very pleased to comebackwithcontactsforfiveorganizations,whichI’llpassovertoseveralofyouthisafternoon.

“Fornextweek,I’llcompletethefinalreviewofournewmarketingmaterialsforourpremiumbarpackage.Also,I’llinterviewthreecandidatesfortheopenpositiononourteamandmakeanoffertotheonethatbestmeetsourrequirements.”

Kim: “Last week I committed to have face-to-face meetings with two companies that have justopenednewofficesdowntownandIdidit.Goodnews—oneofthemisscheduledforasitevisitnextweek!

“Onthescoreboard,Icompletedtwositevisits,buthadanupsellconversationwithonlyoneofthem,forascoreof50percent,whichIwillimprovenextweek.

“Fornextweek,Iwillhaveaconversation,byphoneorinperson,withtwoofmyclientswhoheldtheirannualmeetingwithuslastyear,buthaven’tcommittedyetforthisyear.Iwanttoschedulesitevisitsforthemtoseeournewbanquetroomand,hopefully,convincethemtosignupforthisyear.”

Bob: “My commitment last week was to create a special upsell experience for our premium barpackagewiththethreeclientsthatwerescheduledforsitevisits,sincetheyallrepresentlargeeventopportunities. I did this by getting the chef to create awine-tasting display, alongwith light horsd’oeuvresforeachclient.Itwentoverreallywellandallthreeofthemupgradedtothepremiumbarpackagefortheirevents!

“Onthescoreboard,Ihadthreesitevisitsandhadupsellconversationswithallofthemforascoreof100percent.

“For next week, I only have one site visit scheduled so far, so I will contact at least five newprospectiveclientsbytheendofthedayMondayandhaveatleastoneofthemcommittomakingasitevisitbeforetheendoftheweek.”

Karen:“My commitment lastweekwas to send amemories packet to ten ofmy clientswho heldeventswithus last year. In eachpacket, I inserted twoor threephotos from their event, plus thebanquetmenu they used, alongwith a handwritten note fromme saying howmuch I hoped to seethemagain thisyear. I completed thisandamreallypleased to report that fourof themcalled to

thankmeforthephotosandtwohaveagreedtositevisitstoseethenewbanquetroom.“On the scoreboard, I had two site visits and discussed our premiumbar packagewith both of

themforascoreof100percent.“Fornextweek, I’mgoing tocreatememoriespackets for fivemoreclients from lastyearand

sendthemout.”Susan’sWIGsessioncontinuesinthiswayuntileachmemberoftheteamfinishesreporting.Note

thattheyareaccountingnotonlytoSusan,buttoeachotherfortheirfollowthroughandfortheirresults.

MAKEHIGH-IMPACTCOMMITMENTSFORTHECOMINGWEEKTheeffectivenessoftheWIGsessiondependsontheconsistencyofthecadence,buttheresultson the scoreboarddependon the impactof the commitments.You’llneed toguide the team inmakingcommitmentsthathavethehighestpossibleimpact.

Startwiththisquestion:“WhataretheoneortwomostimportantthingsIcandothisweektoimpacttheteam’sperformanceonthescoreboard?”

Let’sbreakdownthisquestionsoyouunderstanditssignificancetotheWIG.

•“Oneortwo”: InDiscipline4, followingthroughonafewhigh-impactcommitments isfarmoreimportantthanmakingalotofcommitments.Youwanttheteamtodoafewthingswithexcellence,notalotofthingswithmediocrity.Themorethecommitments,the less likely follow-through becomes. In this context, it’s better tomake two high-impactcommitmentsandfulfillthemexactlythantomakefivecommitmentsandkeepthembadly.

•“Mostimportant”:Don’twastetimeonperipheralactivities.Investyourfinestattentionandeffortinthosecommitmentsthatwillmakethebiggestdifference.

•“I”:All commitmentsmade in aWIG session arepersonal responsibilities.You’re notcommitting other people to do things, you’re committing to things you will do.Althoughyou’llbeworkingwithothers,committobeaccountableonlyforthatpartoftheeffortyoucanbepersonallyresponsiblefor.

•“Thisweek”:Discipline4requiresatleastaweeklycadenceofaccountability.Makeonlythosecommitmentsthatcanbecompletedwithinthecomingweeksothataccountabilitycanbemaintained.Ifyoucommittosomethingfourweeksinthefuture,thenforthreeofthoseweeksyou’renotreallyaccountable.Ifit’samultiweekinitiative,commitonlytowhatyoucandothiscomingweek.Weeklycommitmentscreateasenseofurgencythathelpsyoustayfocusedwhenyourwhirlwindisraging.

• “Performance on the scoreboard”: This is most critical: every commitment must bedirectedatmovingtheleadandlagmeasuresonyourscoreboard.Withoutthisfocus,you’llbetemptedtomakecommitmentstothewhirlwind.Whiletheymightbeurgent,thesecommitmentswillcontributenothingtotheWIG.

If everyone answers this question precisely in everyWIG session, the team will establish a

regularrhythmofexecutionthatwilldriveresults.

Susan’sWIGsessionproducedcommitmentsthatwillmakethatkindofdifference:

•“WorkwithKimandKarenfortwentyminuteseachonimprovingtheirupsellingscriptsforourbarpackage,aswellaspracticingtheirdelivery.”

•“Attend theChamberofCommercemeetingandcaptureat least threenewcorporatecontactsthatarenotcurrentlyholdingeventsatourhotel.”

• “Complete the final review of our new marketing materials for our premium barpackage.”

•“Interviewthreecandidatesfortheopenpositiononourteamandmakeanoffertotheonethatbestmeetsourrequirements.”

•“Completeface-to-facemeetingswithtwocompaniesthathavejustopenednewofficesdowntown.”

•“Createaspecialupsellexperienceforourpremiumbarpackagewiththethreeclientsthatwerescheduledforsitevisits.”

•“Sendamemoriespackettotenofmyclientswhoheldeventswithus lastyear,alongwithahandwrittennote.”

Team members are more likely to take ownership of commitments they come up withthemselves.Still,theleadershouldmakesurethecommitmentsmeetthefollowingstandards:

•Specific. Themore specific the commitment, the higher the accountability for it.Youcan’tholdpeopleaccountableforvaguecommitments.Committoexactlywhatyouwilldo,whenyouwilldoit,andwhatyouexpecttheoutcomewillbe.

•Aligned tomoving the scoreboard.Make sure the commitmentsmove the scoreboard;otherwise,you’rejustcommittingmoreenergytothewhirlwind.Forinstance,theweekbefore your annual budget is due you might be tempted to make a commitment tocompletethebudgetbecauseit’sbothurgentandimportant.However,ifthebudgethaslittle to dowith the leadmeasures, itwon’t affect theWIGnomatter howurgent itseems.

•Timely.Highimpactcommitmentsmustbecompletedwithinthecomingweek,buttheyshouldalsoimpacttheteam’sperformanceinthenearterm.Iftherealimpactofyourcommitment is too far in the future, it won’t help to build the weekly rhythm ofwinning.

Thistableillustratesthedifferencesbetweenlow-andhigh-impactcommitments:

LOW-IMPACTCOMMITMENT HIGH-IMPACTCOMMITMENT

IwillworkwithKimandKarenfor20minuteseachon

Iwillfocusontrainingthisweek

improvingtheirupsellingscriptsforourbarpackage,aswellaspracticingtheirdelivery.

IwillattendtheChamberofCommercemeeting

IwillattendtheChamberofCommercemeetingandcaptureatleastthreenewcorporatecontactsnotcurrentlyholdingeventsatourhotel.

Iwilldosomeinterviews

Iwillinterviewthreecandidatesfortheopenpositiononourteamandmakeanoffertotheonethatbestmeetsourrequirements.

Iwillreachouttonewclientsthisweek

Iwillcompleteface-to-facemeetingswithtwocompaniesthathavejustopenednewofficesdowntown.

Iwillcallonoldclients

Iwillsenda“memories”packettotenofmyclientswhoheldeventswithuslastyear,alongwithahandwrittennote.

Notethegreatstrengthofcommitmentsspecificallyalignedtomovingtheleadmeasures.

WATCHOUTAvoidthesecommonpitfallsthatunderminethecadenceofaccountability.

Competingwhirlwindresponsibilities.Thisisthemostcommonchallengeyouandyourteamwillface when you begin applying Discipline 4. Don’t mistake whirlwind urgencies for WIGcommitments. An effective question for testing a commitment is “How will fulfilling thiscommitment impact the scoreboard?” If you struggle to answer the question directly, thecommitmentyou’reconsideringislikelyfocusedonyourwhirlwind.

HoldingWIG sessions with no specific outcomes. The cadence of accountability will collapsewithoutdisciplinedadherencetotheWIGsessionagenda.EveryWIGsessionneedstoaccountspecificallyforpriorcommitmentsandresultinclearcommitmentsforthefuture.

Repeating the same commitment more than two consecutive weeks. Even a high-impactcommitment,ifrepeatedweekafterweek,becomesroutine.Youshouldalwaysbelookingfornewandbetterwaystomovetheleadmeasures.

Acceptingunfulfilledcommitments.Theteammustfulfilltheircommitmentsregardlessoftheirday-to-daywhirlwind.When a teammember fails to keep a commitment, regardless of all theworkyou’vedonetoinstall4DX,youfacethemomentthatmattersmost.

Ifyoucaninstillthedisciplineofaccountabilityinyourteam,theywillbeatthewhirlwindeveryweek.However,ifyou’recasualaboutaccountabilityforcommitmentsaswellasforresults,thewhirlwindwilloverwhelmthewildlyimportantgoal.

Let’sseehowSusanhandlesthisimportantmomentintheWIGsession:

Susan:“Jeff,you’renext.”

Jeff:“Thanks,Susan.Well,Ihadcommittedtocontactseveralofmyclientsfromlastyearaboutasitevisit,butasyouallknow,Ialsohadamajoreventtakingplaceinthehotellastweek.Sincethiswasmylargestgroupoftheyear,Iwantedtobesurethatitwassuccessful,soIgavethemalotofpersonalattention.Andwhentheprojector in themainballroomcrashed,Ihadtoscramble togetanotherone.Ispentalotoftimemakingsuretheclientwasn’tupsetandthatthingswerebackontrack.BeforeIrealizedit,theweekwasgoneandtherejustwasn’ttime.”

Inessence,Jeffissayingthathecouldn’tkeephiscommitmentbecauseofhiswhirlwind;what’smore damaging, Jeff believes that he shouldn’t be held accountable for his commitment if hiswhirlwindissignificantenough.Thisiswhereexecutionbreaksdown.

Most commitments wemake are conditional. For example, when a teammember says, “I’llhave that report toyoubynineTuesdaymorning,”whathe reallymeans is“Unless somethingurgentcomesup.”Butsomethingurgentalwayscomesup—it’sinthenatureoftheever-presentwhirlwind.

Ifyouletthewhirlwindoverwhelmyourcommitments,you’llneverinvesttheenergyneededtoprogress.TheexecutiondisciplinestartsandendswithkeepingyourWIGsessioncommitments.

That’swhySusan’sjobastheleader,particularlyinthefirstfewWIGsessions,istosetanewstandard: Commitments are unconditional. As a client of ours says, “Whenever we make acommitmentonourteam,weknowwehavetofindawaytomakeithappen,nomatterwhat.”

HowshouldSusanrespond?

Step1:Demonstraterespect.Susan:“Jeff,Iwantyoutoknowthat theevent lastweekwasahugesuccess,andwithoutyou, itcould have been a disaster. Everyone on this team understands how hard you worked and howimportantthisclientistous.Thankyouforeverythingyoudid.”

Inthiscrucialfirststep,SusanshowsJeffthatsherespectshimasateammember,butshealsoshows the team that she respects thewhirlwind. If she skips this step, she’ll send two incorrectmessages:thatJeffisnotvaluedandthatthewhirlwindisnotimportant.

Step2:Reinforceaccountability.

Susan:“Jeff,Ialsowantyoutoknowhowimportantyourcontributionistothisteam.Withoutyou,we can’t reachourgoal.Thismeans thatwhenwemakea commitment,wehave to findaway tofulfillitnomatterwhathappensduringtheweek.”

ThisisachallengingmomentforbothJeffandSusan;butbecauseSusanhasmadeitclearthatsherespectsJeffandthedemandsofthewhirlwind,Jeffshouldbeabletoseetheimportanceofdoinghisbestfortheteam.

Step3:EncouragePerformance.

Susan:“Jeff,Iknowyouwanttohelpusfollowthrough.Canwecountonyoutocatchupnextweek,byfulfillinglastweek’scommitmentaswellastheoneyouwereplanningonmakingfornextweek?”

Susan gives Jeff the opportunity to report with real pride that all commitments have beenfulfilled.

Bringing this important interaction to a successful close is very important. It’s important toJeffbecausehecannowkeephiscommitmenttotheteam.It’s importanttothe leaderbecausetheteamseesshe’scommittedtothe4DXdiscipline.Andit’simportantfortheteamtoknowthatanewstandardforperformanceisexpected.

Without unconditional commitments, you can’t drive the black into the gray. The graywhirlwindwillsimplyfillintheblackcommitments.That’sthestoryofexecutionbreakdown.

weeklycommitments

HyrumSmith,oneof the foundersofFranklinCovey,hassaid,“Ifyourentirepaycheckwasbased on this one commitment, two things would happen automatically. You would be morecarefulinmakingthecommitment,andyouwouldbeabsolutelycertaintofollowthrough.”ThisisthepurposeoftheWIGsession:tomakecommitmentsintelligentlyandwiththedeterminationtokeepthemregardlessofthewhirlwind.

KEYSTOSUCCESSFULWIGSESSIONS•HoldWIGsessionsasscheduled.KeepWIGsessionstothesamedayatthesametimein

the same place every week (including electronically), regardless of the whirlwind. Ifyou’regone,delegateleadershipofthesessiontoanotherteammember.

•Keepthesessionsbrief.Maintainabriskandenergeticpace.Aruleof thumb:sessionsshouldn’trunmorethantwentytothirtyminutes.Taketoolongandthesessionrisksturningintoawhirlwindmeeting.

•Setthestandardastheleader.BegineveryWIGsessionbyreviewingtheoverallresultsonthescoreboardandthenreportingonyourowncommitments.Byreportingfirst,youshowyou’renotaskinganythingoftheteamthatyou’reunwillingtodoyourself.

• Post the scoreboard. Update the scoreboard before the session and make sure it’spresent.Youcan’tholdaWIGsessionwithoutthescoreboard.Itreconnectstheteamtothegameandindicateswhat’sworkingandwhatisn’t.Withoutit,theWIGsessionisjustanothermeeting.

•Celebratesuccesses.ReinforcecommitmenttotheWIGbycongratulatingboththeteamand individual members on successfully keeping commitments and moving themeasures.

•Sharelearning.Throughtheweekpeoplewilldiscoverwhatdoesanddoesn’tmovethe

leadmeasures. They will also discover that somemeasures work better than others.Everyoneneedsthisinformation.

•Refuse to let thewhirlwind enter. Limit discussion to commitments that canmove thescoreboard. Defer dialogues about the whirlwind, the weather, morning traffic, orsportsforothersettings.

•Clearthepathforeachother.Removeobstaclesforeachother.Clearingthepathdoesnotmeanpassingaproblemtosomeoneelse,butleveragingthestrengthsoftheteam.Ifyouagreetoclearthepathforsomeone,itbecomesoneofyourcommitmentsfortheweekandrequiresthesamefollow-throughasanyothercommitment.

•Execute in spiteof thewhirlwind.Hold teammembersunconditionally accountable fortheircommitmentsregardlessofthewhirlwind.Ifacommitmentismissedoneweek,itmustbeaccountedforthefollowingweek.

THEPAYOFFWebeganthissectionofthebookwiththeteamatStore334,whowerefalteringintheirattempttoapply4DX.

Itjustwasn’tworking.One day, for example, Jim found only day-old bread on the bakery racks and nothing but

cookiecrumbsinthedisplaycase.“Yolanda!”hecalledforthebakerymanager.Sheappeared,coveredwithflourandsimmering

madwhenhepointedatthescoreboard.“Ihavetoomuchtodotoworryaboutthatscoreboard,”sheretorted,handsonhips.“Igota

bigcateringorder that’ll takeallday.AndI’vegot todosomethingabout inventory ’causeI’mrunningout.There’sjustnotime.I’munderstaffed.”

Sisyphuswasaliveandwell.Despiteall theeffort choosing theWIG, the leadmeasures, thescoreboards,nothinghadreallychangedinthestore.Wepinpointedthereason.

The4thDisciplinewascompletelymissing.

Therewasnocadenceofaccountability.Therewasnoregular,weeklyaccountingtosay,“Here’swhatIdidlastweek,andhere’swhatI’mgoingtodothisweek,tomovethatscore.”So,wepleadedwithJimtomeetwiththestaffandaskeachonethissimplequestion:“Whatistheonethingyoucandothisweek thatwouldhavethemostimpactonthescoreboard?”

Jimheld his firstWIG session the next day.He promised itwould take only a fewminutesaroundthestorescoreboard.Whenthedepartmentheadsgathered,Jimstartedwiththebakerymanager.

“Yolanda, what is the one thing, just one thing, you could do that would have the biggestimpactonthestore-conditionsscoreboardthisweek?”

SurprisedbyJim’searnestlook,Yolandaasked,“Youwantmetochoose?”Jimnodded…andwaited.“IguessIcouldgetthebackroomcleanedout.”

“Okay.Andhowwouldthatmovethescoreonstoreconditions?”“Well,it’skindofcluttered.I’vegotalotofextraracksoutonthefloor.IfIcangettheback

roomcleanedup,Icangetsomeofthatstuffoffthefloor.It’dlookbetter.”“Great.Justthatonething,Yolanda.That’sit.”Thenheturnedtotheseafoodmanager.“Ted,

what’s theonethingyoucoulddothisweekthatwouldhavethebiggest impactonyourstore-conditionsscore?”

“Ihaveabigpromotionthisweek,”Tedreplied.“I’llbefocusedonthelobsterspecialwearepreparingfor.That’swhatI’mdoing.”

“That’sgreat,Ted,Iknowthat’simportantandyouneedtodothat,buthowisthatgoingtomovethescoreboard?”

“Oh, I seewhat you’re getting at.”Something clicked forTed.The special,while important,wouldn’t by itself contribute to improving store conditions—thewildly important goal. “Yeah,okay. Bobby’s been here three weeks and doesn’t know how to set up the displays in themorning…I’llgethimtrained,andhecanbackmeup.”

“Perfect!”Jimresponded.Ask yourself—whowas coming up with these ideas? Jim or his department heads?Do you

thinkthatmakesmuchofadifference?WasJimmicromanagingnow?No!Thestaffmembersthemselveswerechoosingwhattodoto

movethescore.Hehadbeenmicromanaging,notbecausehewantedtobeanoverbearingbossbutbecausehedidn’tknowwhatelsetodo!

So,Jim’sstaffmeteveryweekaroundthescoreboard,committingtoeachothertodojustonethingtomovethescore.Astheteamstartedworkinginrhythm,inacadenceofaccountabilitytoeachother,theirattitudeschangedandthestorechanged.

Aftertenweeks,theaveragescoreonstoreconditionsrosefromthirteentothirty-eightonthescaleoffifty.Furthermore,theirstrategicbetpaidoff.Asthescoresonstoreconditionswentup,sodidtherevenue.

Store334—theworstof250stores—wentontoout-producetherestofthezoneinyear-over-yearsales!

Afewmonthslater,wewereinvitedtoadebriefmeetingwiththepresidentofJim’sdivisiontohearJimreportontheprogressofthestore.

Hetoldthem,“ThingsaregoingsowellIdidn’tevenhavetogointhismorning.”Thedivisionalpresidentaskedhim,“Whathasthischangemeanttoyoupersonally?”Jimreplied,“IwasgoingtocarrythisstoreonmybackuntilIcouldgetatransfer.Now,you

canleavemethereaslongasyouwant.”JimDixonandhis teamnowknewhow it felt towinatawildly importantgoal.Theydidn’t

needexternalmotivation.

LINK:http//www.4dxbook.com/qr/334vid

Deepdown,everyonewantstowin.Everyonewantstocontributetogoalsthatreallymatter.It’s so disheartening to push and push day in and day out and wonder if you’re making adifference.That’swhy4DXissovital.ThepeopleatStore334learnedthat.Thedisciplinesmakeallthedifferencebetweenjustpushingthatrockupthehillforeverortakingitoverthetop.

THEDELIVERABLEThedeliverableforDiscipline4isaregular,frequentWIGsessionthatmovestheleadmeasures.

But farbeyond this, theultimateoutcomeofDiscipline4 isacadenceofaccountability thatproducesnotonlyreliableresultsagainandagain,butalsoahigh-performanceteam.

Discipline 4 requires real skill and a degree of precision in making and keeping importantcommitments.

Discipline4keepsyourteam in thegameeveryweek,as themembersconnect theirpersonalcontributionstothemostimportantprioritiesoftheorganization.Withthiscomesnotonlytheawarenessthattheyarewinningonakeygoal,butthattheyhavebecomeawinningteam.

Whichistheultimatereturnontheinvestmentyoumakein4DX.

TRYITUsetheWIGSessionAgendaToolonthenextpagetoprepareforasession.

WIGSessionAgendaTool

Distributethisagendaelectronicallyoronpaperat thebeginningof theWIGSession.Afteryouholdthesession,checkitagainstthecriteriaonthefacingpage.

DidYouGetItRight?

CheckoffeachitemtoensurethattheWIGsessionwilldrivehighperformance:

AreyouholdingWIGsessionsasscheduled?

Areyoukeepingthesessionsbrief,brisk,andenergetic(twentytothirtyminutes)?

Istheleaderthemodelforreportingandmakingcommitments?

Doyoureviewanupdatedscoreboard?

Doyouanalyzewhyyou’rewinningorlosingoneachmeasure?

Doyoucelebratesuccesses?

Doyouholdeachotherunconditionallyaccountableforyourcommitments?

Doeseachteammembermakespecificcommitmentsforthecomingweek?

Do you clear the path for each other, finding ways to help team members whoencounterobstaclestokeepingtheircommitments?

DoyoukeepthewhirlwindoutoftheWIGsession?

Automating4DX

Nowthatwe’vereviewedtheprocessforinstalling4DXinyourteam,let’sexplorethepowerfulsupport and insight that automating 4DX can bring. In our experience, your chances ofsuccessfully implementing4DXgowayup if there are tools andautomation to support it.Formoreinformationabouthowtoimplementthe4DXprinciplesandtoolstohelpyougetstarted,gototeam.my4dx.com.

Thewebsitealsohelpsyouanswerthesequestions:Whatpercentageofpeopleonmyteamorwithin my organization are updating their scoreboards, making weekly commitments against leadmeasures,andholdingWIGsessions?Inthischapter,wewillusethecapabilitiesofthissoftwaretoillustrate how technology can support and enhance your team’s ability to produce results—capabilitiesthatyouwillneed,regardlessofthetechnologyyouuse.

LINK:http//www.4dxbook.com/qr/My4DXVid

CAPTURINGTHEGAMEAnyautomatedsystemshouldfullycapturethegameyou’vebuilt in4DX.Inthischapter,we’lldescribethefivemajorcomponentsofyour4DXgameyouneedfromanysystem.

1.Yourteam’sorganizationalstructureandteammembers

2.YourWIGand“fromXtoYbywhen”lagmeasure,aswellasyourweekbyweektargetsforperformance

3.Yourleadmeasuresandtheirdailyorweeklyperformancestandard

4.Yourteam’scommitmentsfromlastweekandstatusonfollowthrough,aswellascommitmentsfornextweek

5.At-a-glancesummarytrackingofWIGs,leadmeasures,WIGsessionsandcommitments

Although most organizations are data rich, these things are rarely tracked; if so, they arespreadacrossmultiplesystemssothatthedatacanonlybeconsolidatedmanually.

InkeepingwithDiscipline3,yourteamwilldevelopaphysicalscoreboarddesignedtocreatebothpublicaccountabilityandteamengagement.My4dx.comprovidesanelectronicscoreboardfortrackingtheteam’sentireperformancefromthemomentyoustartworkingontheWIGuntilyou achieve it. More than this, my4dx.com also tracks individual commitments, which thescoreboarddoesn’ttrack.

Theprogramultimatelyprovidesyouwithanexecutiondashboard, so thatyoucanmonitortheentireWIGeffortindetail.Inmy4dx.com,yourexecutiondashboardlookslikethis:

Let’sreviewthemainfeaturesofyourexecutiondashboard,usingtheexampleofSusan’seventmanagementteamfromthepreviouschapters.

4DXCOMPONENT#1:

Theleaderandeachteammember,withspecificsabouttheirrole,aswellaselementsofpersonalizationsuchasphotos.

First, notice that thedashboard is specific toSusan andher team.Althoughmany teams inyour organizationmay be using the software, each team has its own unique dashboard. On theupperleftyouseeSusan’sname,alongwiththenamesofherteammembers.

4DXCOMPONENT#2:

TheWIG,alagmeasure(XtoYbywhen),andtargetsforweek-to-weekperformance.

Movingtotherightonthedashboard,youseetheWIGforSusan’sTeam:“Increaserevenuefromcorporateeventsfrom$22millionto$31millionbyDecember31.”Theonlywaytotell ifyou’rewinningorlosingonyourTeamWIGistoknowthescore.My4dx.comdisplaysyour lagmeasureintermsofdollars,percentages,ornumberstocreateclearaccountability.

Eachweek,theteamcanrecordnotonlytheiractualperformance,butalsothatperformanceagainsttheirtargetfortheweek.Thisenablestheteamtoinstantlyanswerthequestions:Wherearewenow?Whereshouldwebenow?FromtheexecutiondashboardyoucaninstantlyseethatSusanandherteamarewinningattheirteamWIG,bothfromthenumbersandfromthestatuscolorgreen.

4DXCOMPONENT#3:

Theleadmeasures,andtargetsforweek-to-weekperformance.

Foreachleadandlagmeasureyouseeonlywhatyouneedtoknow.Youknowwhereyouarenow, where you should be, andwhere you ultimately have to get to. Based onwhere you arerelativetowhereyoushouldbetheindicatorisgreen,yellow,orred.Continuingtotheright,youseethetwoleadmeasuresSusan’steamisactingontodriveachievementoftheirteamWIG.

•Completetwoqualitysitevisitsperassociateperweek.

•Upsellourpremiumbarpackageto90percentofallevents.

Theactualresultsontheleadmeasuresareenteredeachweek,sotheteamknowsiftheyarewinningorlosingonthem,and—what’sevenmoreimportant—iftheleadmeasuresarepredictiveofmovingthelagmeasures.

FromtheexecutiondashboardyoucanseethatSusanandherteamareperformingwellontheleadmeasureofsitevisitsbutarebelowtheirtargetforupsells.

Knowingthesethings,Susanandherteamarenowpreparedtomakecommitmentsthatwillmovethescoresonboththeirleadmeasures,andultimately,theirteamWIG.

4DXCOMPONENT#4:

Entercommitmentsandindicatewhetherthosecommitmentswerefulfilled.

Teammembers can look back at the commitments theymade lastweek and account to theteamfortheirfollow-through.Inthisexample,fulfillmentofthecommitmentisindicatedbythecheckboxbesidethecommitment.

Teammembers can also make commitments for the coming week to move the scores evenfurther. In the image on the previous page, you can see the expanded view of one weeklycommitmentforSusan.

Now, all the components of Susan’s game are captured in one location, making the team’soverallperformanceeasilyandquicklyunderstood.

THEWIGSESSIONEach week, Susan’s teammeets for their thirty-minuteWIG session, using the cadence we’vedescribedabove.

Priortothesession,eachmemberofherteamhasthreeimportantresponsibilities:

1.Enterpersonalperformanceontheleadmeasures.

2.Checkoffthecommitmentsfromlastweekthatwerefulfilled.

3.Entercommitmentsfornextweek.

All threeof theseresponsibilitiesshouldbetakencareofbeforethesessionbegins.Thisway,theWIGsessioncanmoveatafastclipwhilestillprovidingsignificantpersonalaccountabilityaseachteammember’sresultsaredisplayedonebyoneduringthemeeting.

Forexample,inthelastchapterwereadthatKimreportedthefollowingresults.

Kim:“Last week I committed to having face-to-facemeetings with two companies that have justopenednewofficesdowntownandIcompletedthat.Goodnews—oneofthemisscheduledforasitevisitnextweek!

“Onthescoreboard,Icompletedtwositevisits,butonlyhadanupsellconversationwithoneofthemforascoreof50percent,whichIwillimprovenextweek.

“Fornextweek,Iwillhaveaconversation,byphoneorinperson,withtwoofmyclientswhoheldtheirannualmeetingwithuslastyear,buthavenotyetcommittedforthisyear.Iwanttoschedulesite visits for them to see our newbanquet roomand, hopefully, convince them to re-sign for thisyear.”

WhileKimisreporting,Susanadvancesmy4dx.comtodisplayKim’sresults.Inthissameway,allmembersofSusan’steamcanseetheirindividualresultsdisplayedasthey

reporton themverbally.At theendof themeeting,Susanonceagainshows theresults for the

entireteamandoffersanyfinalguidanceorrecognition.IfSusan’steamworkedindifferentlocations,orifanymemberwereawayduringthemeeting,

everyonecouldeasilyaccessmy4dx.comthroughtheInternetandviewthesamedisplayasiftheywereintheroomwiththeteam.Thisisparticularlyeffectiveformaintainingaccountabilitywithteamsthataredispersedgeographically;inthesesituations,thesoftwarealsoservesinplaceofaphysicalscoreboard.

AUTOMATING4DXACROSSTHEORGANIZATIONWe’veintentionallylimitedthediscussionoftechnologysupporting4DXtothosecapabilitiesthataremostessentialtoyouandyourteam.Formoreinformation,youcanvisitteam.my4dx.com.

4DXCOMPONENT#5:

AtaglancesummarytrackingonWIGs,LeadMeasures,WIGSessionsandCommitments

However,letusemphasizethattheneedforautomationisevenmorevitalwhenmultipleteamswithinanorganizationarelaunching4DX.Withoutthesecapabilitiesforat-a-glanceassessmentofprocessadoptionandresults,itwillbedifficult,ifnotimpossible,toeffectivelydriveresults.

Tomeet this requirement, youwill need summary reporting that is graphics based and thatinstantlyshowstheexecutiondashboardfortheentireorganization.AnexampleofthistypeofreportingistheTeamStatusReportfrommy4dx.com:

Thisreport,whichshowstheexecutiondashboardasonelineperteam,containsthefollowinginformation:

SessionsHeld:Asapercentage,howmanyteammembersareattendingWIGsessions?

CommitmentsMade:Howmanyteammembersaremakingweeklycommitments?

CommitmentsKept:Howmanycommitmentsareexecuted?

LeadMeasures:Wherearetheleadmeasuresinrelationtowheretheyshouldbe?

WIGs:Wherearethelagmeasuresinrelationtowheretheyshouldbe?

Red,green,andyellowstatussignalsenableyoutoseeinonlyafewsecondsifyou’rewinningorlosingforyourentireorganization.

Fromanorganizationalperspective,theleader’sjobisto“gettheredout,”startingfromtherightwithWIG sessions andmoving to the left toward achieving theWIGs themselves. If thisscoreboard isentirelygreen,all teams inyourorganizationare following the4DXprocess fullyand achieving the results you set out to get. If participation rates are high but executionpercentageratesarelow,itmeanspeoplearemakingagoodefforttoidentifytheactivitiesthatdrivetheirscoreboardsbutarenotfollowingthrough.Leaderscanzeroinonareasofexecutiondeficiencyandprovidesupport.

Webelievethattwoofthegreatestdriversofsuccessin4DXaresimplicityandtransparency,andwiththerighttechnology,youcanhaveboth.Thismeansgettingaclearlineofsightacrosstheorganizationandshowingresultsforeveryteaminrealtime.ItalsomeansseeingthestatusofWIGsfromthetopleveltothefrontlineteams,includingeveryone’sleadandlagmeasures.Mostimportant,youcanseeinstantlywhereyou’rewinningandwhereyou’relosing.

Section3

Installing4DXinYourOrganization

Insection1ofthisbook,youlearnedaboutthe4DisciplinesofExecutionasanoperatingsystem

forachievingthegoalsyoumustachieve.Section2wasaboutinstalling4DXinaworkteam.Wenowwanttoexpandourscopetoinstalling4DXinanorganizationmadeupofmorethan

one team, whether you’re a small business or a multinational corporation or something inbetween.

Insection3,you’llfindoutwhatsomeoutstandingleadershaveaccomplishedwith4DX.Theywill tell you how 4DX has actually transformed not only individual work teams but entirecorporations and major agencies of government into high-performance organizations. Theirexperienceshows that4DXisnot justanotherprogram,buta transformativeoperatingsystemforanyorganization.

Here you’ll also learn the specific steps for focusing people onWIGs and rolling out 4DXacrosstheentireorganization.TheFAQchapterprovidesanswerstothequestionspeoplemostfrequentlyaskus.

Like section 2, this section is designed to be a field guide for leaders. Turn to section 3wheneveryouneeddirectionandinsightintothegreatchallengeofmovingawholeorganizationtoexecutewithexcellence.

BestPracticesfromtheBest

Throughoutthisbook,we’vepresentedconceptsandmethodsforimplementingthe4Disciplines,whichrepresentthebestofallwe’velearnedwhenworkingwiththousandsofleaders.However,withouttheopportunitytohearfromsomeoftheseleadersandtoreadtheirownstoriesintheirownwords,thisbookwouldnotbecomplete.

Inthischapterwehavechosenfourleaders,notonlybecausetheyareeachexceptionalintheirskills and experiences, but also because they have utilized the 4 Disciplines to achieveextraordinary results, often on a very large scale. These stories show a real-world view of thechallengesandtherewardsthatcanbeachievedwhenyourteamappliesthesepowerfulprinciples,providingaperspectivethatcanbeconveyedfullyonlybythosewhohaveimplementedthem.

ALECCOVINGTONANDNASHFINCHAlec Covington is President and Chief Executive Officer of Nash Finch, the second-largestpublicly tradedwholesale fooddistributor in theUnitedStates in termsof revenue, serving theretail grocery industry and the military commissary and exchange systems. Annual sales areapproximately$5.0billion.

The teamatNashFinch implemented the4DisciplinesofExecutionand inonly sixmonthsproducedremarkableresults.ThefollowingareAlec’sinsightsinto4DX,aswellashisdescriptionofthatexperience.

We’venowcomethroughmorethansixmonthsofimplementingthe4DisciplinesandasI look at the results, I can only say it’s absolutely fantastic. In fact, it’s almostunbelievablehowwellourteamhasperformedagainsttheirWIGs;theprocesshasbeenfollowed, themeetings have been conducted as they should have, the regular updateshave been there, and finally, the scoreboards are exciting, easy to read, and easy tounderstand.Today,wehaveagreatstorytotellabouthowourleadersareusingthe4Disciplinestomakeadifferenceandleavetheirfingerprintsonourcompany.

Overmyyears inthisbusiness,I’vesaidmanytimesthat, in theabsenceofacrisis,transformativechangeisalmostimpossible.Whenyouwalkintoabusinessthat’safewdays away from bankruptcy, you automatically have everyone’s attention. Customersareworried,employeesareworriedaboutwhetherthey’regoingtohaveajob,vendorsareworriedabouthowaretheygoingtogetpaid,oreveniftheyaregoingtogetpaid.Becauseofthisuncertainty,customersarewillingtochangeandemployeesarewillingtodo thingsdifferently.And theyarewilling todo it today,not tomorrow.So, thecrisisgivesyoufullalignmentonthesenseofurgencyandyouimmediatelynarrowyourfocus.Evenifyouhaveahundredproblems,youknowthatyoucan’tpossiblysolvetheminthetimethatittakestosolveacrisis.That’swhyacrisisisactuallyacatalystforchange.

But,whenthecrisisisover,thenextchallengeischartingthelong-termpath.Ialwaysdreadthatperiod,becauseit’stheonethatcreatesallthefrustration,allthestress,andall the disappointments. During that period, the whirlwind always outweighs the

strategicplan.It’snotaphenomenonthat’suniquetoNashFinch;it’sbeentrueineverycompanyI’vebeenwith.

Despitethesechallenges,we’vebeenabletomoveourstrategicagendaforward,butit’s required a different approach in the absence of a crisis. And as we began toimplementthe4Disciplines,itallowedustohaveanorganizedapproachthatreplacedthesenseofurgencycreatedbyacrisis.The4Disciplinesallowedustodowhatwedidwhenwewerehavingacrisis: focusononlythemost importantthingsanddrivethemforward.Andit’sworkedbeautifully.

Now,aswecontinue toengage in thisprocessand learnmoreabout it, it’sbecomepartofourDNA,partofourculture.Today,Icanwalkintoameetingunrelatedtothe4Disciplines and Iwill still hear someone in themeeting say, “What’s theX toYbywhen?”It’sabeautifulprogramthathasbeendeployedwellbyNashFinch—onethatwillchartthepathofchangewithinourcompanyformanyyearstocome.

Todayweunderstandourprogress,aswellastherestofthewayforward.WeknowwhatweneedtodotoachieveourWIGsandlandthisplanesafely.We’realsoasking,“Whatwill thenewWIGsbefornextyear?”The4Disciplineshave literallybecomeapartofhowwerunourbusiness.

We’realsocelebratingthesuccessthatwe’vehadhere.Weknowthatwecan’tleavecelebrationandfunbehind.Ifwedo,we’llbemissingoneofourbuildingblocks.The4Disciplinesworkperfectlywhenwecombinethemwithcelebrationandfun,bothforthesuccesseswehaveandforthoseindividualsandteamsthatareexcellinginthatprocess.

When I travel to facilities and don’t see banners celebrating things that have beenaccomplished,Ialwaysask,“Why?”Theanswerisalwaysbecausewe’retoobusywithourwhirlwind.Butnow,wehaveanewagenda,the4Disciplines,alongwithourWIGsandWIGsessions.Inthehasteofgettingallthosethingsdone,wenowmakesurethatwedon’tfallshortoncelebrationandfun.Andyouseeitinthebanners.

IalsowanttoaddthatI’maleaderwhoknowsthathecan’tmanageeverything,soIlookforoneortwokeyindicatorsthatcantellmewhat’sreallygoingoninthebusiness.Myleadindicatorforthe4DisciplinesistheattendanceatandconsistencyoftheWIGsessions.That’stheonlyquestionIeveraskbecauseIbelievethatifpeopleareengaged,andthey’reconsistentaboutthemeetingsandthereports,eventuallypeerpressurewilltake over and the rest of the process will take care of itself. It all revolves aroundparticipationandengagement.

The second indicator Iwatch for is howprepared people are in theWIG sessions.AnddoyouknowhowIgaugethat?Byhowlongtheylast.WIGsessionsaredesignedtobeshort,concisemeetings thatmove the teams forward. If they’re taking too long,something’snotworking.

Yousee,mostcompanieshavemeetingsso the leaderscanreportonhowwell theydid against a goal or an objective that the senior leaders gave them. It’s as if thepowerful people on high write the tablets in stone, pass them down throughout thecompany, and then ask you to come in once or twice a year on how well you did.Inspiring,isn’tit?

The questionwe need to be asking iswhat really have been the results of runningthingsthisway.Notmuch.Whatthe4Disciplinesallowyoutodoistomakeamajorparadigmshift,one inwhich the senior leaders simply say to theorganization thatwe

wanttogrowandwewanttomoveforwardbythismuchthroughourWIGswithXtoYbywhen.Thenthe leadersandteamsthatmakeupthecompanydecidewhattheteamWIGsandleadmeasuresaretoachievethem.Theydecidethekeyelementsofhowwetrackprogress.The realdifferencehere is that the leadersare then reportingon theirowngoals,insteadoftheonesgiventothemfromabove.

Today,withthe4Disciplines,ourpeopletalkaboutthethingstheydecidedtodo,thetimeframeinwhichtheydecidedtogetthemdone,andtheprogresstheymadetowardtheir own goals. CorporateAmerica is all about asking people to perform to achievesomebodyelse’sgoals;butifitcomesdowntomakingormissingyourgoal,that’swhenthecreativejuicesstartflowing.Achievingacorporatebudgetwillneverbeasimportantasachievinggoalsthatyousetforyourselfandkeepingcommitmentsthatyoumadeforyourself.It’samazinghowdifferentthebehavioris.Thisispowerfulstuff.

Inourcompany,Idon’tthinkwehaveanybadpeople;they’realljustwonderful.Butsometimesthey’rewonderfulpeoplethathavebeenwiththecompanytwenty,thirty,ormoreyears,andtheyjustcan’tgetoverthefactthatwehavetomakechanges.Onewayofworkinghastogo,andnewmethodsandprocesseshavetocomein.Forsomepeople,we just can’t figureoutaway to sellor convinceorotherwisemake themunderstandthatthingshavetochange.Withthe4Disciplines,youhaveaprocessthatmakesclearwhatneedstochangeandithelpsholdeveryoneaccountableforacceptingandadaptingtothosechanges.Italsoletsyoutakethelearningsfromonewayofworkingandapplythemtootherpartsofthebusiness.

I remember running my first warehouse when I was in my twenties. I didn’tunderstand much about how a warehouse operated because I grew up as a storemanager and didn’t learn about warehousing until I got involved in the distributionbusiness. I rememberwalking through thewarehouseonedaywhensomethingcaughtmyeye.Twoemployeeswereonbreakandwereplayingcheckers,andthatbotheredme.Isatdownwiththetwoguysandsaid,“I’mdelightedthatyou’replayingcheckers,butwhyareyouplayingcheckersnow?”Theysaid,“We’reonourbreakandthisiswhatwelookforwardtoeveryday.”Doyouknowwhatbotheredmeaboutthat?Itwasthatthework was so boring the only thing these guys could look forward to was playingcheckers.

Yearslater,IwaswalkingthroughadifferentfacilityandIsawabiguprightpiano.When I asked what an upright piano was doing in the middle of the manufacturingplant,IwastoldtowaitafewminutesandIwouldsee.Soonafter,abellrangandalltheemployees gathered around the upright piano to sing songs from their Russianhomeland. I thought, wouldn’t it be something if you could channel that energy andconnectittothebusiness?Insteadofsingingforfifteenminutes,whatiftheenthusiasmwasaboutthebusiness?

Today, as I walk through some of our facilities since we’ve implemented the 4Disciplines, I see the equivalentof checkers and theuprightpiano forour employees.Theyarehaving fun.Theyareengaged. It’s theircheckers; insteadofcoming toworkevery day and just pulling cases, they come to work with meaning.More important,they’reworkingonthingstheycanunderstand.It’snotEBITDA,andit’snotrevenue,and it’s not earnings per share. It’s how many cases can we select in an hour? It’sfocusingonthingsthatconnectwiththeirworldthatallowsthem,inadditiontodoing

theirwork, to have some element of fun and feeling of accomplishment. This iswhatmakes the 4Disciplines powerful all theway through the company.Whenwe can dothosekindsofthings,it’sverypowerful.

AnotherthingthatIwouldencourageyoutothinkabout,asyou’reengagedwiththe4Disciplines,istolookforfutureleadersasyouattendWIGsessions.You’llseepeoplethataregrowingupinyourorganization,thatarebecomingleaders.Maybetodaytheydriveforklifts,maybetheyreceivetrucks,ormaybethey’reinventorycontrolpeople,butthroughthisprocessyou’regoingtoseethemfirsthand.

Now,Ican’tsaythatwithoutalsolookingattheotherendofthespectrum,becausetheWIGsessiondoesn’tjustidentifythepeoplethataredoingexceptionallywell;italsoidentifiesthepeoplewhoarenotshowingupforthemeetingsandwhoarenotmakingtheir commitments. These are people that are holding you back, the ones who arekeepingyoufromreachingyourgoals.

Ultimately, the 4 Disciplines of Execution will enable you to identify, promote,protect, and retain thepeoplewhoareaccomplishing their goals.And itwill help youidentifythosewhoarenot.

Thegreatestresultswe’veseenarecomingfromteamsthathavethemostvividandthemostrecognizablescoreboardsthatcanbeeasilyunderstoodbythebroadestgroupofpeople.Whenwewalkintosomeofthesewarehousesit’samazingtoseehowcreativepeopleare.Outofahundredemployees,somebodywillbeanartist.We’veproventhatover and over again. If you have a problem, take a look at your scoreboard and askyourselfthesequestions:Isitvisible?Doesitreallyconnectwiththepeoplethatneedtoseethescore?Isitsimpleandeasytounderstand?Didthepeoplewhoaregoingtouseithelpcreateit,orwasitcreatedforthem?

Ascoreboardisaverypowerfulthing.Someoftheonesyou’lllookatmightseemlikethegoofiestthingsintheworld,buttheymayalsobethemostpowerful,becausetheymeansomething to thepeople thatneed tosee themeveryday. Itdoesn’tmatter thatyoudon’tlikeit.Itreallydoesn’t.

ThelastadvicethatIwouldofferisthatwhenyoucelebrateyouraccomplishments,don’tthanktheseniorleaders.Please.Theseniorleadersdidn’tdoanything.I’veneverseenasingleWIGthatwasaccomplishedbyaseniorleader.Letmetellyouthewayitreallyworks.Thesenior leadersfoundthetool.Theyowneduptothefactthatthingsweren’tworking and found a process thatwould help. But it’s the leaders and teamsdowninyourorganizationthatembracedit,learnedit,usedit,anddeliveredremarkableresults.Thesenior leadersdon’tneedtobe thanked.Thesenior leadersneedto thanktheleadersandteamsdownonthefrontline.

Attheendoftheday,seniorleadersarelikegolfcaddies.Iftheleadersonthefrontlinetellyoutheyneedanineiron,yourjobistogivethemadamngoodnineiron.Iftheyneedanewdriver,yourjobistogetthemonethatwillhittheballfarthest.Andthat’sexactlywhathappenswiththe4Disciplines.

Thisprogramhasprovidedameansbywhichwecanpitchtheballand,becauseofthedisciplinesandtheorganizationaroundit,wecanactuallyknowthattheballisgoingtobe caught by someonewho’s accountable on the other side. It’s beautiful. It’s alsoprovided a means for leaders and teams to get the ball and run with it—to be heldaccountableforit,butalsotoberecognizedwhentheydoagreatjob.It’sverypowerful.

DAVEGRISSENANDMARRIOTTINTERNATIONAL,INC.DaveGrissen,PresidentoftheAmericasforMarriottInternational,beganbyimplementingthe4Disciplinesineightpilothotels.TheseeighthotelsproducedresultssosignificantthatDaveandhis teamwent on to conduct two progressively larger pilots and ultimately implemented the 4DisciplinesinmorethansevenhundredMarriotthotelsoverthenexttwoyears,whichisoneofthelargestandmostsignificantimplementationsofthe4Disciplinesworldwide.

LINK:http//www.4dxbook.com/qr/Marriott

Thefollowingarehisinsights,aswellashisdescriptionofthatexperience.

Let me start by explaining that Marriott, a leading hospitality company, has nearlythirty-seven hundred properties across the globe and approximately one hundredtwenty-nine thousand employees in company-operated hotels. The Marriott familyestablishedthecorevaluesandcultureoftheorganizationeighty-fiveyearsago,whichareinstilledintheemployeestoday.J.WillardMarriottbelievedthatifyoutakecareofyouremployees,theywill takecareofyourguests,andtheguestswillcomeback.Thespiritofservicereflectedinthisphilosophyisthecornerstoneofthecompany’sstrongculture,highemployeesatisfaction,andcontinuedgrowth.Wecontinuetolookforwaystoinnovateandimproveouroperations,whileenhancingourculture.

Therefore,assoonasIheardaboutthe4DisciplinesofExecution,Ithoughtitwasperfect forourbusiness. Itwas almost as if someonehadwatchedouroperation anddesignedaprocessthatwascustomizedforexactlywhatweneeded.Thebestevidenceofthisisthatit’soneofthoseprocessesthatpeopleruntowardinsteadofawayfrom.Infact,wehaveyettoaskasinglehoteltoparticipate;theyallcometousandasktobepartofit.

Webeganourimplementationofthe4Disciplineswitheightpilothotels.Bytheendof the pilot, every one of them had achieved remarkable results. Perhaps the bestexamplecomesfromourlargestcompany-operatedhotel,theMarriottMarquisinNewYorkCity. In the first year of implementing the 4Disciplines, the team achieved thehighestguestsatisfactionscoresinthisgreathotel’sthirty-yearhistory.Alongwiththisachievement,theyalsorecordedtheirhighesteverresultsinbothrevenueandprofit.Asmostleadersknow,achievingrecordresultsinsales,profit,andthesatisfactionofyourcustomersinthesameyearisquiteanachievement.

Basedon this success,we thenmade thedecision to implement the 4Disciplines inoversevenhundredhotelsinNorthandSouthAmericainpursuitofawildly importantgoal to become the preeminent lodging company on both continents. We began byestablishingateamofexperiencedleaderswithinMarriottwhowouldformthecoreofour infrastructure andwhowould provide guidance and accountability in partnershipwithFranklinCovey.Establishingthisinternalteamwasanimportantinvestmentforus,and once that was in place, we were then ready to systematically implement the 4Disciplines ineachof thehotels inourmajormarkets.Asyoucan imagine, thiswasalarge-scale effort,one that requireda significant investment fromour leadersat every

level.But incityafter city, the leaderswerenotonlycommitted, theywerepassionateaboutthepowerofthesedisciplinesandtheirabilitytousethemtoachievetheirwildlyimportantgoals.

Overatwo-yearperiod,wecertifiedalmostfourthousandleadersandcompletedtheimplementation of the 4 Disciplines in over seven hundred hotels, as well as in ournational sales teams and many of our centralized corporate teams, such as humanresourcesandinformationtechnology.Duringthistime,abouttenthousandemployeesbegan using the process and recorded one million commitments toward our wildlyimportant goals. This illustrates the high level of engagement and dedication to theprocess,aswellasthescopeoftheimplementation.

Whileourplansforfurtherimplementationcontinue,wecannowseeclearlythatthe4DisciplinesofExecutionhavegivenusanoperatingsystemforfocusinglargenumbersofpeopleonveryprecisegoalsandsustaining that focusuntil theyareachieved.Thisexecution platform allows hotels to create their own targeted goals aligned to thecompany’s vision.With this clear vision, employees understand how their day-to-dayactivities relate to the company’soverall business results.And, they feel that they areworking toward a common goal. As a result, we have a level of adaptability, focus,engagement,andreportingthatisuniqueinourindustry.

AsIlookbackandthinkabouttheadviceImightoffertootherleadersreadingthisbook,IwanttoofferafewkeylessonsthatIbelieveareimportant.

First,designyourimplementationtofityourculture.Whilethe4Disciplineswillworkinanyculture,themethodofimplementationwillvarybasedontheuniqueattributesofyourorganizationandyourpeople,andwhatresonatesbestwiththem.Inourculture,ifIhadsimplymandatedtheimplementationofthe4Disciplinesateveryhotel, itwouldnothaveworked.Whilethismighthavebeenthemostefficientmethod,inourculturewhatwas reallyneededwasbuy-in.Tohelpus gain this,wehad the leaders from theeight original pilot hotels,many of whom have decades of experiencewith us, gatherwith leaders from the other hotels at a regionalmeeting.When the generalmanagersfrom each of the pilot hotels stood up and acknowledged that the 4 Disciplines hadbroughttheirteamabetterwayoffocusingandachievingresults,itwaspriceless.And,when they said, “We’ll never go back to the way we executed before,” it becamecontagious.

Asa leader,you’realways tempted to implement the ideas thatyoubelieve inmostpassionately.However,whatyoumustrealizeisthatifyouofferthe4Disciplinesasjustanothergoodidea,youwon’tgeneratethelevelofcommitmentneededtobesuccessful.We’ve all implemented ideas where it seemed that we had buy-in initially, but laterrealized that the organization simply allowed them to die a quiet death. This doesn’thappen because people are against the idea, it happens because they’re busy in theirwhirlwind.Generatingbuy-intakeslonger,buttheresultisthatitreallyworks.Youcanmandate speed tomarket of anynewprogram, but the real test is, are they doing it?Withthe4Disciplines,takingadditionaltimetoimplement itwellwillresult inamoresuccessfulrolloutandgreaterresults.

Second,realizethatit’shardertoimplementthe4Disciplinesinanorganizationthat’salreadyverysuccessful.Whenyou’refailing,it’seasytohelpyourteamseetheirburningplatform and, as a result, their need to change. But, when you have an organization

that’sbeenreallysuccessfulformanyyears,it’sharderforthemtoseewhytheyshouldtry something new. They are also more likely to challenge the validity of new ideas.Leaderswho are struggling are ready to accept anything thatwill help them.Leaderswhoaresucceedingneed the timeandopportunity toassessan ideaontheirownandtestitsworth.Thepilotresultscoupledwithourservicecultureandbeliefthatsuccessisneverfinalhelpedcultivatethisleadershipbuy-in.Understandingyourculture,leaders,andhowtoimplementnewideasisanotheraspectofwhyacarefulrolloutisessential.

Third,theseniorleadermustfocusonholdingallleadersaccountable.Inotherwords,once they’re in, they have to be all in. To do this well, you need the tools, such asreporting systems and regular accountability that the 4 Disciplines and the software(my4dx.com) provide. When the leaders who report to you understand that this isimportantenoughforyoutowatcheveryweek,theywillseethat it’srealandthat it’snotgoingaway.Thesystemrollsuptome,andeachweekI’mreviewingperformance.Theclearestwayyoudemonstrate that this ishowwenowexecute isbyholdingthemaccountable for the results.As soonasyou letone leaderoff thehook, everyone elsegetsthemessageandtheirfocusstartstodecline.Thetransparencyofthesystemhelpswith this since all senior leaders, includingme, can view the details at the hotel level.Even leaders who are passionate and committed need the extra pressure ofaccountabilitytohelpthemstayfocusedwhentheirwhirlwindisraging.

Fourth,makesureyouhavetheinfrastructuretosupportyourimplementation.Ifyourimplementationissmall,havingoneortwo4Disciplinescoachesmaybeenough.Forthesize and speed of the rollout we were planning, I knew that without a sufficientinfrastructure we couldn’t be successful. Making this level of investment up front isnevereasy.Itrequirespeopleofrealtalent.Wechoseveryexperiencedpeople,leaderswhohadoperational experience inourhotelsandwhohad the credibility to influenceothersandgetthejobdone.Lookingback,thiswasoneofthemostimportantdecisionswemade.

Inadditiontotalentedleadersimplementingthe4Disciplines,wealsoknewthatweneeded the right tools, systems, and training to support the effort. We branded theprogram to showour company’s commitment to this process andmake it part of theculture.Wealsodesignedandbuiltreportingtoolstotrackparticipationandresultsandused virtual training. Since we were launching across fifteen countries in multiplelanguages,weneededdifferenttrainingmethodologiestoimplementtheprograminthedesiredtimeframeandensurespeedtomarket.

Fifth, remember that implementing the4Disciplineswill raise theengagementofyourteam.Since Ibeganbyemphasizing the importanceofunderstandingyourculture, I’llcomefullcirclebyemphasizingthatthe4Disciplinescantakeevenaverystrongculture,suchas theone thatweenjoy, toanevenhigher level.Becauseeach individualon theteamseestheimpactoftheirperformanceontheteam’sscoreboardeveryweek,theyarenotonlyaccountable,butarealsoengaged.Theycanclearlyseethatwhattheydoeachdayreallymatters.Whilethishasalwaysbeentrueinourcompany,implementingthe4Disciplineshashelpedustostrengthenthislevelofengagement.AsIhavestated,eachemployee has a clear vision of the goals, which are tied directly to our core values.Everyonefromourfront-linestafftoourmanagementteamstoourCOOsunderstandhowwhattheyaredoing impactsthecompany.Andthisgivesouremployeesastrong

voice;everyonecanmakeadifference.Weareinnovatingatthegroundlevel.While 4Disciplines focuses on execution todrive business results, it has the added

benefitofgivingemployeesskills tousebeyondworkandthroughouttherestof theircareer.We’veheardcountlessstoriesfromemployeesofhowthey’veusedtheconceptstomakeimprovementsintheirpersonallives.Providingthiseducationandtrainingandinvestinginourleadersisyetanotherwayouremployeesarefurtherengaged.

Today,aswecontinuetorolloutthe4Disciplines,itremainsauniqueinvestmentinourcompanyandinourpeople,onethatischangingthewayinwhichweoperatedaytoday.Whether we focus our wildly important goals on market share, profit, or guestsatisfaction,weknowthatthe4Disciplineswillenableustoachievethem.

Forgreatbusiness skillsor great life skills, the 4Disciplines is anall-encompassingprocess about how you hold yourself accountable, how you hold others accountable,andultimately,howyouexecutebetter.

LEANNTALBOTANDCOMCASTLeAnn Talbot is the senior vice president of Comcast’s Freedom Region, which includesComcast’sheadquartersinPhiladelphiaandthesurroundingareas.Priortothat,shewasseniorvicepresidentof theGreaterChicagoRegion(GCR),whereshewasresponsible formarketing,sales,andoperationsincentralandnorthernIllinois,northwestIndiana,andsouthwestMichigan.TheGCRwasoneofComcast’slargestoperatingregions,butalsooneofthemostchallengedintermsofperformance.

InLeAnn’swords,“Whilethepotentialwasthere,theregionhadnotbeenabletochangethetrajectory of its performance.” Two years later, LeAnn and her team hadmoved theGreaterChicagoRegion from last place out ofmore than a dozen regions to second in the company’sinternalrankingsandrising.

ThefollowingareLeAnn’sinsights,aswellasherdescriptionofherexperienceinimplementing4DXthroughouttheregion.

“DoinChicagowhatyoudidinyourpreviousRegion—takeittofirstplace.”Thatwasthe mission I was given by the president of Comcast Cable as I interviewed for theleadershippositionoftheGreaterChicagoRegion—aregionknownfortwoimportantcharacteristics:itwasoneofthelargestinsize,representing10percentofthecompany,anditwasnotperformingwell.

Over the past nine years, the region had remained last in virtually every metricComcastusedtomeasureperformance,despiteasuccessionofleaders.Toputitsimply,this wasn’t a happy place and talented people didn’t want to risk the move to theChicagoregionbecausetheythoughtitcouldnegativelyimpacttheircareers.

The stagewas set. Itwas clear thatwe needed to improve our results quickly andshow that this important regionwas on track.And because of the importance of theregion,wewere also getting a significant level of attention—whatwe refer to as “thelove”—that added additional pressure. Simply put, we needed a disciplined plan toexecutewithexcellenceandweneededitnow.

We began by ensuring that the right leadership teamwas in place; one thatwould

create a cultureof diverse thought, respect, andaccountability.This ultimatelymeantthat70percentofthepeopleinleadershiproleshadtochangeasweworkedtocreateavisiblyengagedteamofleaders.

Next,ourteamneededtobelievetheycouldwin,sowelookedforeveryopportunitytocelebrateasuccess,nomatterhowsmall.Atfirst,theywerehardtofind.Butoverthenextseveralmonths,successbredmoresuccessandourteamslowlybegantobelieveinthemselves.Wealsohadkeychampionsinthecompanythatwereengagedwithusandthey helped to echo our success throughout Comcast, reinforcing the team’s newmindset.

Withthesefoundationalelements inplace,wethenknewweneededtofindtheonefocus that would be our primary catalyst for dramatic improvement—a difficultassignmentwhenthereweresomanyareasofouroperationneedingattention.

We’ve all heard that “when the student is ready, the teacher appears.”And this isexactlywhat happened for us.One of the leaders on our team happened to attend aluncheononthe4DisciplinesofExecution.Hereturnedfromthatluncheonandwalkedstraightintomyofficesaying“Weneedthis.”WhenIlistenedtothe4DisciplinesaudioCDthatnightonmywayhome,Ihadtoagree.Infact,Icouldn’twaittogetstarted.Myteamwastrappedinitswhirlwind,andIwasconvincedthatthe4Disciplineswerethewayout.

Therewasonlyoneproblem:asaregion,wewerenotyetachievingourgoals.Asanewleader,Ifacedthedifficultdecisionofjustifyingmoneyspentonanew“program”while we were simultaneously eliminating all but the most critical expenses. Morepersonally,IalsoworriedwhethermakingthisinvestmentmightmistakenlysignalthatIdidn’tbelievemyteamwascapableofturningtheregionaroundonourown.

In theend, I took the risk. I trulybelieved that the4Disciplineswouldgiveus thestructureandthe focusweneeded.Throughout the implementation,Ineversawthe4Disciplines as a training program or even a management program. Instead, the 4Disciplineswere an “operating system” thatwould enable us to sustainournecessarywhirlwindwhilealsomovingtheneedleonourmostimportantobjectives.Inessence,the4Disciplineswouldgiveusaway to systematicallywork theplanwehadcreatedandensurewedeliveredresults,despitetheurgentdemandsofourday-to-dayoperations.

Webeganquietlywithapilot inthecityofChicago.Asthethird largestcity inthecountry,Chicagoisauniqueenvironment.Runningacablesystemthereisasignificantchallenge—onethathadresultedinsomeofourlowestperformancemetrics.Despiteallourefforts,wejustcouldn’tseemtogettraction.Itwastheidealenvironmentinwhichtoprovethe4Disciplines,becauseiftheyworkedinChicago,weknewtheywouldworkthroughouttheregion.

Whathappenednext—toourresults,andmoreimportantly,intheengagementoftheteam—drovethedecisiontoimplementthe4Disciplinesthroughouttheentireregion.Akey metric in our business, we were able to cut our “Repeat” rate almost in half.(Repeats are when we have to revisit a customer’s home to address an issue we’veattempted to address at least once prior.) In addition, we doubled the number ofcustomers“saved”—meaningwhencustomerswantedtocancel theirservices,wewereabletoconvincethemto—stay—alongwithahostofotheroperatingmetricsthatwereall moving in the right direction. Our small investment in the 4Disciplines helped us

reducecostsbymorethan$2millioninonlyfivemonths.Beyond these operating results, the effect on the team was dramatic. I saw tech

supervisors—and these are big guys—walking through the halls wearing pinkwigs totheir “Wildly ImportantGoal” (WIG) sessions. I saw them in theirmeetings holdingteddybears,laughingandworkingtogether.Front-linetechnicianswerehuddledaroundthescoreboardseveryweekwaitingfortheirresultstobeposted.Andthroughitall,theneedlecontinuedtomovesubstantiallyonourWIG.

Becauseweacknowledgedthewhirlwindwithourteams,wegainedneededcredibility.We were honest in saying that our day jobs would always be there—the whirlwinddoesn’tgoaway.Butwealsopromised,andproved,thatthe4Disciplineswouldallowustomakeprogressinkeyareasthatwouldultimatelyhelptodiminishthewhirlwind.

Wealsolearnedhowcriticalitwastohavea4Disciplinescoachwiththeteams.Tobuild that resource into the organization is instrumental to the success of the 4Disciplinesandalsohelpedustogrowourowninternalexperts.OurcoacheswereHRpartners already teamedwith the groups,who expanded their responsibilities to fulfillthe role of coach,making sureWIG sessionswere held eachweek, that teams foundtheircadence,scoreboardswerecreatedandupdated,resultswerecelebrated,andteammemberswereaccountabletofulfilltheircommitments.

We also saw an additional benefit emerge as the teams that had already launchedstartedto“payitforward”byhelpingnewerteams.ThosejustlaunchingwereinvitedtoattendWIGsessionsandthesummitmeetingsofmoreseasonedteams.Thosewhowereveteransoftheprocessactedasconsultantsforotherteams.Intheend,wechosethe4Disciplines tohelpus achieve financial and customer service goals, and the resultsweproducedwereextraordinary.Buttheculturalimpactofthe4Disciplinesonourteamswasicingonthecake.

Leading the Greater Chicago Region to success didn’t happen solely because welaunchedthe4Disciplines.Weputasolidleadershipteaminplace,quicklyassessedourgaps, and developed an action plan thatwould drive results. But it all came togetherwhenwefoundtheoperatingsystem—the4DisciplinesofExecution—thatenabledustonavigatethejourneytowinning.

Today,we’renearthetopoftherankingsandarecontinuingtoimprovewithrespectto our financial and customer-service performance. And we have started to receiverecognition as an employer of choice, including being recognized as a “Top 100Workplacefor2011”bytheChicagoTribune.Ireallywouldn’thavethoughtallofthisprogresscouldhavehappenedsoquicklywhenwefirstbeganourjourney.

Ithinkofthe4Disciplinesliketheframeofahouse—butIalwaysrememberitisahousethatcouldnothavebeenbuiltwithouttalentedpeople,andthedrive,hardfacts,supportfromabove,strongleaders,andachampiontosteertheentireoperation.

B.J.WALKERANDTHEGEORGIADEPARTMENTOFHUMANSERVICESB. J.Walkerhas served in theadministrationsof twogovernors (Illinois andGeorgia) and themayorofthecityofChicago.In2004,shewasappointedbyGovernorSonnyPerduetorunthe

GeorgiaDepartment ofHumanResources, amassive human-services agency with a combinedbudget of over $3.2 billion and almost twenty thousand in staff. The agency had oversight ofvirtuallyallofthestate’shumanservices.

In2007,shebeganusingthe4DisciplinesofExecutiontohelpmoveforwardreformsacrosstheagency,particularly inareaswhereerrors in frontlinepracticemight result in serious injuryand/ordeath for their clients.Underherwatch,anumberofkey indicators in childwelfare, inchildsupport,inwelfare-to-work,andinfoodstampeligibilitycontinuedtomakesignificantandsustainedprogress.

LINK:http//www.4dxbook.com/qr/BJWalker

Thefollowingareherinsights,aswellasherdescriptionofthatexperience.

In2007,whenGovernorSonnyPerdueaskedmetouseFranklinCovey’s4DisciplinesofExecution, Iwasmaking slowbut steadyprogress in improving a troubled and crisis-ridden agency. However, we were clearly struggling to achieve consistency in ourperformance,tofullyconvinceourmassivebureaucracythatweweretargetingtherightpriorities, to usemetrics as a day-to-day tool in our practice on the frontline, and toweatherthestormofwhatseemedlikeconstantmediaandpoliticalscrutiny.ThereweremanydayswhereIfeltchallengedandburdenedbytheneedtomakesomanychangeswithsolittletime,andsofewpeopleandresources.

Implementingthe4DisciplinesofExecutionwasagamechanger.First, it convincedme that results are greatestwhen the game is played as a team,

ratherthanfocusingonthetalentsofafewindividualsuperstars.Second, it convinced me to stop waiting for reports filled with lag measures to

determinewhetherIwaswinningorlosing—datathatalwaysarrivedfartoolatetodoanythingabout it. Iplayed softball formanyyears, andoneof the things I learned isthatit’slesspainfultoloseanentiregamethanitistoendurefailureinningbyinning.When you operate using only lagmeasures, it’s like posting the score only after eachinning isover;youcan see thatyou’re losing,butby then it’s too late tochangeyourgameandthelossesjustkeepcoming.

Particularlyinahuman-servicesorganization,it’seasiertojustrationalizebysayingthingslike,“Iamdoinggoodwork.Iamhelpingpeople.Iamextremelybusy.”Butwhenyoudothis,you’rereallyjustplayingthegameyouknowandwaitingforthefinalscore.Ifyou lose, it’sonlyasinglemomentofpain, insteadof theday-to-day,week-to-weekpressureofyourleadmeasures.

The good news is thatwhen you apply focus to your leadmeasures, you see themmove. And when your lead measures move you start winning on your lag measures!Tragically,mostpublic-sectororganizationshaveneverhad the experienceof seeingawinningscoreeveryweek,andasaresult,seldomthinkofthemselvesaswinningteams.Imadeitmyresponsibilitytokeepmyeyeonthescoreeveryweek,makingitpublic.Intheend,wesustainedthisfocusandcreatedateamthatbecameusedtowinninginsteadoflosing.

Third,andperhapsmostimportant,itconvincedmethatIhadtobewillingtolearn

newbehaviors.Specifically,Ihadtolearntoleadfromapositiononthefield,aswellasfromthatofaseniorexecutive,tostepoffthepedestalofmissionandintothearenaofpractice and to move nimbly and intentionally between the leader’s view at thirtythousandfeetandtheteam’sviewontheground.Implementingthe4Disciplinesmakesyoulearntoleaddifferentlybecauseyouwanttowin.

The4DisciplinesofExecutionwill change thewayyour teammoves theneedleontheirhighestprioritygoals.However,itisuptoyoutodeterminewhatyouneedtodotoembedthemintoyourorganization.

Weallknowhowharditcanbetogetpeopletobuyintoourmissionandourgoals,mostly because they are ours and not theirs. However, when you implement the 4Disciplines of Execution, you learn to do something different: to use involvement togeneratecommitment.Thisbeginswithcultivatingaveryspecific,andforsome,averydifferent, relationship with your front-line teams, those people who move thetransactions that produce results. Whether it’s your sales team, customer-servicerepresentatives,productionoperators,orcasemanagers,yourfirstjobinimplementingthe4DisciplinesistostimulateanorganizationalhungerforsuccessontheoverallWIG.

Onourteamthiswasparticularlychallengingbecausetherewasnevermuchappetitetotalkaboutdeath,eventhoughseriousinjuryanddeathweretheforcespreventingusfrom successfully executingourmission. Itwas awarwe couldnot escape.Day afterday,weworried about failing, andwe alsoworried about being blamed. So,whenweimplemented the 4Disciplineswe pulled ourWIG right out of the heart of our fear:Reduceby50percentthenumberofincidentsthatcanleadtodeathandseriousinjuryforpeopleinourcare,custody,andoversight.

Onceithadbeensaidoutloud,everyoneonourteamcouldopenlyacknowledgeitasourrealmission.Interestingly, itwasalways theworkthe teamwantedtodo,andformany, it was the compelling reason they came back day after day. But creating ourwildlyimportantgoalallowedustotakeownershipofwhatwasreallyourcoremission:preventing bad things from happening to vulnerable children and adults. And thatownershipcreatedasignificantshiftinourapproach.Insteadofwaitingtorespondafterbadthingshappened,wenowproactivelyplannedwaystokeepthemfromhappening.Ultimately, we used the 4 Disciplines to make ourselves publicly accountable forreducingdeathandseriousinjuryand,asaresult,begantoworkasateamtoensureweweresuccessful.

People often ask me what specific aspect of the 4 Disciplines made the biggestdifference formy team.My answer is always the same: the weeklyWIG sessions. Inthese powerful meetings, the cadence, the rhythm of asking your people whatcommitments they arewilling tomake tomove the score forward is the process thaterases most of the distance between leaders and the actual day-to-day work ingovernment.

Thecadenceconstantlybringstothesurfacepolicyaswellaspracticeissuesthatareotherwiseinvisibleto(orhiddenfrom)executiveleaders.Inaddition,theWIGsessionsallow the knowledge and experience of the front line to be shared throughout theorganization, eliminating the gap between what an organization is ultimatelyaccountableforandtheactionsofthefrontlinethataredrivingit.

Ingovernment,anyoutcomeofsignificanceisalmostalwaysalagmeasure,whether

it’sfromfederalorstateentities,governors,ormayors.Usually,it’salsoaresultthathasnotbeenachieved inany recentperiod, ifatall.Therefore, the leadersareunlikely toknowwhatbehaviorswouldactuallypromotesuccessinachievingitor,alternatively,arecausingthemtofail.Theyfeelaccountable,butaren’tsurewhatitwilltaketomovetheneedle.

WIGsessionsclosethatgapbetweentheleader’svisionandtheworkofthefrontlineby putting everybody in the same room. The flow of data about lead measures andweekly commitments forces leaders to see andhear from the front line regularly and,conversely,itprovidesthefrontlinewithunprecedentedaccesstotheeyesandearsofexecutiveleaderswhentheyareinasimilarWIGsessionwiththem.

I canassure you that thebigger andmorebureaucratic theorganization, themoresignificantthiseffectis.Manyprivate-sectorbusinessleaderswouldbesurprisedathoweasyit istorunalargepublic-sectororganizationwhileneverreallyunderstanding, letalonebeinginvolvedin,theday-to-daywork.The4Disciplinescompelseventhemostseniorleadertostayintheroomwiththefrontlineandthework.

Thesecondmost impactfulaspectofthe4DisciplineswaswhatIreferredtoasmysecondjob—creatinganenvironmentwheretherightworkcouldbedonetherightwayandfortherightreasons.ThatworkisprincipallyseeninDiscipline2:Actontheleadmeasures. This discipline became the glue that connected the front line to the overallWIGweneededtoachieve,aswellastotheleadersoftheirteam.Itwasn’thardtogetthefront linetoseethe importanceoftheirdaytodaywork:Theyknewhowmuchitmattered. What was difficult was convincing them that the leaders had the sameperspectiveandunderstanding.

In ahuman-services agency,where the threatof death and serious injury is alwayspresent, it’s hard for front-line workers to trust leaders who remain distant. Theunspoken question is always, “Who will be thrown under the bus if something goeswrong?”Buildingtrustisalargepartofleadingthe4Disciplinessuccessfully.

Thebestway for leaders tobuild that trust isbyputting them in themiddleof thework.Eachweek,thoseleadersareaccountableformakingcommitmentsthathelptheirteam, for reporting resultsof the team’s efforts to senior leaders,and for clearing thepath of significant obstacles for their team. That’s what I call putting leaders in themiddleofthework.

Fortheleadersonmyteam,thesebecamethreeabsoluterequirements:

•As4Disciplinesleaders,wemuststaythecourseonourWIGs.Front-lineteamsloveasure-footedleader,particularlywhenthestakesarehigh,andnothingrattles theconfidenceofateamlikechangingtherulesinthemiddleofthegame.

• As 4 Disciplines leaders, we must give the front line what they need. This meansplaying the team that is already on the field; we quickly learned that a high-functioningteamwilltakecareofitsownlaggards.Whilelowperformersandthosewhoresist changewill initially slowdown the team’s efforts, itwon’t last long. In4DX,thereisnoplacetohide,becauseofthehighlyvisibleaccountabilityofresults.Thisalsomeansfixingthebureaucracywhenitstandsinthewayofthefrontlinegetting the job done. Often, this means fighting the political battles to change apolicy, remove a restriction, confront an issue, or even getmore funding. Teams

havelittleuseorrespectforaleaderwhocannotclearthepathforthem.

•As4Disciplinesleaders,wemustdeliverourownmessages.Onourteam,thismeantthatthefirstpersontotalkaboutdeathandseriousinjuryhadtobeme.IfIwantedthe teams todo somethingdifferent, then Ihad tobeginby saying itwas safe tochangeourpractices,andeventooperateoutsidetheboundariesofexistingpolicy,ifitwouldreducethenumberofincidentsleadingtodeathorseriousinjury.

Asyouknowfromtheopeningstoryinthisbook,wewereultimatelysuccessfulinexceedingourwildlyimportantgoal:reducingrepeatcasesofchildmaltreatmentbyastunning60percent.Fromthatexperience,IwanttoendwiththemostimportantthingsIlearned—thingsthatwillhelpanyleaderimplementingthe4Disciplines:

•Embedthelanguageofthe4Disciplinesinyourculture.Oneoftheeasiestwaysforpeopletodismissaccountabilityistosaytheyarealreadydoingthingsthatarejustlike the 4 Disciplines. The 4 Disciplines are specific and precise; and unless youimplement all of them, you don’t see the real benefit.Most important, when thesenior leader stops walking and talking the 4Disciplines, the entire organizationimmediatelystopsbelievingthatsheisserious.

•Ensure thatyour leadersare clearing thepath.You should immediately look forabreakdown in execution if you are not hearing clear-the-path commitments thatcomeallthewayfromthefrontline.Alwaysremember:NonmovingleadmeasuresonthefrontlinemeannonmovingWIGsfortheorganization.

•Communicateopenlyandoftentothefrontline.Everymemberofyourteamneedstoseeandhearyourcommitmenttothe4DisciplinesandtotheachievementofyouroverallWIG. I sentweekly and often daily emails directly frommy inbox to thefrontlinewithnolayersofleadersinbetweenfilteringmymessage.

•Makesurepeopleknowthatitistheworkonthefrontlinethatmattersmost.YourteamneedstoknowthattheWIGmustbeachieved.Leadershipmatters.But,atthesame time, theyneed toknow that youknow that theirworkon the front line iswhatproducesbottom-lineresults.Don’tallowthe4Disciplines tobeaboutyou.Makeitclearthatevenifyouleave,the4Disciplinesareabouttheirabilitytowin.

• Focus on raising the performance of your B-level leaders to that of your topperformers.ThesinglemostpowerfulwaytodothisisbyconsistentlyandfaithfullyholdingyourWIGsessions.Usethisdisciplinetoshowthemhowthe4Disciplinesaccentuates their leadership, and how the success of the team comes from them.Midlevel leaders, particularly in large bureaucracies, are often unaccustomed toleadingawinningteam.Itismoreoftentheirjobtodistributeandmonitorpoliciessetbyothers,whethertheyworkornot,andtomanagetheorganizationthroughperiods of transition both up and down the chain of command.They need the 4Disciplines.

• Be willing to hold the leadership high ground. In the beginning, some people willcriticizethe4Disciplinesasbeingallaboutthenumbersandnotaboutthepeopleinvolved.Whenthishappens,youhavetoholdstrongonwhythenumbersmatter.

Thiswasparticularlytrueinhumanservices;wherethenumberswerealwaysaboutvulnerable people and effectively helping them live better and safer lives, but theprinciple is true everywhere. As the senior leader, you must be willing to standbehind the laser focusonperformance that the4Disciplinesbring toyourwork,whetheritisabouthelpingchildrenormakingwidgets.

WhenIwasintroducedtothe4DisciplinesofExecution,Iwasfacingthegreatestchallengeofmycareer.My twenty thousand employees were completely demoralized, we were under constantmediascrutinybecauseofdeathsandaccidents involvingchildren,andIwasthesixth leader infiveyears.

Becauseofthesepowerfuldisciplines,andbecauseofthehardworkanddedicationofallthepeoplewhodedicatedtheirlivestothismission,weknewthatthechildreninourcareweresaferandbetterprotected.Wecouldnothaveaskedforagreaterormoresignificantoutcome.

FocusingtheOrganizationontheWildlyImportant

(WITHCONTRIBUTINGAUTHORSCOTTTHELE)

Youcanseefromthesefourstoriesthateachleaderfacedthechallengeoffocusingthemindsandheartsofliterallythousandsofpeopleonasetofwildlyimportantgoals.

Whentheycreatedfocus,theirorganizationsaccomplishedtrulyextraordinarythings.Insection1,weintroducedfourrulestohelpyounarrowthefocusofyourentireorganization:

RULESFORDISCIPLINE1

1 Nomorethan1to3WIGsperpersonatthesametime.

2 Thebattleshavetowinthewar.

3 Youcanveto,butdon’tdicatate.

4 AWIGmusthaveafinishline(fromxtoybywhen).

Whiletheserulesmayseemstraightforward,evensimple,followingthemrequirestremendouscommitment and discipline. Creating focus is never simple for any organization; it only lookssimple once it’s been accomplished. However, the results are worth the effort. In fact, everysuccessful implementation of 4DX begins when leaders take on the difficult challenge ofnarrowingtheorganization’sfocus.

Inthischapter,wewillexpandonthesefourrulesandshowyou,stepbystep,howtotranslateyourorganization’scomplexstrategicagenda intoasetof focusedWIGswithclear finish lines.Withactualexamples,we’llalsoshowyouhowtotranslatethoseWIGsallthewaytothefrontline.Theresult:Clarityatevery leveloftheorganizationanddramaticresultsat theendoftheprocess.

TRANSLATINGORGANIZATIONALSTRATEGYINTOWIGS:THECASEOFOPRYLANDWhen we first met the leaders of the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, the largestconvention hotel in theUnited States outsideLasVegas, they had dozens of urgent priorities,including:

•Introducingnewmarketingandadvertisingprograms

•Planningfora400,000square-footexpansionoftheir2,000-roomproperty

•Launchingseveralinitiativesdesignedtoimprovetheiroccupancyrate

•Controllingexpensestoimprovetheirbottomline

•Engaginginmultiplenewprogramstoimprovethesatisfactionoftheirguests

•Revampingtheirconventionservices

•Identifyingwaystohelptheirguestsmoreeasilynavigatethefifty-sixacreproperty

Likemost leaders, they had their hands full. It’s likely that you have your own list and nomatterhowoftenyoutrytosimplifyit,thisdizzyinglistofprioritiesfeelsoverwhelming.Wewantyoutoknowthatyou’renotalone.

AstheexecutiveteamatOprylandbeganthe4DXprocess,theircrucialfirststepwasfocusingthe entire hotel on the wildly important. This is never automatic, particularly in largerorganizations.Ittakeswork,andthatworkbeginsbyansweringthequestion,“Ifeveryotherareaofouroperationremainedatitscurrentlevelofperformance,whichoneareawouldwewanttoimprove the most?” Remember to avoid asking the question, “What’s our most importantpriority?”Thisquestionwillonlyresultinanever-endingdebate.

Aseachmemberoftheexecutiveteamexpressedtheirideasabouttheoneareatheywantedtoseeimprovethemost,guestsatisfactionrosetothetopasthemostimpactful.Theprimaryreasonforthisisthattheexperienceoftheguestliterallyimpactedeveryotheraspectoftheirbusiness,from revenue tomarket share. Itwas also a focus towhich every employeeof the hotel couldmakeacontribution.

As their focus became clearer, Arthur Keith, the general manager, recommended improvedguestsatisfactionasthehighest-levelWIGforthehotel.Hisroleatthispointintheprocesswasimportantandtimely.Leadersshouldbeopenandshouldtrulylistenandexplorealternatives,buttheymayalsoneedtostepinattherightmomenttohelptheteamreachadecision.Theleadermust be ready to play both roles, primarily participating in the discussion, but also willing toadvocateaposition.

Selectingahigh-levelWIGforanentireorganizationalwaysfeelsalittlelikebuyingapairofshoes.Youhavetowalkaroundinthemforawhilebeforedecidingiftheyfeelright.Don’tforcetheteamtodecideontheWIGtooquickly.Instead,justselecttheWIGthatseemsright,andletthe leaderswalkaroundin itas theydevelopsupportingWIGstoensure itsachievement.TheycanalwaysselectadifferentWIGifitdoesn’tfeelrighttoapplyitacrosstheorganization.

Ahigh-levelWIGisaseriousorganizationalcommitment,soleadershipteamsareoftenmorethanalittlehesitanttomakeachoice.Thisiswhysomanyorganizationsrarelyachieverealfocus.Givingyourteamthefreedomtochooseandreconsidertheirchoicesfreesthemtotakethisstep.

Beforewego to thenext stepwithOpryland, let’s lookatwheremostorganizationalWIGscomefrom.

THREESOURCESOFORGANIZATIONALWIGSWe’ve noticed that almost every leadership team, regardless of industry, size, or geography,chooses a highest-level WIG from one of three areas: financial, operational, or customersatisfaction.

FinancialWIGsaremeasuredindollars,whethertop-linerevenue,bottom-lineprofit,orsome

keymeasureinbetween.Surprisingly, lessthanathirdofourclientschooseafinancialWIGastheirfirstpriority,eventhoughfinancialresultsarealwaysamongthehighestpriorities.

Operational WIGs focus on production, quality, efficiency, or economies of scale. Mostleadershipteamsfocushereinitially.TheseWIGsoftenfocusonkeyoperationalmeasuressuchas production volume, quality improvements, increased market share, or expansion into newareas.

CustomersatisfactionWIGsfocusonclosingthegapbetweenthecurrentlevelofperformanceandthelevelthatrepresentsexcellence,whethertocustomersofabusiness,patientsinahospital,or guests in a hotel. Unlike financial and operational WIGs, these measures depend on theperceptionofthecustomer.

FROMMISSIONTOWIGThe highest-levelWIG for your organization is not yourmission statement. It’s also not yourvision,nordoesitoftenrepresentyourentireorganizationalstrategy.Yourhighest-levelWIGisapointof laser focus;one towhichyouwillgiveadisproportionateamountofenergybecause itrequiresachangeinhumanbehavior.

ThisdiagramhelpsyouseeyourWIGincontextoftheoverallorganization.

If you’re like most organizations, you have a defined mission or purpose statement thatclarifieswhyyouexist.Oncethemissionisdefined,manyleadersarticulatewhatsuccesswilllooklikeatsomepoint,usuallyfiveormoreyears,inthefuture.Thisisyourvision.Bothyourmissionand your vision are aspirational, meaning they are statements or ideas of what you want theorganization tobecome.You then create a strategy tomapouthow your visionwill become areality.Webelievethatthereareusuallythreecomponentstoaneffectivestrategy.

Thefirstcomponent iswhatwe’vetermedstrokeof thepen.Theseare initiatives that, ifyouhavethemoneyandtheauthority,youcanmakehappensimplybydecidingtoimplementthem.Theyareoftencriticallyimportant,asweremanyoftheinitiativesalreadyunderwayatOprylandwhentheybeganthe4DXprocess.

Thesecondcomponentisthewhirlwind.Thisincludeseverythingyourleadersmustmanagetohaveconfidencethatthedayjoboftheirteamsisbeingdoneeffectively.Whileleadersuse4DXtoexecute key strategic priorities, theymust also remain focused on effectively running the coreoperations.TheseelementsofthebusinesscanbemonitoredthroughtoolssuchasNortonandKaplan’sBalancedScorecard.

Thisbringsustothethirdcomponentofyourstrategy:Initiativesthatwillrequireachangeinpeople’sbehaviortosuccessfullyimplement.Thesearebyfarthemostchallenginginanystrategyandtheprimarytargetof4DX.

4DXappliestotheWIG,keybattles,andthelagandleadmeasures.Thisholisticviewofyourstrategymapishelpfulbecauseitshowsallofyourstrategicimperativesintheirproperplace.Italso reinforces the critical importance of the whirlwind. Most important, the map warns youagainst blurring the important boundary around 4DX territory. As you begin to see theeffectivenessof4DXinproducingresults,youwillbetemptedtobringmoreandmoreinitiativesinside this boundary and, if you do, you will lose the narrow focus that is the key to theeffectivenessof4DX.

LINK:http//www.4dxbook.com/qr/StrategyMap

TRANSLATINGBROADSTRATEGYINTOSPECIFICFINISHLINESOnceOprylandleadershadchosenguestsatisfactionastheirhighest levelWIG,theyneededtosetthefinishlinethatwoulddefinesuccess.

ThemeasurementsystemforguestsatisfactionatOprylandtrackedonlyperfectscores,whichtheyrefertoastopboxscoresoffiveonaonetofivescale.Thiswasaverydemandingstandard,farbeyondthenormalmeasuresofguestsatisfaction.Theyaskedthemselveswhatwouldbethehighestachievabletopboxscoretheycouldget.Theirtopboxscorefromthepreviousyearwas42 percent (meaning 42 percent of guests gave them a perfect rating), while the highest everrecordedwas45percent.Aftermuchdebate,theydecidedtogoforalagmeasureof55percent.

Havingsetthehigh-levelWIG,whichwesometimescallthewar,OprylandleaderswerereadytomoveontothelowerlevelWIGsthatwouldensurevictory;whatwe’vereferredtoearlierasbattles.

Oncethewarisset,definingthebattlesbecomestheleader’skeyresponsibility.Themetaphorofwarsandbattlesishelpfulforseveralreasons:First,youshouldideallyfightonlyonewarata

time;second,alllower-levelWIGs(battles)mustbeaimedatwinningthewarratherthanatanyotherobjective—afterall,theonlyreasontofightabattleistowinthewar;andthird,youisolatethoseWIGsthataremostessentialforsuccess.Leadersmustask,“Whatisthefewestnumberofbattlesnecessarytowinthewar?”Theenergylevelofateamalwaysjumpstoanewlevelwhentheybegintoworkonthisquestion,aresultwesawclearlyatOpryland.

TheleadershipteamatOprylandhadneverbeforewrestledwiththisquestion.Why?Becausethey had never forced themselves to narrow their focus to a single war. Likemost leadershipteams, theywere engaged in somanywars that theynever even cameclose todefiningbattles.Andas they tried to identify thebattlesneededforwinning thewar forguest satisfaction, theyfoundsomanycandidatesthattheeffortwasalmostoverwhelming.Everyleaderlisteddozensofpossiblebattles,but then they realized thatweweren’t askinghowmanycandidate battles theycouldidentify:Wewereaskinghowfewwereneededtoensuresuccess.This isthequestionthatrequiresrealstrategicthinkingfromtheleadershipteam.

In theend, the leadersatOprylanddecided that threecriticalbattleshad tobewontoraiseguestsatisfactiontoatopboxscoreof55:arrivalexperience,problemresolution,andfoodandbeveragequality.

Arrivalexperience.Thisbattlewasessential.Theirresearchhadshownthatnegativeopinionsof a hotel formed in the first fifteen to twentyminuteswere almost impossible to change.Thehigherthequalityofthatfirstexperience,thebettertheoverallimpressionofthehotel.

Problem resolution. The leaders knew that, regardless of their efforts, things would still gowrong.Improvingguestsatisfactionisn’taquestionofifaproblemwilloccur;it’saboutwhatyoudowhenitoccurs.Theresponseoftheirteamstoguestproblemscouldmakeorbreaktheguest’sentireexperience.Theywantedtheirteamstobeworldclassatresolvingproblems.

Foodandbeveragequality.BecauseOprylandissuchalargeproperty,guestsarelessinclinedtotraveltorestaurantsoutsidethehotel.Inaddition,mostofthehotel’srestaurantsareconsideredfinediningandarepricedaccordingly.Asaresult,guestexpectationsofthequalityofthefoodare exceptionally high. Meeting those expectations consistently would significantly raise guestsatisfactionscores.

TheleadershipteamatOprylandbelievedthatiftheycouldputtheenergyoftheentirehotelbehindthesethreecriticalbattles,theywouldchangethegame.Winningthosethreebattleswouldwinthewar;andassoonas theyrealizedthis, reachinga topboxscoreof55percentbegantoseempossible.Thisistherealpowerofaleadershipteamdeterminingthefewestpossiblebattles;itenablesthemtoseeiftheirwariswinnable.

Choosingthebattles,however,wasonlyhalfthework.Nowtheyhadtosetafinishline—fromXtoYbywhen—foreachbattle.Theyhadnotonlytofigureoutthetopachievablescoreforeachbattle,butalsotomakesurethosescoreswouldadduptowinningthewar.

Ifthebattleswon’twinthewar,youhaven’tcreatedaneffectivestrategyorawinnablegame.Rememberthekeyprincipleofleverage:Thelevermustmovealotfortherocktomovealittle.

ThecarefullydefinedbattlesthatwouldwinOpryland’swarforhigherguestsatisfaction.

TheOprylandleadershipteamspentanentiredaydefiningthewarandbattlesandsettingthefinish lines for each. When the day was over, Danny Jones, the head of quality and guestsatisfactionsaid,“Nowthatwe’redone,itlookssosimple,likesomethingwecouldhavewrittenonthebackofanapkinoverlunch.”Hewasright,buthealsoknewthatthesimplicityandtheclarityoftheplanwouldbethekeystoitseffectiveness.

Danny’s thoughts were echoed by Arthur Keith, the general manager: “This was the mostvaluabledaywe’veeverspenttogetherasaleadershipteam.Forthefirsttime,wecanarticulateinjustafewsentencesthedirectionandstrategicbetsoftheentirehotel.”

Although the excitement of the leadership teamatOprylandwas a strong endorsement, therealimpactofthisworkisseenintheteams.AtOpryland,seventy-fivedifferentoperatingteamsacross the hotel were now able to leverage the clarity and direction the leadership team hadprovidedbychoosingtheirownteamWIGthatwouldensurevictoryinoneofthethreebattles(aprocessdescribedinonpage136).

Forexample, thebattle forabetterarrival experiencewas largely in thehandsof the front-deskteam,whoseteamWIGwasto improvethespeedofcheck-in.However, thisbattlewasn’ttheirs to win alone. The guest-rooms team had a closely aligned teamWIG to increase roomavailabilityforguestsneedingearlycheck-in,whichwasessentialtospeedingthecheck-inprocess.

The team that really caughtourattentionwas thebell-stand team.Foryears, this teamhadstruggled to deliver guest bags more quickly. However, faced with antiquated systems and amassivefifty-sixacrepropertytocover, theywerestillaveragingadeliverytimeof106minutesperguest.That’sright:Guestshadtowaitanhourandforty-sixminutesfortheirbags.Thebell-standteamknewthat,eveniftheroomwasavailableandthecheck-infast,theirfailuretodeliverthebagsquicklywouldultimatelyhurt thearrivalexperiencescore.Theychosea teamWIGtoreduce luggage delivery time from 106minutes to twentyminutes.After only a fewmonths ofintense focuson this teamWIG, they exceeded their goal by reducing luggagedelivery time totwelveminutes.

Thegraphicillustratesthe4DXarchitecturewe’vejustdescribedforwinningthebattle“arrivalexperience”withinthecontextofthehotel’swarforguestsatisfaction.

It’s important to remember that each of these teams still spent most of their time on thewhirlwind:managingthehotel,servingguests,andrespondingtodozensofunexpectedchallenges

each day.But now, the game had changed.Each teamhad awildly important goal they couldremainfocusedoninthemidstoftheirday-to-dayresponsibilities.AndbecausethatTeamWIGhadafinishline,theywerenotonlyaccountableforit,theywantedtowin.

For eachWIG, each teamalsodefined leadmeasures, createda compelling scoreboard, andmet everyweek tomake commitments thatwould drive those scoreboards, aswe described insection2.Now,whenyougetseventy-fiveteamsalldrivingtowardthesameoverallgoal,youcandosomethingamazing.

Which they did.After ninemonths,Oprylandnot only reached a top-box guest satisfactionscore of 55 percent, but went beyond their goal to hit 61 percent.Remember, they had neverbeforescoredhigherthan45percent.Now,theyachievedalmosta50percentnetimprovementinonly ninemonths.AlthoughGaylord’s oldest property,Oprylandnow led every otherGaylordhotelinguestsatisfaction.Althoughwehadbeenoptimistic,evenwedidnotanticipatethislevelofimprovementcouldbeachievedsoquickly.

LINK:http//www.4dxbook.com/qr/Opryland

Forus,theOprylandstoryservesasapowerfulreminderoftheuntappedtalentandpotentialthatexistsineventhebest-runorganizationswhentheymovefromavaguestrategicintenttoasetofspecificfinishlines.

Toomany organizational goals are hazy and imprecise, leaving people wondering “what” they are supposed to do and“how”theyaresupposedtodoit.Theyneedclear,unmistakablefinishlinessopeopleknowexactlywhatsuccesslookslike.

TRANSLATINGWIGSTHROUGHFUNCTIONALLYSIMILARORGANIZATIONSThe seventy-five teams at Opryland were very diverse in their functions, including engineers,housekeepers,frontdeskclerks,bellhops,andrestaurantteams,aswellassupportservicessuchasfinance,accounting,andhumanresources.

Otherorganizations,likeretailchains,manufacturingfacilities,orsalesteams,consistofmanysimilarunitsthatperformthesamefunctions.Thesame4DXprinciplesapplytothem;however,inmultiunitorganizationsWIGstranslatetothefrontlinequitedifferently,aswe’llsee.

Takeour experience implementing4DXwitha large retailerwithhundredsofoutlets.AsatOpryland,theiroverallWIGfocusedonimprovingtheguestexperience.Intheircase, itwastoIncrease Likelihood to Recommend (LTR), a customer-loyalty measure devised by businessstrategistFredReichheld.Theirresearchhadshownastrongcorrelationbetweentheprofitabilityoftheirstoresandthelikelihoodthatpeoplewouldrecommendthemtotheirfriends.WiththisWIGinplace,theleadershipteamspentanintensivedaydefiningthefewestbattlestowinthewarandfinallyisolatedthethreemostcritical:

• Improve customer engagement was of course essential to increasing the willingness ofcustomers to recommend the store. This battle focused primarily on whether theirassociateswereavailableandeagertohelpcustomersfindwhattheyneededassoonastheyenteredthestore.

•Reduceoutofstockswasalsocritical.Ifacustomerwantedaproductthatwassoldout,not only was the sale lost, the customer was less likely to recommend the store toothers.

•Increasespeedofcheckoutcouldmakeahugedifference.Inthespeed-drivenworldofretailing, getting customers checked out and on their way has a disproportionateinfluence. If the last thing customers remember about the store is a frustratingcheckout,itwillinfluencetheirperceptionofthewholeshoppingexperience.

Youmight think the battles they chosewere obvious.But, aswithOpryland, the leadershipteam,manyofwhomhad spentdecades in this industry, evaluateddozensof candidatebattlesbeforesettlingonthesethree.Theyactuallydrewsimplicityoutofenormouscomplexity.Ittooktime,tremendousenergy,andalittlefightingbeforetheylandedonthissimplebutpowerfulplan.(When you begin this process, remember that the closer you are to your operation the morecomplexitis,andoften,theharderitistonarrowyourfocus.)

Intheend,doesthiswar-and-battlestructurelooksimple?Yesandthatsimplicityisoneofthekeys toa successful implementation.Remember, the greatest challenge isnot indeveloping theplan:It’sinchangingthebehaviorofthefront-lineteamsthatmustexecuteitwhilemanagingthenever-ceasingdemandsofthewhirlwind.

Now let’s seehow thismultiunitorganization translated theWIGto the front lines.For thesakeofsimplicity,we’lldescribehowoneregionofthecompanytranslatedtheWIGstodistricts,andhoweachdistricttranslatedittothestores.UnlikethefunctionallydiverseunitsatOpryland,these units all performed the same functions; therefore, they all adopted the sameWIGs andbattles.Still,theyhadleewayindefiningthefinishlines.

Thebattlesselectedtoincreasethelikelihoodthatcustomerswillrecommendthestoretoothers.

So,theregionchosefromXtoYbywhenfinishlinesthatwerespecifictotheirregion.Thenthedistrict leaders, who had helped develop the overall war-and-battle structure, assigned uniquefromXtoYbywhenfinishlinestorepresenttheperformanceobjectivesofthedistrict.

The region leader did not dictate the finish lines to the districts; the district leaders tookownershipofthisresponsibility.Regional leaderswerefreetoaskforadjustments if theydidn’tagree with the numbers. Ultimately, the region leader ensured that districts defined a winninggamefortheregion.

StoreWIGswerethesameasdistrictWIGsbutwithuniquefromXtoYbywhenmeasuresforeach store. However, at this level, there was a twist. The stores were given the choice, withoversightfromthedistrictleader,tochoosethebattlesthatrepresentedthegreatestopportunitiesfor the store. If already exemplary in out of stocks or customer engagement, the store couldnarrow focus to another battle. In this way, two thingswere accomplished. Store leaders whocouldchoosetheirownbattleswerenaturallymorecommittedtothem;theycouldalsofocusonthebattlethatmatteredmost.

ACLEARANDEXECUTABLESTRATEGYIn this chapter,we’vedescribedan intensebut rapidprocess forachievingaprofoundly simpleresult.AtOpryland,with itsdiverse teams,andat theretailchainwithsimilar teams,high-levelWIGsweredefinedwithinaday.Theresultwasaclearandsimplestrategy,butmoreimportant,itwasastrategythatcouldbeexecuted.

Rememberthat,foranorganization,4DXisnotforyourstroke-of-the-peninitiatives.Norisitfordefiningallof themeasures formonitoring theday-to-daywell-beingof theoperation—thewhirlwind. It’s for driving behavior changes that have to happen. Because so few leaders andorganizationshavethiskindofdiscipline,yourabilitytofocustheentireorganizationonwhat’swildlyimportantmightbecomeyourgreatestcompetitiveadvantage.

RollingOut4DXAcrosstheOrganization

Thechapteryouareabouttoreadwasthemostchallengingforustowrite.Ourintentionistodescribeforyouaprovenmethodforinstalling4DX,notonlywithyourownteam,butalsowithmultipleteamsacrossalargerorganization.We’vespentyearsdevelopingthismethod.

Inour first threeyearsofworking through4DXwithourclients,wewereable to refine thedisciplinestothepointwhereweknewtheywereright,notonlyinprinciplebutinthepracticeofproducing outstanding results. However, rolling 4DX across an entire organization had usscratchingourheads.

From the beginning, our clients embraced the concepts quickly, and in virtually everyimplementation, we saw pockets of success, which we called campfires. A group of aerospaceengineers, an individual retail store here and there, a team of software developers, and amanufacturing plant were some of the isolated pockets of excellence we encountered. Thesepocketsalmostalwayshadleaderswhocaughtthevisionofwhat4DXcouldmeanfortheteamand for them personally. It drove them to produce great results. But replicating this successacrossalargerorganization—turningcampfiresintowildfires—wasevadingus.

Weknewthatourinstallationprocessneededthesamelevelofrefinementthatwehadbroughttothedisciplinesthemselves,butfirst,weneededtounderstandwhyitwasn’tworking.

WHATDOESN’TWORK?For more than thirty years, FranklinCovey has been one of the most successful trainingorganizations in the world.Given this legacy, it was inevitable that we would first offer the 4Disciplinesasatrainingsolution.Itwasalsowrong.

AsBernardBaruchreportedlysaid,“Ifallyouhaveisahammer,everythinglookslikeanail.”Instructor-ledtrainingwaswhatweknewhowtodo,andwediditwell.Inourearliestofferings,wepulleddozensof leadersoutof thewhirlwind fora fewdays to teach them the conceptsof4DX,andtheyvalidatedthetrainingashighlyrelevantandengaging.Attheendofeachsession,leadersexpressedrealpassionforwhattheyhadbeentaught.Butwe,andthey,hadtolearnthehardlessonthatembracingaconceptisnotthesameasapplyingit.

Theproblemisthatthewhirlwindiswaitingforyouthemomentthetrainingsessionisover.Bythe time you’ve caught up on the backlog of issues that arose while youwere in training, theexcitementandmomentumyoufeltforthenewconceptsareoftenlost.

It’s alsodifficult to implementnew conceptswhen thepeople youworkwithdon’t have thesameunderstanding thatyoudo,especially if thoseconceptsarecounterintuitive.Youcan findyourselftryingtoinstalladisciplinethatnoone’sexcitedaboutandthatrunsagainstthenaturaltendenciesofyourteam.

Finally, even though the 4 Disciplines are easy to understand, in the end, they are stilldisciplines. It takesrealworktomakethemanestablishedpartoforganization’soperationandculture.

Dr. Atul Gawande expresses this challenge well: “Discipline is hard—harder thantrustworthinessandskillandperhapsevenselflessness.Wearebynatureflawedandinconstant

creatures.Wecan’tevenkeepfromsnackingbetweenmeals.Wearenotbuiltfordiscipline.Wearebuiltfornoveltyandexcitement,notforcarefulattentiontodetail.Disciplineissomethingwehavetoworkat.”29

Despite these challenges, we often encountered powerful leaders who adopted 4DX andproduced extraordinary results. However, they were only a few of the leaders we trained.Werealizedthatenablinganentireorganizationtoproducelarge-scaleresultswasgoingtorequireasystemofimplementationthatensuredawildfireoforganizationalsuccess.

WHATDOESWORK?Aswestudiedthe leadersandteamswherewehadbeensuccessful,webegantodevelopaverydifferent system of implementing the 4 Disciplines. The following are the key aspects of ourapproach:

The4Disciplinesmustbeimplementedasaprocess,notanevent.Inthischapter,wewillshowyousixdistinctstepsforsuccessfullylaunchingthe4Disciplinesacrossanorganization.Thesesixstepsapplywhetheryouareimplementingthe4DXwithyourteam,oracrossalargersegmentofyourorganization.

The4Disciplinesmustbeimplementedwithintactteams.Ratherthanworkingwithisolatedleadersfromdifferentpartsofanorganization,weworkwithalltheleadersnecessarytoachievetheoverallwildlyimportantgoal.Thisiscritical,becauseachievementofyouroverallWIGalmostalwaysrequiresthecombinedeffortsofmultipleteams.However,thisdoesn’tmeanthatyoushouldintroducethe4Disciplinestoanentireorganizationallatonce.Inlargeorganizations,wehaveoftenfounditmosteffectivetoworkwithtenor,atmost,twentyteamsatatime.IftheoverallWIGistoincreaserevenue,forexample,wemaybeginwithtensalesmanagersandtheirteams,ortenretailstores,oreventendepartmentswithinalargeproductionoperation.Oncetheinitialteamsbegintohavesuccessitdrivesinterestinotherportionsoftheorganizationandmakesthecontinuingimplementationeasier.

The4Disciplinesmustbeimplementedbytheleader.Ourgreatestbreakthroughcamewhenwerealizedthatthemostsuccessfulmethodofimplementingthe4Disciplineswasthroughtheleadersclosesttothefrontline.Insteadofrelyingononeofourconsultantstointroduceandlaunchthedisciplines,wechangedourprocesstoinsteadfocusonequippingandcertifyingleaderstolaunchwiththeirteams.Fromthispoint,wewillrefertothisprocessasleadercertification.

Thereareseveralreasonsthatthischangemadesuchasignificantdifferenceinourresults.

•Whenyouarelearningsomethingthatyouknowyouwillultimatelyhavetoteach,you

trulylearnit.Infact,themostpowerfulwaytolearnanythingistoteachittoothers,whichisaprinciplewehaveseenatworkfirsthandinhundredsofimplementations.

• When you teach something, you automatically find yourself becoming an advocate.Whenoneofourconsultants taught theprocess, it allowed the leader to stayon the

sidelines,butwhenthe leaderbroughtthe4Disciplines totheteam,heorshehadtofully commit. In other words, when you are the one advocating theDisciplines, youhavetobeallinoryouknowtheywon’twork.

• Ifyouare theoneadvocating the4Disciplines,youareaccountable to live them.Nocredible leader would introduce the Disciplines and then knowingly violate them byconsistentlyfailingtofollowthrough.

•Whenyou introduce the4Disciplines,yougenerateadifferent levelof response fromtheteambecauseofyourcredibility.WhentheDisciplinescomefromaconsultant,aninternal trainer, or even a more senior leader within the organization, there is atendencyformostteamstowaitandseeifthisisreal.Usually,thepersontheywatchfirsttodeterminethisisyou,theirleader.Andifyouaretheoneteaching,advocating,andlaunchingtheprocess,theyknowimmediatelythatitisreal.

Whenwe describe thismethod of implementation in our programs, the leaders immediatelygraspthebenefits,butsomeareconcernedabouttheirownabilitytoeffectivelycommunicateandlaunchsomanychanges.Withoutquestion,asuccessfullaunchrequirescarefulpreparation.Butwewantyoutoknowthatwehaveseenthousandsofleaders,atalllevelsofskillandexperience,createexcellentlaunches.

LINK:http//www.4dxbook.com/qr/LCP

THE4DXINSTALLATIONPROCESSThe following six-step installation process leads not only to results, but more important, toadoptionofan“operatingsystem”forachievingyourmostimportantorganizationalgoalsoverandoveragain.

Since most of our clients prefer the speed and efficiency of launching multiple teamssimultaneously,wewillpresentanoverviewofhowthe launchprocessworkswithtenteamsormoreatonce. In thismulti-teamprocess,whichweuse to certify leaders in4DX, leadersworktogether fora fewdays todraft teamWIGsand leadmeasuresand then toshare thoseresultswiththeirteamstogetconfirmationandbuy-in.

Step1:Clarify the overallWIG. If you are leadingmultiple teams, this is about determiningyouroverallwildlyimportantgoal.Thespecificprocessfordoingthisisdescribedonpage235.

Step 2: Design the teamWIGs and lead measures. This step usually requires two full days.Leaders learn 4DX concepts at a deep level, reviewing case-study videos andworking throughreal-world examples, all of which are designed to give every leader a firm grasp on the 4Disciplinesandhowtheyareapplied.

Thisdiagramdepictsthesixstepsof4DXinstallation,alongwitharecommendedtimelinefortheprocess.

Next,followingtheprocessdescribedonpage118,eachleaderchoosesateamWIGthatwillrepresenttheteam’sgreatestcontributiontotheoverallWIG.Seniorleadersplayacriticalroleatthis point because they must ultimately decide whether the combined teamWIGs will lead toachievementoftheoverallWIG.Inthisrole,theseniorleadersmayoffercounselorevenvetoateamWIG,buttheymustnotdictatewhattheteamWIGshouldbe—onlytheleaderoftheteamshouldchooseit.

WhenteamWIGsareset, leaders thentackle themostchallengingpartof the4DXprocess:defining leadmeasures for theWIGs.Aswesawonpage136,notmany leadershavedonethiskindofworkbefore.Comingupwithpredictiveandinfluenceableleadmeasuresisacomplextaskthatoftenrequiresmultipleattempts.

WhenalltheteamWIGsandleadmeasuresareinplace,everyleaderhasaclearlineofsightfrom the overallWIG to the contribution of his or her own team. It’s a powerful—and oftenunprecedented—momentofclarity.PleaserememberthattheteamWIGandleadmeasuresarenotfinaluntiltheyhavebeenvalidatedbytheteamduringateamlaunchsession,whichwewillcoverinstep4.You’llhaveahardtimegettingfullcommitmentfromteammemberswhohavenoopportunitytogiveinput.Remember,“Noinvolvement,nocommitment.”

Step3:Leadercertification. In thiscritical step,whichusuallyrequiresa fullday, the leaderslearnhowtolaunch4DXwiththeirteams.

•Scoreboarddesign.Leaders learnnotonlyhow tobuild effective scoreboardsbutalsohowtofacilitatetheteam’sinvolvement.

• WIG session skills. Leaders learn key skills before holding a first WIG session—inparticular,howtoholdteammembersaccountableinfrontoftheirpeers.SomeleadersstruggleintheirfirstfewattemptsateffectiveWIGsessions,sowepracticebyrunningmocksessionswithotherleaders.

•Launchmeetingpreparation.Thefinalandmostimportantstageofleadercertificationispreparationfortheteamlaunchmeeting.ThesuccessofthelaunchmeetingisessentialtothesuccessoftheWIG.

Leaders are first prepared to teach their teams a high-level understanding of 4DX. They

practicewitheachotherusingteachingvideos,guidebooks,andpresentationslides.Inaddition,they learn to clearly communicate the overallWIG, along with the draft teamWIG and leadmeasures, and then to facilitate meaningful feedback from the team and make any neededrevisions.

WhenStep3iscompleted,theleadersarenowcertifiedtolaunch4DXwiththeirteams.Thiscertificationalsomarkstheendoftheworkingsessionwithotherleaders.

Step4:Teamlaunch.Leaders scheduleandconducta team launchmeeting thatusually lastsabouttwohours.Theywillpresentanoverviewof4DXforabout45minutesandthenreviewtheoverallWIG and the draft teamWIG and lead measures. The team then gives feedback andfinalizestheteamWIGandmeasures.

In this session, they also design the team scoreboard and assign responsibility for itscompletion. Themeeting concludes with a practiceWIG session in preparation for the actualsessionsthatwillbeginthefollowingweek.Thispracticesessiongivestheleadertheopportunitytodiscusstheformatandgroundrulesthatwillbeineffectastheteambeginsitsactualpursuitofthe teamWIG.Particularly for inexperiencedor reluctant teams, it’s a goodpractice toattendWIG sessions or summit meetings of more seasoned teams, as LeAnn Talbot of Comcastrecommended.4DXveteranscanthenanswerquestionsabouttheprocess.

Step5:Executionwithcoaching.Steps1through4representthelaunchphaseofimplementingthe4Disciplines,andalthoughtheyarecritical,theyarestilltheplanforagamethathasyettobeplayed.Step5iswherethegamebegins.

Nowtheleadersandtheirteamsbegintheweeklyprocessofdrivingleadmeasurestoachievethe teamWIG, a process that requires discipline and accountability.Week by week, the teamevolvesandmatures,makinghigher-impactcommitmentsandimprovingtheirfollowthroughinWIGsessions.Astheleadmeasuresbegintomove,theteamcanseethattheirfocusedeffortsareactuallymovingthelagmeasure;andwitheachmovement,theycanseethattheyarewinning.

Inourexperience,leaderstypicallyneedexperiencedguidanceforaboutthreemonthsastheyfoster new behaviors and encounter unexpected challenges. 4DX coaches help leaders withadherence to the 4DX process, success with lead measures, and preparation for quarterlysummits.Ourexperiencedconsultantscoachleaderswhiledevelopingstronginternalcoachesfortheorganization—arolethatisdescribedinmoredetailinthesectionsthatfollow.

Step6:Quarterlysummits.Thesummitisameetingatwhichtheleadersreporttotheirseniorleadersonprogressandresultsinthepresenceoftheirpeers.Aquartergenerallyprovidesenoughtimetoseenotonlytheleadmeasuresmovingbutalsotheimpactthoseleadsarehavingonthelagmeasure.Themore senior the leaderswhoattend the first summit, thegreater the senseofurgency to produce results,which is important tomaking the teamWIG and leadmeasures ahigh-stakesgame.

Formany,itwillbethefirsttimetheymeetwithseniorleaders.It’sthefirsttimetheygettotalkabouthowtheirideashavecontributedtothecompany’sgoalsandtoberecognizedfortheircontribution.AsAlecCovingtonofNashFinchobserved, it’s a very different experience fromreceivingorders“ontabletsofstone”andbeingheldaccountableforgoalsyoudon’tunderstand.

WhenthegovernorofGeorgia,SonnyPerdue,attendedthe first summit for fiveagenciesofthestategovernment,hewatchedcarefullyasleadersexplainedtheirteamWIGs,leadmeasures,and results. There was tremendous energy in the room, not only because the governor waspresent, but more because the leaders who were reporting could see that they weremaking adifference.

Attheendofthemeeting,GovernorPerduestoodtogiveaspontaneousclosingmessage.Hesaid,“WhenIleaveoffice,Idon’twantanystatuesmadeorbuildingsnamedafterme.Iwantmylegacy tobe the employeesof this state.”Ashe turned to leave, he gave a cleardirection to amemberofhisstaff:“Iwanteveryleaderinthestatetogothroughthisprocess.”

Because quarterly summits combine the power of accountability with the opportunity forrecognition, they become a driving force in the leader’s implementation of 4DX—a summit isalwaysonlyafewweeksaway.

THEPOWERFULROLEOFANINTERNALCOACHWehavefoundthatdesignatinganinternal4DXcoachmakesabigdifferenceinthesuccessofthe installation. We often say that, if accomplishing a wildly important goal is like driving aFormula1racecar,the4DXCoachistheheadmechanic.

Like a mechanic, the 4DX coach does two things. First, the coach helps with repairs onoperationalbreakdownsin4DX.Thecoachguidesleaderswhoencounterdifficultresisters,needcounsel on the quality of lead measures, or could use help in establishing a cadence ofaccountability.Also,thecoachhelpswithpreventivemaintenance,ensuringthattheteamsadheretotheprocessandidentifyingearlywarningsignsofateamthatisfallingpreytothewhirlwind.

We strongly recommend that two individuals share this role to compensate for schedulingconflicts or unanticipated turnover. Internal coaches benefit the organization in the followingways.

•Responsiveness. By assigning and developing individuals in this role, the organizationcreates a significant knowledge resource and immediate front-line support to 4DXleaders.There’snoneedtobringinresourcesfromoutside.

•Independence.Themore experiencedand capable the internal coach, the lessneed foron-goingguidancefromoutside.

•Continuity.Asnewleadersarehiredorpromoted,theinternalcoachcanplayacrucialroleinquicklyorientingthemtothe4DXprocess.

Althoughtheinternalcoachisnotafull-timerole,selectingtherightindividualsfortheroleiscrucial.A strong 4DXcoachwill have a solidknowledgeof thebusiness, good communicationskills, and theability todevelopand sustaingoodworking relationships.The effectivenessof acoachislargelythroughinfluenceratherthanformalauthority.

Overtheyears,we’veseenexcellentcoachesdrawnfrommanyareas:operationalmanagement,fast-trackleadershipprograms,qualityassurance,andSixSigmaandleanmanufacturingbelts.

Beyondanyothercharacteristic,acoupleoftraitsarecommontothebestcoaches:interestinand capacity for the role. Coaches with high interest but no capacity beyond their whirlwindresponsibilitiesmaybepassionateabout4DX,butcan’tinvestthetimeandenergytoensuretheimplementation is a success. Those with capacity but no interest can actually slow down theimplementationof4DXand theachievementof results.Asoneofour clients recently said, “Ifthey’retooavailable,they’reprobablynottoovaluable.”

In our experience, every highly successful 4DX implementation has been supported by aneffectivecoach.Althoughachievingyourwildly importantgoalrequiresthecombinedeffortsof

the leaders and their teams, the 4DXcoach is essential to a successful implementationand thesustainingofexceptionalresults.

WATCHOUTFinally,beonguardagainstthreepotentialfailurepoints.Ifyouencounteranyofthese,itmightbebettertopostponeimplementationof4DXuntilthey’reresolved.

•Theabsenceofagoalthatreallymatters.4DXisapowerfulprocessforachievingyourmostimportantgoals,butit’sameanstoanend,nottheenditself.Themoreimportantthe overall WIG, the more committed the organization and its leaders will be toachieving itand,asaresult, thefastertheywillembracetheDisciplines.Withoutthisfocus,theDisciplineswillnotbeaseffective.

•Thelackoffullcommitmentfromtheseniorleader.Ifthemostseniorleaderisnotfullycommitted to 4DX, the organizationwill never fully commit.We are not necessarilyreferring to the CEO but to the most senior leader responsible for the initiative.Implementing the 4Disciplines, nomatterwhat part of the organization is involved,requires complete commitment. If 4DX is seen as an option for leaders who areinterested,yourimplementationwillfailbeforeitbegins.

•Certifyingleadersatthewronglevel.Itiscriticaltocertifythoseleaderswhoareactuallyresponsibleforteachinganddrivingthe4DXprocess.Youcannotwinwithoutthem.Ifyoucertifyleadersattoohighalevel,thegameplanwillneverreachthefront-lineteamthatproducesresultsagainsttheleadmeasures.Incontrast,ifyoucertifyleadersattoolowalevel,theywilltoooftenlacktheexperiencetocreatethebestteamWIGandleadmeasuresortheauthoritytoholdtheteamaccountableforresults.

Ausefulguidelineistocertifythelowestleveloffull-timeleadershipabovethefrontline.Forexample,inagrocerystore,thebakerymanagerwouldbetoolow,becausethosewhofulfillthisroleusuallyworkasindividualcontributorsandwouldnotbeconsideredfulltimeinleadership.Thestoremanager,onelevelabove,wouldbetherightlevel.Incontrast,theplantmanagerinamanufacturingfacilitymightbetoohigh,makingtheshiftsupervisortherightlevel.

Consideralsotheamountofdiscretionarytimetheleadercanputtoward4DX.LeaderswhocontroltheirownschedulescangenerallyleadaWIGteam.It’salsoessentialthatteammembershaveenoughtimetomake,schedule,andfulfillweeklycommitments.

Inthischapter,we’vedescribedingeneraltheprocesswe’vebeenthroughandtheissueswe’vefacedhundredsoftimesininstalling4DX.We’vetriedtogiveyouthebenefitofourtrialsandourerrors.

Implementingthe4Disciplineswithtenormoreteamssimultaneously,aswedoinsomepartof theworldalmosteveryday, involvesanumberofcarefulconsiderations.But in theend, theability to focus multiple teams on consistently driving lead measures toward a critical goal isdeeply powerful. It’s key to creating extraordinary outcomes and raising the performance andeffectivenessofanentireorganization.

4DXFrequentlyAskedQuestions

Hereyou’llfindanswerstothequestionspeoplemostoftenaskaboutimplementing4DX.We’vegroupedthequestionsunderthesetopics:

•Howtogeneratebuy-inandcommitmentto4DX

•Howtosustain4DX

•4DXprocesstipsandtraps

We’ve also answered questions about applying 4DX to certain distinctive types of teams(althoughtheissuesdiscussedshouldinterestanyreader).

•Manufacturingteams

•High-techandscientificteams

•Salesteams

•Governmentandmilitaryteams

GeneratingBuy-inandCommitmentto4DXWhatarethemostcommonmistakesleadersmakeinimplementing4DX?The twomainmistakes leadersmake in this process are a lack of participation and a lack ofpatience.

First, leadersoftenunwittinglypresume that the successof4DXrestswith those individualswhohavegonethroughmanagercertification.WhiletheroleofthecertifiedmanagersiscrucialtoWIGandleadmeasuresuccess,theactiveinvolvementofleaderstowhomthecertifiedleadersreport ismandatory. Leaders holdWIG sessionswith their direct reports, openly and activelyrecognizingthecontributionsof thecertifiedmanagersandtheir teammembers in thisprocess,reinforcing theprinciplesof the4DX,andremovingbarriers toWIGsuccessand leadmeasureperformance.

Second,all leadersareresultsdriven,sotheywantresultsassoonaspossible.However,theyoftenignorethefactthatWIGsuccessdependsuponconsistent,ongoingperformanceagainsttheleadmeasures. If good leadmeasureshavebeendeveloped, and if the teamsareperforming tothese lead measures, the lag measure associated with the WIG should move, unless externalcircumstances make WIG attainment impossible. It takes time. Instead of giving up on theprocess,theleaderneedstopatientlyreinforceit.

Howdoyouhandletheresistersonateam?Firstandforemost,understandwhytheyareresisting.Onceyouhavedeterminedthat,youcanformulateasolution.

Someresistershaveunexpressedconcernsabout issuesoutsideof4DX.Theyjustneedtobe

heard.More often, however, you encounter resisterswhose attitudes youwon’t change by hearing

themout.Theymaybeskepticalaboutanychange,cynicalaboutnewideas,fiercelyindependent,orconvincedthat4DXisexcessbureaucraticoverheadratherthanaresults-orientedoperatingsystem.

Iftheycontinuetoresist,youneedtorequiretheirsupportasmembersofateamthatislargerthan themselves. Usually, they will begin to see the results the rest of the team members areexperiencingandthen(sometimesreluctantlyandsilently)fallinlinewiththerest.

Whatarethemostcommonchallengesofrunning4DXeveryweek?

Howdoyoudealwiththem?Teams often face three challenges: performing consistently on lead measures, keeping thescoreboardcurrent,andattendingWIGsessionsregularly.

First, teammembershave tomentallydecouple theWIGsfrom leadmeasures,meaning thattheymust focusonconsistentandsuccessfulperformanceof the leadmeasuresbefore theyseethelagmeasuremoving.It’slikegoingtothegymeveryday:Youneedtoexercisepatiencebeforeyou see the changes that result from exercise. If team members are sporadic about theirperformanceagainstleadmeasures,theywon’tseetheimpactonthelagmeasures.

Second,teammembersmayfeelthatkeepingascoreboardcurrentisunnecessarybusy-work.Unless thescoreboard isupdated,nobodyknowsthescore—theycan’tsee if the leadmeasuresareaffectingthelags.Moreover,WIGsessionslosetheirpowerwithouttheresultsofteamworkmadevisible.

Third, WIG sessions get postponed or canceled and team interest starts draining away.Without regular WIG sessions, people lose focus and no longer feel accountable for theircommitments.TheWIGsessionmustbesacred.TeammembersmustcontributetothequalityoftheWIGmeetingbymakingcommitmentsthatimpacttheleadmeasuresandWIGsuccess.

Wehaveseensomanyprogramsdujour.Howdoweovercomeourskepticismandgetonboardwiththe4Disciplines?Manyorganizationsarerepeatedlyafflictedwithnewprogramsthatareinthespotlightonedayand forgotten thenext.Leaders looking for thenextmagicbullet thusproduce cynicism in theworkplace.AsStephenCoveylikestosay,“Youcan’ttalkyourwayoutofasituationyouhavebehaved yourself into!” Sowhen installing 4DX into a skeptical and disbelieving environment,start smallwithonlyone critically importantgoal thatwill trulymakeadifference to thedailylivesofpeople—totheemployeesandthequalityoftheirworklife.

Then,havingsetjustoneambitiousandcriticalgoal,beextradiligentincreatingscoreboards,updatingthemconsistently,andconductingweeklyWIGsessionstoprovetotheteamthattheyreallycanachievealevelofsuccessthey’veneverachievedbefore.

Striveforconsistencyintheprocessandaquickwin.Oncetheteamabsolutelyknowstheycangetsignificantlybetterresultsfrom4DX,youcansucceedatevenmoreambitiousgoalsforthefuture.

Does4DXneedtostartatthetopofanorganization?No,infact,itusuallydoesn’t.Mostoften,4DXstartssomewhereinthemiddle.Therearesome

obviousadvantagesiftheCEOisinvolvedrightfromthestart,butmanygreatseniorleadersorevenmanagers of small teamshave successfully launched theprocess. It can start comfortablyalmostanywhereandgrow.

Whileitwouldbegreatforallmembersofanorganizationtoalignwith4DXtodriveresults,itisn’tnecessary.However,a leaderwhosponsors4DXneedsresponsibilityfor lagmeasuresthataremeaningful touppermanagement. If4DX is togrowwithinanorganization, senior leadershavetocareabouttheinitialresults.

Whatifmybossisalwaysthrowingnewgoalsatme?Wegetthisquestionalot,andinalotofdifferentforms.Hereisthebottomline:Mostpeoplecan’tcontrolhowmanygoalsgetthrownatthem,buttheycancontrolwhichofthosegoalstheychoosetodrivewith4DX—thosefewtheyconsiderwildlyimportant.

Howdoyouimplement4DXinamatrixedorganization?The 4DX methodology neither requires nor suggests reorganizing any company, matrixed orotherwise.Whatisnecessaryiscooperationandaccountabilitymatching.

Forinstance,acompanywithaWIGtoincreasemarketsharemighthavetorelyonamatrixedsalesorganizationoperatinginmultiplegeographies:theUnitedStatesandCanada;CentralandSouthAmerica;Europe,theMiddleEast,andAfrica;andAsiaPacific,andsoon.ThesuccessoftheWIG depends on the cooperative performance of these geographically dispersed,matrixedsales organizations.A 4DX cross-functional team involved inmanager certificationwill ensurethateveryonewhocontributestotheWIGstaysfocusedontheWIG.

Organizational structure is often irrelevant to designating the right team to support aparticularWIG;itmighttakepeoplewithmanydifferentskillsetsfrommanydifferentpartsoftheorganization.

IfIrunasupportfunctionlikeHR,finance,orIT,howshouldIgoaboutselectingaWIG?WehavealwaysfoundthatitismucheasierandmoreeffectiveforthesupportorganizationstochoosetheirWIGsafterthelinefunctions(sales,production,andoperations)choosetheirs.Ifthelinefunctionsareclearontheirwildly importantgoals,asupportfunctioncanchooseWIGstohelpenabletheachievementofthelineWIGs.

For example, if the sales team’sWIG is tomove successfully to consultative selling, theHRfunctioncansetaWIGtoensurethateverysalespersongetsexcellenttraininginthenewmodel.Ifthefirm’sWIGistomoveaggressivelyintosocialmedia,shouldn’ttheITdepartmentwithitsunique expertise set aWIG to provide the best possible infrastructure for succeeding in socialmedia?

My team works several shifts, so we are never all together. How do I handle the weeklyaccountabilityWIGsession?Thekeyword in thequestionabove isaccountability.Theprimarypurposeof theweeklyWIGsessionistomaintainwithallyourteam’splayersacadenceofaccountability.

Thereare twoparts toaccountability.First, teammembersareaccountable toeachother tofulfillthepersonalcommitments(onlyoneortwoeachweek)thattheymake.Second,equallyifnotmoreimportant,eachteammemberneedsthepersonalsatisfactionandsmallwinofhaving

donewhattheysaidtheyweregoingtodoandreportingit.Thisisasubtleformofrecognitionthateachplayerreceiveseveryweekwhentheyreportontheircommitments.

Hence, every effort should bemade to give every teammember a chance to attend aWIGsessionortoaccountforcommitmentsinsomeway.

Withsplit shifts,a leadermightholdseveralWIGsessions to involveall teammembers. Ifateammemberworks the graveyard shift and the leader rarely seeshimorher, aweeklyphonefollow-upcanprovidetheopportunityforpersonalaccountabilityandfeedbackonhowtheteamisdoing.

HowdoweensurethatthemessageofourWIGisgettingallthewaythroughtheorganizationtothoseonthefrontlines?Oneofthebestmethodsforaddressingawarenessofthegoalisrepetition.Iftheleadersandthe4DX internal coach establish a regular practice of asking individual associates, “What’s ourWIG?”or“What leadmeasuresareyoufocusingon?”wordwill spreadquickly,andmoreandmoreassociateswilllearnandknowtheanswer.

HowdoweconductaweeklyWIGsessionwithteammemberswhoareseldominthesameplaceatthesametimeandwhohaveabigwhirlwindtodealwith?RememberthattheteammembersinaWIGsessionneedonlyfromtwentytothirtyminutesperweek,andthoseinaWIGHuddleonlyfivetosevenminuteseachweek,soit’snotasignificantinvestmentoftime.

YoucanholdtheWIGsessionrightbeforeorafteranexistingmeeting,orwhenthegreatestnumbercanattend.Youcanthenmeetindividuallywiththosewhocannot.

RememberthiskeydisciplinethatdrivesfocusandaccountabilityfortheWIG:Everymemberoftheteammustbeinanaccountabilitysessionaroundthescoreboardeveryweek.

Howdowegetaresistingmanagertofullyadopt4DX?Theleaderisthebestresourcetohelpdealwiththisissue,whichshouldberaisedbythecoachasaclear-the-pathitem.Mostoften,aprivatediscussionwiththemanagerissufficienttoresolvetheproblem.

Requireallmanagerstoreportontheiradherencetotheprocess.Askthemtoreport:

Teamlagmeasureresultsfortheweek

Teamleadmeasureresultsfortheweek

WIGmeetingheldandattendancepercentage

Percentageofteamcommitmentsfulfilled

Personalcommitmentforlastweekandresults

Personalcommitmentfornextweek

Whenreluctantmanagersareheldpubliclyaccountablefortheseresults,andwhentheyhearothermanagersreportingsuccess,theywillalmostalwaysrespond.

Sustainabilityof4DXWhattypesofrecognitionworkbesttokeepourteamsengaged?Thetypesofrecognitionthathavethegreatestimpactinclude:

•Publicrecognitionof individualperformance.Everyonewants toberecognizedfortheircontribution, especially in front of their peers. Awards like Execution Leader of theWeek or Top Performer This Week are greatly appreciated. Just be sure that thecriteriaforwinningarefairandconsistentlyapplied.

•Publicrecognitionof teamperformance.Ateamawardfortheweekormonth,suchasLeaders in LeadMeasures for the highest lead-measure performance, can also driverealbehaviorchange.

•Publicrecognitionofexecution launch.Atrophyforfastest launch,bestscoreboard,orbestWIGsessioncanhelptolockintheperformancebehaviorsthatdriveresults.

• Meaningful celebration. As we’ve said, taking time to meaningfully celebrate teamperformanceisessentialtokeepingpeopleengaged.Thepriceofpizzaoricecreamisfar outweighed by the returns on a small celebration, combined with a meaningfulmessagefromtheleader.

HowdoIkeepcomingupwithnewandfreshcommitmentseachweek?Aleadershouldbeatnolosstocomeupwithfreshcommitmentsbecausetheteam’sexecutiondiscipline can always be improved. The discipline of working on the system ultimatelydistinguishesaleaderfromanindividualcontributor.Whilethismayseemchallengingatfirst,itwillsoonbecomeanexcitingpartofyourroleasyoucometoseetheimpactyoucanhave.

Whileindividualcontributorsmakecommitmentstodrivetheleadmeasures,themosteffectivecommitmentsaleadercanmakewillleverageandimprovethecapabilitiesoftheteam.Soinsteadofmakingdirectcommitmentstotheleadmeasures,the leadermakescommitmentsthatenabletheentireteamtomovetheleadmeasures.

Asoneofourclientssays:“Leadersdonotgetpaidforwhatleadersdo.Leadersgetpaidforwhattheycangetotherstodo.”

Ifyou’restrugglingforideas,committodosomethinginoneoftheseareas:

•Training.Therewillalwaysbeteammemberswhoneedtobetrainedorreengagedonthebestpracticesoftheteam.Chooseateammemberandtrainorcoachtheindividualinaspecificskillduringthecomingweek.Thiscommitmentmightalsohelpyoutostayatthetopofthegame.

•Engagingtheteamforhigherperformance.Oneof themostpowerfulpracticesofhighexecution leaders is engaging the team in a two-way dialogue about the team’sperformanceand their ideas formaking itbetter.By listeningand then implementingthe team’s ideas, the leader not only improves performance but also increasesengagement. In thisway, not only does the teamdo better, but each individual feelsvalued and respected, which adds even more emphasis and enthusiasm to theirperformance.

•Recognitionandmodeling.Identifytopperformersandrecognizetheminfrontoftheirpeers. Everyone wants tomodel winners. Recognition shows the team the behaviorsandlevelsofperformancetheleadervalues.Recruittopperformerstocoachothers.

Asaseniorleader,whatitthemostimportantthingIcandotosustain4DX?Themost important contribution a senior leader canmake is to remain focused on the wildlyimportantgoalandresisttheallureofyournextgreatidea.Remember,therewillalwaysbemoregoodideasthancapacitytoimplement.Yourfocusbecomestheorganization’sfocus.

Second, ensure that you aremodeling the process.Over time, your practices—not just yourwords—willhavethegreatestinfluenceontheteamsyoulead.

Third, follow the suggestions made throughout this book for recognition of outstandingperformancebybothindividualsandteams.

Over the past year, we did everything right. We created WIGs and measures and executedmaniacallyweekafterweek,butwe’renotseeingresults.Whatnow?Remember that aWIG is like a strategic bet.When you set aWIG, you’re betting on a newproductorservice,oranewapproachtoaproblem.Andthenyoumakeanexecutionbet—youdefine the critical activities and lead measures and perform those activities relentlessly, in allconfidencethatthestrategicbetwillpayoff.

Butsometimesitdoesn’tpayoff.Thereisnosuchthingasabrilliantstrategyuntilitactuallyworks. It’s not a brilliant new automobile until it sells like hotcakes in the market. It’s not abrilliantnewway to improve studentachievementuntil the school shootspastoldachievementlevels.Youaremakingabet.Ofcourse,itshouldbeaneducatedbet,butitisstillabet.

An insurancecompanymadea strategicbetonanewkindof insurancepolicy targetedatanewmarket.Theydevisedtheapproachingreatdetail,andralliedthesalesforcetofullyengageinthecriticalactionstorealizethegoal.Theyworkedmaniacally,movingthe leadmeasuresonthescoreboardseveryweekexactlyaccording toplan.But, sixmonths into it, the lagmeasureshadn’tmoved.Well,duringthistimeaveryintensecompetitorhaddevisedalower-costproductanddelivereditinaleveraged,electronicway.Thecompetitorhadmadeamuchbetterstrategicbet.

So, while maintaining your confidence and enthusiasm, set your WIGs with humility andawareness.Placethebeststrategicbetsthatyoucan.Butkeeponeeyeonyourscoreboards,andtheothereyelookingoveryourshoulder.

We’vemadefastprogressonourWIGanditnowseemslikelythatourteamwillexceedit.Shouldweraisethegoal?First, congratulations. It’s always exciting when a team realizes they will meet or exceed theirWIG.

Whenthishappens,thefirstreactionofaleaderisoftentoraisethegoal.Whiletheintentionof this decision is good (to drive the team to higher performance), it can disillusion the team.Unless the change is handled carefully, the team will lose their sense of accomplishment anddisengage from the new, higher goal. Then reengaging the team is more difficult than initiallylaunching4DX.

Herearethethreemostlikelyscenariosandhowtodealwiththem:

•Thegoalwassetfartoolowandtheteamhasalready(orwillsoon)exceedit.Inthiscase,

theright thingtodo is tocongratulate the teamfor theirperformanceandthentakefullresponsibilityforsettingthegoalincorrectly.Ifpossible,engagetheteaminsettinganewWIGatalevelthatwillchallengethemwhilestillbeingrealistic.

•The goal was set correctly but the team exceeded the leader’s expectations and met itearly.Inthiscase,congratulateandrewardtheteamfortheiroutstandingperformanceanddeclaretheoriginalWIGsuccessfullymet.Then,setanewWIGfortheremainingperiodoftimewithanewXtoY.Unlessyoucelebratetheirsuccess,teammemberswillconcludethattheyarerunningaracewherethefinishlineisalwaysmovingoutfasterthantheycanrun,andtheywilldisengage.Socelebratetheirsuccessandtheninvolvetheteaminsettingthenewstretchgoal.

•Yourgoalwassetcorrectly,butyoubenefitedfromawindfall.DeclaretheWIGachievedandmoveontoanewWIGwithoutdelay.Otherwise,yourteamwillfalterinadopting4DX. Remember, your goal is not just to achieve the WIG but to build a high-performanceteam.

4DXProcessTipsandTrapsHowdoyouknowwhenit’stimetochangealeadmeasure?It’sdangerous to changea leadmeasure tooquickly.Most teamsbegin looking foranew leadmeasurewhen they reachaplateauon the scoreboard. If the leader responds too soon, all themomentumof the leadmeasurewillbe lost, and the teamwill startoveragainwhengiving theoriginalmeasuremoretimemighthavemadethedifference.

Beforeabandoningaleadmeasure,considertheseimportantquestions:

•Istheleadmeasuremovingthelagmeasure?Ifso,becarefulaboutchangingsomethingthat’sworking.

•Isthelagmeasuremovingenough?Ifnot,youmightconsiderraisingthestandardforperformanceontheleadmeasurebeforechangingit.Remember,theleverhastomovealotfortherocktomovealittle.

• Is the scorekeeping on the leadmeasure accurate? If not, the teammay have a falsesenseofthevalueoftheleadmeasure.

•Hastheteamachievedtheleadmeasureforatleasttwelveconsecutiveweeks?Thisistheminimumtime,inourexperience,neededforateamtoformahabit.Ifnot,theysimplydon’tknowyetwhatconsistentperformancewillbringabout.

• Will the performance of the team remain if we remove the lead measure from thescoreboard?Ifnot,it’slikelybettertostayfocusedontheleadmeasureuntilitbecomesahabit,solongastheleadmeasureismovingtheWIG.

Rememberthatthebig-pictureaimof4DXistoestablishanewstandardofconsistencyandexcellenceinsomeareaoftheteam’soperation,thentosustainitlongenoughtomakeitahabit.

Whatiftheleadmeasureismovingbutthelagisn’tmoving?Thisisnotuncommon,especiallyasyoufirstbegin4DX.Herearethreepossibleexplanations:

•Often,itjusttakestime.Wecan’ttellyouhowmanytimeswehaveseenadelaybetweentheleadandthelag.

• The team might not be consistently moving the lead measure. With all the energyinvestedinthenewleadmeasure,peopletend(consciouslyorunconsciously)togamethesystemalittle.Besurethatthemeasurementsareaccurateandthatpeoplearenotjustshowingyouwhatyouwanttosee.(This isonereasonweareveryleeryoftyinganykindofcompensationtoleadmeasures.)

•The leadmeasure just isn’tpredictive.Consider thisexplanation lastbecause it’softenthefirstconclusionpeoplejumpto.Ifinfacttheleadmeasureistrulynotmovingthelag, it’s time to reexamine your assumptions.We have seen organizations lay to restbeliefs long held but never questioned or tested. Another possibility is that externalconditionshavechangedsoradicallythattheleadmeasurenolongerapplies.

Howdoyouknowifyouhaveagoodleadmeasure?First,wewantameasurethatispredictive,whichistosaythatitisnotonlycorrelatedbutcausal,notsimplynecessarybutsufficienttomovelagmeasurefromXtoYwithinthetimeframe.

LookatthesetwocontrastingleadmeasuresforaWIGtoincreasesales:

A.Salesrepresentativewillmakexnumberofvisitsaweektoaclient.

B.Salesrepresentativewillmakexnumberofvisitsaweektomovethetargetedclientoneormoretiersdownthesalescycleasdefinedbyoursalesperformancemodel.

ChoiceAiscorrelatedtotheWIGandnecessaryforitsachievement,butcomparedtoChoice

Bitisn’tspecificenoughtobeasufficientcauseofincreasedsales.Second,wewanttherightfrequency.Areweactingontheleadmeasureoftenenough?Isitthe

rightthingtodo,butwejustneedtodomore(orless)ofit?Arethreeclientvisitsaweektherightnumber?Four?Theonlywaytoknowisbytestingthemeasure.

Foryears,majordrugcompaniesfieldedhugesalesforcesbecausetheybelievedthemoreoftendoctorswerevisited,themoretheywouldprescribetheirproducts.Doctorssoongotwearyofthefloodofvisitors;manybanishedsalespeoplefromtheiroffices.Thefrequencyoftheleadmeasurewasallwrong.

Third,wewantaleadmeasurethatwillmotivatehigh-qualityperformance.Areweputtingourbestandfinesteffortintotheleadmeasure?IfI’masalesperson,amInotjustmakingsalescallsbutmakingexcellentsalescallsasdefinedbytheteam?

Somedrugcompaniesfinallyaskedthefrustrateddoctorshowtheycouldhelpthemmost.Thedoctorsreplied,“Helpuslearnthesciencebehindyourproducts.”Asaresult,themajorsadoptedanewsalesmodel.Manypharmaceuticalsalespeoplearenowresearchscientistswithamissiontoeducate rather than to push products. The leadmeasure of sales success in that industry haschangedradically.

If themeasure is predictive, done at the right frequency, anddonewithquality, youhave a

goodleadmeasureandshouldseemovementintheWIGovertime.

Howshouldwealigncompensationtosupport4DX?Thereisnooneanswertothisquestion.

If your organizational culture and compensation plan rewards performance against clearlyarticulatedobjectivesatall levels, thencompensationalignedtoachievingWIGswouldbebothappropriateandexpected.Thisplanwillfurtherreinforcetheimportanceof4DXasanoperatingsystemforachievingresults.

Ifyourcurrentcompensationplanisnotalignedtoperformance,compensationforachievingWIGscanstillbea soundpractice.Note,however, that thepurposeofacompensationsystemshouldnotbetogettherightbehaviorsfromthewrongpeople,buttorewardtherightpeople inthefirstplace,andtokeepthemthere—thisisthelessonJimCollinslearnedinhisresearchforGoodtoGreat.PayforperformanceonWIGsworksfine,aslongasyouhavetherightpeopleontheteam.

Can4DXsupportourperformancemanagementsystem?Itdependsonthesystem.

4DXwillsupportasystemthatemphasizesperformancetospecifiedgoalsandmeasureswithinestablished time frames.Personaldevelopmentplans canbealigned toachievingWIGs—if, forexample,aWIGrequirespeopletodevelopcertainnewskills.

Insomecases,ourclientshavereplacedannualperformancereviewswithWIGsessions,whichthey feel aremore immediate andmore useful for gauging the performance of teammembers.Othershaverepurposedperformancereviewstoassessanindividual’scontributiontoWIGs.Stillothers continue to hold traditional performance reviews in addition to the 4DX accountabilitysystem.

I’m having trouble determiningwhetherwe aremaking high-quality commitments eachweek.Canyoutellmewhatdefinesagoodcommitment?Ahigh-qualitycommitmenthasthreecharacteristics:

• Specific. Don’t settle for a commitment such as “I’m going to focus on upselling.”Instead,pushformorespecifics,suchas“I’mgoingtocoachthreeteammembersonhowtoproperlyupsellourpremiumwines.”

•Aligned.EnsurethateverycommitmentalignstotheWIG.Don’tacceptacommitmentfrom the whirlwind. Eachweek in theWIG session, each teammember answers thefollowingquestion:“WhatcouldIdopersonallythisweekthatwouldhavethegreatestimpactonachievingourWIG?”Thisquestionshouldgenerateaweeklystreamofnewandbetteranswerstomatchthechangingprioritiesoftheteam.

•Timely.Makesurethecommitmentcanbecompletedinthecomingweek.Watchoutformulti-weekcommitments.Bewaryofthe“I’mmakingprogress”answer.

Isthereanythingwecandotodrivehigherperformanceonaleadmeasurebeforewechangeit?Yes.First,youarewisetosensethattheperformancethatdrivesyourinitialresultswon’tworkat the same level indefinitely.Thekeyhere is tomakecarefuladjustments thatwill continue to

driveperformance.Considertheseideasforadjustingleadmeasures.

•Raisethebar.Iftheteamhasaleadmeasurefor90percentperformance,challengethem

todrive it to 95 percent.Often, a small increase yields a disproportionate result andkeepstheteamreachingforahigherlevel.

•Raisethequality.Ifateamismeetingitsleadmeasureperformancestandard,suchastenupsell conversations per person, then focus on raising the quality of those upsells.Create a best-practice script, have team members role play during the meeting, orrecognizethosewhosequalityisoutstandingandinvitethemtocoachothers.

•Create a linkage. If a leadmeasure has been fully adopted by a team, you can gainadditional results by linking it to a closely related additional behavior. In a retailenvironment, thismightmean linking thebehaviorof greeting every customerwithintensecondsandwalkthemtotheproducttheywant.Thisslightexpansionoftheleadmeasure behavior can yield significant results and is far less disruptive than creatingandinstallinganewleadmeasure.

Whatshouldwedowhenaleaderisonvacation?ShouldwecanceltheWIGsession/huddle?No. Consistency and accountability are the most powerful drivers of performance. When thecadence of theWIG sessions is interrupted, the team’smomentum is lost.Even in the leader’sabsence,theperformanceoftheteammustcontinue.

Iftheleaderisabsent:

1.Chooseanindividualtoleadthemeeting—asupervisororaseniormemberoftheteam.Someteamsrotatetheleadershiprolefromweektoweek.

2.Preparethemforsuccessinyourabsence—taketimetocommunicatetheimportanceofthisresponsibilityandreviewtheWIGsessionagendawiththem.

3.Recapanddebriefwhenyoureturn—askforareviewof thesessionwiththesubstituteleaderas soonas you return.Take time to thankand congratulate themonhandlingthisimportantresponsibility.

Isitagoodideatohavemorethanonecoach?Absolutely.Withtwocoachesormore,theycansharetheworkloadofcoachingtheleadersandgetbackuporalogicalreplacementifacoachmovesontodifferentresponsibilities.

Ifyoubringonasecondcoach,besuretoretaintheprimary,sothatyoucanensurethattheadviceandcoachingareconsistent.

ManufacturingTeamsCan4DXbeusedtosupportmethodologiessuchasleanmanufacturingandSixSigma?Yes. One of the world’s largest carpet manufacturers used a customized form of 4DX to runcertaingreen-andblack-beltteams.The4DXteamscuttheirprojectcompletiontimebyalmost50percent.

Theyfoundthatprojectdelayswereduetothelackofinvolvementbyteammemberstrappedinthewhirlwind.TheSixSigmaworkwasbeingpushedbacktotheblackbeltsandtheprojectswereboggingdown.When they ran theirSixSigmaprojectswith visible 4DX scoreboards andheldaweeklyWIGsession“toeattheelephantonebiteatatime,”notonlywascompletiontimecutnearlyinhalf,buttheteammembershadfunwinningthegame.

4DXcanalsoensureadoptionofthenewprocesschangesthatresultfromaSixSigmaproject.Inthiscase,4DXisusedtodriveachangeinbehavior,whichitwasdesignedtodo.

HighTech/ScientificTeamsCanyouofferanylessonsorwatch-outsforleadingateamofhighlytechnicalpeople(whoareoftenskeptical)through4DX?Mosttechnicalindividualsarehardwiredtoassessrisk,identifygaps,andinnovatetogetviablesolutions. They are under pressure to deliver on schedule within budget, to exceed customers’moving expectations and changing requirements, and to anticipate future needs—all under thethreat of being outsourced. They relish challenges, and they build their careers on analyzingproblemsandcreativelysolvingthem.

Ifyoutrytoimpose4DXonthemas iftheydon’tmatter,theywilldigtheirheels in.Unlikemostgroups,theytendtostrugglemoreandtakelongerwithDiscipline1.Theideaofdrawingalineinthesand—settingWIGsandmeasuresinplace—isoftenveryfrustratingforthembecausetheycanseeallthethingsthatcangowrong.Wehavefoundthatifwetakeourtimehereandletthemworkthoughitandkeepremindingthemofthebigpicture,theywillgetthere.

ThegoodnewsisoncetheygetthroughDiscipline1,theyexcelatDisciplines2and3.Itfeelslikeapuzzletothem,andthat’stheirstrength.

Howdoweapply4DXtocreativeorintuitiveprocesseslikeR&D?Wehaveseen4DXappliedtomanysuchteams,fromR&Dgroupsatpharmaceuticalcompaniesto squads of journalists. There is always the initial hesitation: “What we do can’t really bemanagedwithsomethinglikealeadmeasure.”Butwehaveneverfoundthattobethecase.The4DXprocess tests theircreativity,challengingthemtofigureoutwhat it isaboutwhat theydothat is both influenceable and predictive. You can never tell creative people what their leadmeasuresoughttobe,butyoumightbesurprisedwhattheycomeupwith.

Whatkindsofleadmeasuresyieldthebestresultsforthesekindsofteams?Wehavefoundverypowerfulleadmeasurestendtocomefromthetouchpointsorthehandoffwithinatechnicalorcreativeenvironment.Forexample:

•Increasedinteractionandcommunicationearlierinthedevelopmentprocess

•Sharingofknowledgewithothers

•Midstreamprocesschecks

• Key stakeholder discussions to assess changing requirements with developmentunderway

SalesTeamsHowcan4DXhelpusexecuteournewsalesprocess?4DXisextremelyeffectiveinhelpingpeopleadoptanewsalesprocessbecauseitallowsthemtofocus on specific high-leverage aspects of the process and really get those embedded beforemovingontosomethingelse.Thediagramonpage150isagoodexampleofthis.

Salesissuchanintuitiveprocessformostprofessionalsthatlayingaprocessoveritneverfeelscomfortable.Thefirsttimeitdoesn’tworkoutwell,theyoftenabandontheprocessandgobackto what they think works for them. The problem is they are usually trying to eat the wholeelephantatonce.4DXnotonlyprovidesavehicleforcoachingandaccountabilitybutalsohelpsasalespersontogetgoodattheprocessonebiteatatime.

Howdoyougetasalesteamtocommittoaweeklymeeting?Unless the sales team is held consistently accountable,middle performerswill not dial up theirgame. Salespeople especially need the structure 4DX provides. The process gets sales teamssharing insights into what works, which is essential in a profession in which everyone believesthey’realreadydoingalltherightthings.

Don’tmostsalesteamsalreadyhavesomeformofleadmeasures?In our experience,whilemost sales teamsmeasure aspects of their sales pipeline, existing salesmeasuresdon’tworkasviable leadmeasuresbecause theyarenotdirectly influenceableby theteam.

Sales managers are often focused on measures that will give them better forecasting(predictability),butthesearenotusuallyinthecontrolofthesalesforce.Apredictivebutnon-influenceablemeasuredoesnotgiveasalesteamtheleveragetheyneed.

Ofallpeople,salesmanagersarethemostintenselyfocusedonlagmeasures:quarterlyvolume,weekly bookings, and yearly revenues. Too often, their idea of management is to call teammembersonthephoneanddemandthenumbers.Therefore,ofallpeople, theyare themost inneed of effective lead measures. Once equipped with them, sales managers can truly make adifference:Theycancoach,train,andmentorpeopleonthebehaviorsthatdriveresults.

GovernmentandMilitaryTeamsDoes4DXadd value in amilitary culture that is alreadybasedonahighdegreeof disciplineandexecution?Themilitaryhasalreadywrittenthebookontheartofexecution—incombat,thatis.Theyknowhow to win battles and stay radically focused despite the fog of war (the whirlwind), but thegarrisonmilitary—thatis,outofcombat—isswampedbybureaucraticrules,resourceconstraints,andfamilydemands.Theyaredriven toservedozensofmerelyurgent taskswhiledisregardingtrulyimportantgoals,suchasteamreadinessorpersonaldevelopment.Ourmanymilitaryclientsoftensay,“It’sironicthataunitincombatcanproducemiracles,butthesameteaminpeacetimebecomesdisengaged.”

4DX is an effective system for reengaging themilitary.Thesearepeoplewhowant to serve.They are mission oriented. The concept of the wildly important goal energizes them, andaccountabilityissecondnaturetothem.

How do you setWIGs in a government organizationwithmany outside stakeholders pulling it inmanydifferentdirections?Governmentoperationsdon’talwaysseemdesignedtomaximizeresults.Ateveryturn,thereisatendencytoberiskaverse.Oneofourclientsrecentlyremarked,“Ourgovernmentisdesignedtomakechangeveryhardandrewardsbehavioryoumightcallgoodenoughforgovernment.”Often,the various checks and balances that are in placemake settingWIGs seem almost impossible.Impassioned leadersmay have visionary strategic plans and announce them in town halls, butsustainedbehaviorchangeisincrediblydifficultwhentheemployeesreturntotheirdayjobsandfacethewhirlwind.

Leaders in public service must spend much more time promoting the WIG with allstakeholders, especially the employees. Involvement in defining the WIGs helps engage theirmindsandheartsonceadopted.Once the employeesare engagedandgiven theopportunity tosharpenandvalidatetheleader’sintent,thentheWIGsneedtobesharedwiththecustomerswhoreceivetheservices.It’smuchmoreworkandthereisriskinbeingsobold,butit’saformulathatproducesdramaticresults,aswe’veseeninthestoryofB.J.WalkerandtheStateofGeorgia.

Howcanimplementing4DXincreaseemployeeengagement?4DXisasystemnotonlyforreachingbiggoalsbutalsoforincreasingemployeeengagementandsatisfaction.

Usually,employeeengagementisgaugedthroughsurveysabouttheworkplace,theleadership,and the culture. Let’s see how 4DX principles affect these typical measures of employeeengagement:

SurveyCategory SurveyQuestion 4DXPrinciple

MeasurableGoals

Iknowwhatisexpectedofmeatwork.

Wildlyimportantgoalsandleadmeasurescreateclearexpectationsofmeasurableresults.

Iunderstandhowmyeffortscontributetoouroverallsuccess.

Weeklycommitmentsclearlyconnectindividualeffortstoorganizationalgoals.

MentoringandCoaching

Theorganizationencouragesmypersonalandcareerdevelopment.

WIGsessionaccountabilityprovidesregularandfrequentfeedbackonperformance.

Ireceivetimelyand

constructivefeedback.

Communication

Leadershipcommunicatesandexplainskeydecisions.

IntheselectionandcommunicationofWIGs,leadersdiscussandclarifywhat’smostimportanttotheorganization.

Theorganizationvaluesmyopinion.

ThroughteaminvolvementinsettingWIGsandtheweeklycadenceofaccountability,everyteammember’svoiceisrepeatedlyheard.

Iknowwhat’shappeningintheorganizationbecauseleadershipkeepsmeinformed.

ConductingWIGsessionsandsummitmeetingscommunicatesandcelebratesteamperformance.

PositiveWorkEnvironment

Ienjoycomingtowork.

Belongingtoateamwithwinningmindsetandacultureofaccountabilityraisesmoraleandenjoymentofthework.

Iregularlyreceiverecognitionorpraiseformycontributions.

WIGsessionsandreportsprovidemanyopportunitiesforhighrecognitionofindividualandteamperformance.

Everyindividualisabletoseethateveryoneisheld

Iamtreatedfairlyatwork.

accountableinanequalandfairwayforfulfillingthecommitmentstheymake.

IndividualandTeamAccountability

Individualsonmyteamareheldaccountableforresults.

WeeklycommitmentsaccountedforinWIGsessionsapplytoeveryone.

Leadershipfollowsthroughontheirpromises.

LeadersgofirstinaWIGsessionandcandidlyreporttheirownfollowthroughoncommitments.Leadersareasaccountableasanyoneelse.

OpportunityandAdvancement

IhavetheresourcesIneedtodomybestwork.

InweeklyWIGsessionsteammemberscanaskleadersandpeerstoclearthepathofanobstacleorproblem,ensuringthateachindividualisabletosucceed.

BecausetheteamisalignedaroundaWIGandpursuingleadmeasureswithsharedaccountability,teamcooperationandsynergyaremaximized.

TrustItrusttheleadersofourorganization.

Sharedaccountability,sharedcommitments,andopencommunicationcreateaclimateof

trust.

BringingItHome

Changeishard.Ifyou’veever tried to loseweight, improveyourmarriage, stopsmokingordrinking, starta

newrelationship,developahobby,orfinishthatdegreeyou’vebeenworkingonforeightyears,youknowwhatwemean.

In this chapter,wewant tobriefly showhow theseprinciples of teamexecution canalsobeusedtohelppeoplechangetheirlivesandaccomplishsomeimportantpersonalorfamilygoal.

Ithappensall the time.Peopleapproachusaftera4DXworksession, lookaroundtomakesurenooneislistening,andwhisper:“Doyouthink4DXwouldworkinmypersonallife?”

Our answer? Absolutely. Although we didn’t set out to find a better way to accomplishpersonalgoals,wediscoveredthat4DXisaprofoundmethodologyforachievinganygoalofanykind,whetheratworkorathome.Notsurprisingly,theprinciplesoffocus,leverage,engagement,and accountability, which undergird each of the disciplines, seem to work at any level, be itorganizational,team,orpersonal.

Take the case of JeffreyDowns, a colleague of ours.After helping numerous organizationsapply4DX,Jeffreycouldn’tresistsharingtheinsightshewaslearningwithhiswife,Jami.Onherownaccord,Jamidecidedtoapplythemtoaverypersonalmatter.

•••

Whenmy husband, Jeff, showedme the 4Disciplines of Execution, I knew I could use thoseprinciplesinmypersonallife.Ialreadyhadacomplexlife,butnowthatIwaspregnantwithourseventhchildIknewIhadmyworkcutoutforme.Inordertokeeppaceandstayinshape,Ihadtodosomethingdifferent.

Decidingonmywildly importantgoal tooka lotof thoughtandenergy,even though itnowseemssosimple.IdecidedthatmyWIGwouldbe,“Don’tgainmorethanthirty-sixpoundsbyOctober9th.”

Naturally,Iknewthatthetwowaystoreachmygoalwerethrougheatingandexercising.OurfamilyhadahealthydietandsoIwasn’trealconcernedaboutthefood.Instead,IfocusedontheexercisepartandIchoseoneleadmeasure:“Walktenthousandstepsperday.”Sure,thereweremany other things I could have focused on; however,with thewhirlwind of six children and ahusbandwho is on the road three days aweek, thiswas the leadmeasure that I thoughtwaschallengingbutdoabletogettomyWIG.

Whattranspiredoverthenextninemonthswastrulyremarkable.Inolongerfocusedonmyweight.Isimplyfocusedonwalkingbyparkingfarawayinthegrocery-storeparkinglot,walkinginsteadofdrivingtomychildren’sschool,orgettingupearlytowalkwithfriendsormyhusband.WheneverIhadanopportunitytowalk,Iwalked.

Figuringoutasimplescoreboardwasmorechallenging thanI thought.At first, I startedbytryingtographmyprogress.Thatdidn’twork.So,Itriedacomputerspreadsheet,butitwastoohard to consistently find computer time.What finally distilled out of all these attempts was ascoreboardthatIhungonmybathroommirrorthathadfourcolumns:theday,thenumberof

stepsIneededtotakethatday,theactualstepsIhadtakenthatday,andtheoveralltotalsteps.InasimpleglanceIcouldtellwhereIwas,whereIneededtobe,andwhetherIwaswinningorlosing.

The key tomy scoreboardwas notwhere Iwas, but ratherwhere I should be.This set thescoreboard apart from any other scoreboard I had ever kept. In the past I just kept track ofwhereIwas.NowIwaskeepingtrackofwhereIwascomparedtowhereIshouldbe.Andthatmadeitagame.

Thewholefamilygotinonthegame.MychildrenwouldaskmeifIhaddonemytenthousandsteps.MyoldestdaughterwouldwalkwithmewhensheknewIwastired.Myhusbandwasmyaccountability partner and he and I would go over the scoreboard and I would makecommitmentsonwhatIwasgoingtodothenextweektokeepwalking.

Something amazing happened during all of this that was completely unexpected. When IlearnedthatIwaspregnantwithourseventhchild,oneofmyconcernswasthatmytimewithmyother children would suffer. I thought and prayed a lot about this and didn’t know how thisconcern would be answered. But, by focusing on the simple task of walking, an activity thateveryonewasawareofandeveryonecouldparticipatein,myrelationshipswithmychildrenandmyhusbandwereactuallystrengthened.Fromtoddlertoteenagereveryonecouldwalkwithme,andasaresult,Igrewclosertoeach.

Forexample, Idida lotofwalkingand talkingwithmyoldestdaughter.We talked throughdifficulties she was having with her friends, what college she wanted to attend, and how herboyfriendwastreatingher.WithmyotherchildrenIlearnedabouttheirjoysandstruggles,whattheythoughtabouthavingalargefamily,andhowtheyfeltaboutanewbaby.WithmyyoungestIestablishedastrongbondwhichIcherishtothisday.

Whentalkingwithmyhusbandabout the4Disciplines,hewouldoftenrefer to theancillarybenefitsoffollowingthem,butIneverrealizedhowsignificantthatwouldbeinmylife.IntheendIdidachievemywildlyimportantgoal,gainingfewerthanthirty-sixpounds.IntheprocessItook1,751,250 steps. More important, I strengthened family relationships and on October 4, Ideliveredahealthybabyboy.

•••

Asyoureadthisremarkablestory,wehopeyouwereabletospotsomeofthesameinsightswenoticed.

First,Jamiwassmarttonarrowherfocustoonlyoneleadmeasure.ToachieveherWIGofnotgainingmorethanthirty-sixpoundssheknewsheneededtofocusondietandexercise.Butbecauseshealreadyateahealthydiet,watchingwhatsheatewasn’tnecessary.Sowhytrackit?Itwouldonlyaddcomplexity.Instead,shechosetofocusonthesinglenewanddifferentbehaviorshethoughtwouldmakethedifference,walkingtenthousandstepsperday.There’sagoodlessonhere.Insomecases,thebestthingistofocusonthesinglething(leadmeasure)youneedtododifferentlythatwillmakeallthedifference,insteadofthemany.

Next, the key ingredient onher scoreboardwas thewhere-I-should-be column. If youdon’tknowwhereyou shouldbeatanygivenmoment, it ishard to tell if youarewinningor losing.Alwaysknowingwhereyouareinrelationtowhereyoushouldbeisoneofthekeyaspectsofacompelling scoreboard.AsJamialso learned, finding the right scoreboard,a scoreboard that ismotivating and simple and easily updatable, is not easy. In our experience, this is wheremost

peoplegetstuck.TheycomeupwithagoodWIG,definealeadmeasureortwo,andthenneverpaythepricetoputupthescoreboard.Thenthewholethingfallsapart.Don’tletthathappentoyou.

Finally,thereispowerinpublicaccountability.Jami’shusbandwasherofficialaccountabilitypartner,butherkidswereeverybitasinvolved.Wheneveryousetapersonalgoal,yourchancesfor success go way up as soon as you involve others in your goal and have them hold youaccountable.

One of our clients tells the touching story of his five-year-old son Clay, who just couldn’tovercomeabedwettingproblem.Thefamilyhadtriedalotofthings,buttheproblempersisted.“Hewouldwakeupinthenightandnotmakeittothebathroom,”hisdadsaid.

“Aftergoingthrough4DXtraining,Ihadalightbulbgooff.Thateveningatthedinnertable,ClayandIstartedtotalkabouthowweweregoingtohelphimmakeitthroughthenightwithoutwettinghisbed.Wewouldmakeacalendarforeverydayof theweekandgoforamonthatatime.Weputthecalendarontherefrigeratorsothathismotherandhisbrotherscouldseetheresults.

“EverymorningafterthatClaywouldcomedownforbreakfastandhewouldreportwhetherhewaswetordry.Wehadagreencrayonandaredcrayon.Claywoulddrawagreensmileyfaceor a red frowny face depending on how he had fared the previous night. Of course, the firstmorninghedrewagreenfacethewholefamilymadeabigdealofitandgavehimhighfivesandsoon.Afterafullweekofgreenswemadeitreallyspecialbygoingforicecream.Withinthirtydays,Claywassleepingthroughthenightandwasdry!

“Itseemssosimple,butthefactthatClaypostedascoreboardandwouldreporttothefamilyeverymorning—inacadenceofaccountability—madeitsoimportanttohimthathetookitveryseriously.”

Here’safunscoreboardcreatedbyoneofourclientswhowantedtoloseeightypoundsinasix-monthperiodbeforehisson’shigh-schoolgraduation.Hisleadmeasures:

•Walkfivemilesperday

•Noeatingaftereightintheevening

•Limitintaketo2500caloriesperday

HeachievedhisgoalandthensetanotherWIGtodropfifteenmorepoundsbeforehisbelovedhockeyseasonsohecouldgetoutandplaywithhiskids.

Of course, 4DX is about more than just turning around a tough situation. It’s also aboutachievingyourhighestgoalsandaspirations.

One of our colleagues sets three WIGs for himself at the beginning of each year—oneprofessionalgoal,onefamilygoal,andonepersonalgoal.Hecarefullyidentifieshisleadmeasures,tracks his scoreboard, and spends thirty minutes each week evaluating progress on his priorcommitmentsandsettingnewcommitmentsforthecomingweek.Throughthispracticeheisabletostaybalancedandaccomplishagreatdeal.

Weknowofpeoplewhohaveused4DXtoachieveallkindsoflifegoals:runningamarathon,finishing a degree, learning a new sport, even blending two families. Some of theWIGswe’veheardaboutareprofoundlypersonal.

Another colleaguehas several younggrandchildren.Hehasadeeply feltpersonalWIG thattheyshouldallknowthathelovesthemandthattheycanturntohimforanything.Ofcourse,thelagmeasureiskindofhardtopindown.Whenasked,helaughs,“IcantellI’mwinningiftheyrunupandhugmeinsteadofrunningawayfromme.”

Hisleadmeasureisveryclear,however.“Ihaveastrictpersonalpolicyofspendingtimewitheach one of them every week.” On weekends, he might be at the dinosaur museum, theplayground,orthesoccerfieldwatchingthemplay.EveryyearhetakesthemtobuypumpkinsforHalloweenandtotheamusementparkandtheRenaissanceFairinthesummer.Henevermissesthebirthdayparties.Sometimeshejustshowsupintheeveningtoreadabedtimestoryortwo.

Hisstrategicbetisthatcarefulattentiontothisleadmeasurewillreapdividendsforever.“Thelag measure already moves—you should see it move!” he says. “Whenever they see me, theyscreamandgiggleandthrowthemselvesatme.Doyouthinkanythinginthisworldismorewildlyimportanttomethanthat?”

Another friendofours,marriedwithchildren, relateshowheworkedonapersonalWIGofimprovingthecultureofhisfamilyoveranentireyearbutfeltlikehemadelittleprogress.Hehadseveral lead measures but none of them seemed to be working. In a moment of clarity, herecognizedthatthesinglebestwayhecouldimprovethefeelinginhishome,theculture,was“to

lovetheirmother.”Inotherwords,heneededtodoabetterjobofshowinghiskidshowmuchheadored his wife, their mother, through kindness, gentleness, and small acts of service. So thissinglemeasurebecamehisfocus,and,asherelates,itimmediatelymadeallthedifference.“Seeingthelovewehadforeachotherasmomanddadseemedtocascadegoodfeelingsuponthekidsanduponhome ingeneralandresolveamultitudeofothereverydaychallengesour familywasfacing.”

Somanyofthewildlyimportantthingsinourlivesnevergettheattentionweshouldgivethembecausetheyaren’turgent.Caringforourhealth,helpingourchildren,gettingmoreeducation,strengtheningourmarriage—thesethingstendtotakesecondplacetothewhirlwindofurgenciesthatrequireourattentionrightnow.

AccordingtoDr.RayLevey,founderoftheGlobalMedicalForum,80percentofourhealth-carebudgetisconsumedbyfivebehavioralissues:smoking,drinking,overeating,stress,andnotenough exercise. The cause of most disease, he says, is very well known and by and largebehavioral.Justchangingthesefivebehaviorswouldeliminateourhealth-carecrisis.

LINK:http//www.4dxbook.com/qr/GoalSetting

Even after life-threatening heart attacks and strokes, people generally don’t change theirbehavior. “[It’s] been studiedover andover andover again.And sowe’remissing some link inthere.Eventhoughtheyknowtheyhaveaverybaddiseaseandtheyknowtheyshouldchangetheirlifestyle,forwhateverreason,theycan’t.”30

Could it be that the missing link is an operating system for changing human behavior—asystemlike4DX?

Dowethink4DXcanapplytoyourpersonallife?Ouranswerisaresoundingyes!Infact,wethinktheprinciplesinthisbookcanhelpyoutoachieveanygreatpurposeyouhaveinmind.

So,NowWhat?

Nowthatyou’vefinishedreadingThe4DisciplinesofExecution,yourmindmightbespinning.Ifyou’relikemostpeople,somuchaboutthe4DXoperatingsystemisnotinyourDNA.Tomostpeople, it’s counterintuitive tomanage things thisway.To somepeople it seems too simple; toothers,waytoocomplex.

Atthesametime,webelieveyou’llbenefitdramaticallyfromexperimentingwith4DX.Infact,we believe that once you understand the 4Disciplines ofExecution, youwill never lead in thesamewayagain.Yearsoftrialanderrorhaveconvincedusthattheartofexecutioncomesdowntothehandfulofprinciplesandpracticesinthisbook.

Actually,wehopeyourmindisspinning—withpossibilities!Thequestionis,nowwhat?Weinviteyoutotryafewsimplethoughtexperiments—theywon’ttakelong:

Discipline1:FocusontheWildlyImportantIfyouhaven’talreadydoneso,tryyourhandatdraftingawildlyimportantgoalandlagmeasureforyourworkteam.Askyourselfthesequestions:“IfweachievedthatWIG,whatwoulditmeantomyteam?Tomyorganization?Tomyself?”

Discipline2:ActontheLeadMeasuresTrydraftingleadmeasuresthatwoulddriveyourWIGtoaccomplishment.Askyourself:“Howwouldthisnewunderstandingofleadmeasureschangethewayweoperate?”

Discipline3:KeepaCompellingScoreboardSketchascoreboardcompletewithWIG, lagmeasure,and leadmeasures.Askyourself:“Whatdifference would it make if we focused our best efforts on moving the numbers on thatscoreboard?Whatimpactwouldithaveontheteam?Onourbusinessresults?”

Discipline4:CreateaCadenceofAccountabilityVisualize your teamholding aWIG sessionaround the scoreboard.Askyourself: “Howwouldregular, frequent WIG sessions change the way we operate? How would our focus andengagementchange?”

Finally…Envisionforyourselfthedayyoureporttheachievementofyourwildlyimportantgoaltoyourownleaders.Whatwouldthatdaybelikeforyourteam?Foryou?

Now,imaginethatdaynevercomes.Imagineyouforgeteverythingyou’vereadinthisbook.

Consider spending the future in themidst of a relentlesswhirlwindwhere everything is alwaysurgentandthereallyimportantprioritiesareforeverpostponed.

ThegreatmanagementscientistPeterDruckerobserved,“I’veseenagreatmanypeoplewhoare magnificent at getting the unimportant things done. They have an impressive record ofachievementontrivialmatters.”31

Butyoudon’twanttobemagnificentlytrivial.Youwanttomakearealdifference.Youwantto make a high-value, high-impact contribution. The 4 Disciplines of Execution can take youthere.

Ifwecanhelpyoumoveforwardinanyway,we’reready.But remember, theachievementofyourwildly importantgoal isnot theonlyobjectivehere.

4DX gives you knowledge and skills to do something farmore important in the long run—toreignitethepassionofyourteam,tobringfocusanddisciplinetotheirefforts,andultimately,tohelpthemseethattheyarewinners.

Inyourcareer,youwillneverleaveagreaterlegacythanthis.Instillingthissenseofwinninginthepeopleyouworkwithwillnotonlydriveanewlevelofperformanceinyourorganization,butwillalsoequipthesepeoplewiththeskillsandconfidencetheyneedtobecomewinnersineveryphaseoftheirlives,asworkers,asfathersandmothers,orasleadersintheircommunities.Andthat’salegacythatcan’tbemeasured.

Glossary

4DX:Anabbreviationforthe4DisciplinesofExecution.4DisciplinesofExecution:Anorderlypatternofconductthatleadstoachievementofan

organizationalgoalwithexcellence.The4Disciplinesarebasedondeepresearchandfieldwork,aswellasfundamentalprinciplesofhumanbehavior,andareproprietarytoFranklinCoveyCo.

Accountability:Theabilitytoreportprogressorlackofprogressusingnumbers.“Battle”:Withinthecontextofthe4Disciplines,anenablingorsupportingWIGownedbya

lower-levelteam.Theprincipleistoidentifythefewestpossible“battles”towinthe“war.”“BeatingtheGoat”:Thepointatwhichaleadmeasureonascoreboardis“ontarget,”i.e.,

whereitshouldbeaccordingtoplan.Theexpressioncomesfromascoreboardcreatedbya4DXpractitioneronwhichthesymbolofagoatisusedtorepresentaleadmeasure.

Behavioral-ChangeStrategy:Astrategythatrequirespeople—sometimesmanypeople—todothingsthatarenewanddifferent.Becauseofthedifficultyofchanginghumanbehavior,suchastrategyisusuallymuchmoredifficulttoexecutethanastroke-of-the-penstrategy(seeentry).

CadenceofAccountability:Arecurringcycleofplanningandaccountingforresults.DisciplinedexecutionofWIGsrequiresacadence—arhythmofplanning,follow-through,andreporting.ThiscycletakestheformofaWIGsessionatleastweekly.

Champion:Theorganizationalsponsorofthe4Disciplinesprocess.“ClearingthePath”:Takingownershipofandresolvingaproblemorobstacletoachievingthe

WIG;helpinganotherteammembertoaccomplishanobjective.OneofthepurposesoftheteamWIGsessionistoplanhowto“clearthepath”toexecution.

Coach:Apersonwell-versedinthe4Disciplineswhoactsasaresourcetomanagersinstallingthe4Disciplinesintheirteams.

Commitment:Withinthecontextofthe4Disciplines,anindividualteammember’sweeklycontributiontoachievingaWIG.

Dashboard:Acollectionofscoreboardsbywhichseniorleaderscanreadilygaugeprogressonkeyorganizationalmeasuresandadherencetothe4Disciplines.Anexampleismy4dx.com(seeentry).

Discipline:Aconsistentregimenthatleadstofreedomofaction.Withoutconsistentdiscipline,theteamlosestheabilitytoachieveWIGswithprecisionandexcellence,thuslosinginfluenceandscopeforaction.

Discipline1:FocusontheWildlyImportant:Thepracticeofdefiningcrucialgoalsandnarrowingtheteam’sfocustothosegoals.WorkteamswhopracticeDiscipline1aretotallyclearonafewWIGsandthelagmeasures(seeentry)forthosegoals.

Discipline2:ActontheLeadMeasures:Thepracticeofconsistentlycarryingoutandtrackingresultsonthosehigh-leverageactivitiesthatwillleadtoachievementofWIGs.WorkteamswhopracticeDiscipline2areclearontheleadmeasures(seeentry)oftheirgoalsandtrackthemcarefully.

Discipline3:KeepaCompellingScoreboard:Thepracticeofvisiblytrackingkeysuccess

measuresonagoal.WorkteamswhopracticeDiscipline3arecontinuallypreoccupiedwithmovingthemeasuresonthescoreboard.

Discipline4:CreateaCadenceofAccountability:ThepracticeofregularlyandfrequentlyplanningandreportingonactivitiesintendedtomovethemeasuresontheWIGscoreboard.WorkteamswhopracticeDiscipline4makeindividualandcollectivecommitmentsandaccountforthosecommitmentsinweeklyWIGsessions.

Execution:Thedisciplineofgettingthingsdoneaspromised—ontime,onbudget,andwithquality.What“executives”arehiredtodo!

ExecutionGap:Thegapbetweensettingastrategyoragoalandactuallyachievingit.ThisgapisexpressedintermsoffromXtoYbywhen(seelagmeasure).

FromXtoYbyWhen:Theformulaforexpressinglagmeasures,trackingmovementfromacurrent“X”toabetterormoredesirable“Y”withinacertaintimeframe.Thisformulaisessentialtounderstandingexactlywhatitmeansto“win,”toachievetheWIG.

Goal:Anytargetexpressedintermsoflagmeasures(seeentry)thatrepresentsimprovementintheorganization’sperformance.

ImportantGoal:Agoalwithsignificantconsequenceandvalue.Comparetowildlyimportantgoal(seeentry).

LagMeasure:ThemeasureofgoalorWIGachievement.Ahistoricalmeasureofperformance,e.g.,end-of-yearrevenue,qualityscores,customersatisfactionnumbers.Lagmeasuresaretypicallyeasytomeasurebutdifficulttoinfluencedirectly.AlagmeasureisalwaysexpressedintermsoffromXtoYbywhen.

LeadMeasure:ThemeasureofanactionplannedandtakenasameanstoachievingaWIG.Unlikelagmeasures,leadmeasuresareinfluenceablebytheteamandpredictiveofthegoal.Goodleadmeasuresarethehighest-leverageactivitiesateamcanengageintoensureexecutionoftheWIG;therefore,leadmeasuresarecarefullytrackedontheteamscoreboard.Theleadmeasuresconstitutetheteam’s“strategicbet”thatiftheytakethesemeasurestheywillexecutethegoalwithexcellence;thus,onepurposeoftheexecutionprocessistotesttheleadmeasurestodetermineasquicklyaspossibleifthebetisagoodone.

LineofSight:Therelationshipbetweengoalsateachlevelofanorganization,e.g.,thelinkbetweenthedailytasksofafront-lineworkerandtheoverallstrategyoftheorganization.Teamsinawell-executingorganizationhaveclearlineofsightatalllevels.

ManagerCertification:AprocessinwhichmanagersgainthedocumentedabilitytoleadateamtoachievingaWIGbyimplementingthe4DisciplinesofExecution.

ManagerWorkSession:Asessioninwhichpeermanagersareorientedtothe4DisciplinesofExecutionanddraftWIGsandmeasuresfortheteamstheymanage.

Mission:Theorganization’sorteam’spredefinedpurposeorreasonforbeing.AWIGisoftenagoalessentialtocarryingouttheorganization’smissionorstrategy(seeentry).

My4DX.com:Anonlinetoolformanaging(1)adherencetothe4Disciplinesacrosstheorganizationand(2)achievementofteamandorganizationalWIGs.

Project:Aplannedundertakinginvolvingdefinedsteps,milestones,andtasks.AprojectmaybeundertakeninordertoachieveaWIG,buttheprojectitselfisnotaWIG.

Scoreboard:AmechanismfortrackingprogressonleadandlagmeasuresforaWIG.Itshould

bevisibletotheentireteamandconsistentlyandregularlyupdated.Ascoreboardis“compelling”ifitindicatesquicklyandclearlywhethertheteamiswinningornot,thusmotivatingaction.

“StrategicBet”:Thehypothesisthatcertainhigh-leverageactivitieswilldrivetheachievementofagoal.Thishypothesismustbeproventhroughexecution(seeleadmeasure).

Strategy:Aplanormethodforachievingthemissionoftheorganizationorteam.AWIGisagoalessentialtocarryingouttheorganization’sstrategy.

Stroke-of-the-PenStrategy:Astrategythatleadersexecutejustbyorderingorauthorizingittobedoneandthatgenerallydoesnotrequirealotofpeopletodothingsdifferently;contrastwithbehavioral-changestrategiesthatrequirepeopletodonewanddifferentthings.

Summit:AperiodicreporttoseniormanagementonprogressonWIGs.Itprovidestheteamanopportunitytoberecognizedandtocelebratetheirsuccess.

Team:AgroupofpeoplespecificallydesignatedtoachieveaWIG.Ateammayormaynotbealignedwithaformalorganizationalchart.

TeamWorkSession:Aworksessioninwhichteamsfinalizetheirgoalsandmeasuresandcommittomaintainingacadenceofaccountabilityfortheirgoals.

“War”:Withinthecontextofthe4Disciplines,asynonymforthehighest-levelorganizationalWIG.Compareto“battle”(seeentry).Alsocalled“theoverallWIG.”

“Whirlwind”:Ametaphorfortheenormousamountoftimeandenergyrequiredtokeeptheorganizationatitscurrentlevelofperformance.The“whirlwind”isthemainthreattotheexecutionofWIGs;therefore,oneoftherecurringtasksoftheworkteamistoplanhowtoclearthepaththroughthewhirlwindofdemandsoneveryone’stime.

WIG:Abbreviationforwildlyimportantgoal(seeentry).WIGSession:Ateammeetingheldatleastweeklytoaccountforcommitments,reviewWIG

scoreboards,andplanhowtoimprovethescoresonthescoreboards.TheregularWIGsessionisessentialtomaintainingthecadenceofaccountability,whichiskeytoexecutingWIGs.

WildlyImportantGoal:Agoalessentialtocarryingouttheorganization’smissionorstrategy.Failuretoachievethisgoalwillrenderallotherachievementssecondary.(AbbreviatedWIG.)Comparetoimportantgoal(seeentry).

WorkSession:AmeetinginwhichWIGs,measures,andscoreboardsaredevelopedforcarryingoutkeyorganizationalstrategies.

Notes

TheRealProblemwithExecution1PatrickLitre,AlanBird,GibCarey,PaulMeehan,“ResultsDelivery:BustingThreeCommon

MythsofChangeManagement,”Insights,Bain&Company,Jan.12,2011.http://www.bain.com/publications/articles/results-delivery-busting-3-common-change-management-myths.aspx.

2SeeRafaelAguayo,Dr.Deming:TheAmericanWhoTaughttheJapaneseAboutQuality(NewYork:Simon&Schuster,1991),57–63.

3TimHarford,“Trial,Error,andtheGodComplex,”TED.com,July20,2011,http://www.ted.com/talks/tim_harford.html.

4SeeWhoSaysWeCan’t?FranklinCoveyvideo,2005.

Discipline1:FocusontheWildlyImportant5JohnNaish,“IsMultitaskingBadforYourBrain?”MailOnline,Aug.11,2009.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1205669/Is-multi-tasking-bad-brain-Experts-reveal-hidden-perils-juggling-jobs.html.

6CitedinDonTapscott,GrownUpDigital(NewYork:McGraw-Hill,2009),108–9.7“BrandoftheDecade:Apple,”AdWeekMedia,2010,http://www.bestofthe2000s.com/brand-

of-the-decade.html;“MarketeroftheDecade:Apple,”AdvertisingAge,October18,2010;AdamLashinsky,“TheDecadeofSteve,”Fortune,November23,2009,http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2009/11/23/toc.html.

8DanFrommer,“AppleCOOTimCook,”BusinessInsider,February23,2010,http://www.businessinsider.com/live-apple-coo-tim-cook-at-the-goldman-tech-conference-2010–2.

9CitedinStevenJ.Dick,“WhyWeExplore,”http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/whyweexplore/Why_We_29.html.

10“TextofPresidentJohnF.Kennedy’sRiceMoonSpeech,”September12,1962.http://er.jsc.nasa.gov/seh/ricetalk.htm.

11Quotedin“SteveJobs’MagicKingdom,”BloombergBusinessweek,February6,2006.http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_06/b3970001.htm.

Discipline2:ActontheLeadMeasures12QuotedinAguayo,Dr.Deming,18.13RichardKoch,The80/20Principle:TheSecrettoAchievingMorewithLess(NewYork:

CrownBusiness,1999),94.14KeithH.Hammonds,“HowtoPlayBeaneBall,”FastCompany,December19,2007,

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/70/beane.html;MichaelLewis,Moneyball:TheArtofWinninganUnfairGame(NewYork:W.W.Norton,2004),62–63,119–137.

15JohnSchamel,“HowthePilot’sChecklistCameAbout,”January31,2011,http://www.atchistory.org/History/checklst.htm.

Discipline3:KeepaCompellingScoreboard16TeresaM.Amabile,StevenJ.Kramer,“ThePowerofSmallWins,”HarvardBusiness

Review,May2011.

Discipline4:CreateaCadenceofAccountability17SeeJonKrakauer,IntoThinAir:APersonalAccountoftheMt.EverestDisaster(New

York:AnchorBooks,1998),333–344.18See“Everest,”FranklinCoveyvideo,2008.19JackWelch,SuzyWelch,Winning(NewYork:HarperCollins,2005),67.20FromAtulGawande,Better:ASurgeon’sNotesonPerformance(NewYork:Metropolitan

Books,2007).21PatrickLencioni,TheThreeSignsofaMiserableJob(SanFrancisco:Jossey-Bass,2007),

136–7.22EdwardM.Hallowell,CrazyBusy(NewYork:RandomHouseDigital,2007),183.23SuzanneRobins,“EffectivenessofWeightWatchersDiet,”Livestrong.com,December23,

2010.http://www.livestrong.com/article/341703-effectiveness-of-weight-watchers-diet/

WhattoExpect24M.C.Vos,etal.,“5yearsofexperienceimplementingamethicillin-resistantStaphylococcus

aureussearchanddestroypolicyatthelargestuniversitymedicalcenterintheNetherlands,”InfectionControlandHospitalEpidemiology,October30,2009.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19712031.

InstallingDiscipline1:FocusontheWildlyImportant25QuotedinClaytonM.Christensen,“WhatCustomersWantfromYourProducts,”Working

Knowledge,HarvardBusinessSchool,January16,2006.http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5170.html

InstallingDiscipline2:ActontheLeadMeasures26JimCollins,“TurningGoalsintoResults:ThePowerofCatalyticMechanisms,”Harvard

BusinessReview,July-August1999,73.

InstallingDiscipline4:CreateaCadenceofAccountability27JohnCase,“KeepingScore,”Inc.Magazine,June11998.

http://www.inc.com/magazine/19980601/945.html28EricMatson,“TheDisciplineofHigh-TechLeaders,”FastCompany,1997.

RollingOut29AtulGawande,TheChecklistManifesto:HowtoGetThingsRight(NewYork:Metropolitan

Books,2009),183.

BringingItHome30QuotedinAlanDeutschman,“ChangeorDie,”FastCompany,May2005,53.

So,NowWhat?31QuotedinRichKarlgaard,“PeterDruckeronLeadership,”Forbes,November19,2004.

http://www.forbes.com/2004/11/19/cz_rk_1119drucker.html

Acknowledgments

ThisbookistheproductofcontributionsfromliterallydozensupondozensofpeoplefromtheFranklinCoveyorganization.Ournamesareonthisbook,butwerecognizethattherearemanyotherswhoarejustasdeserving.Thistrulywasacompany-wideeffortandembodieseverythingweteachaboutsynergy,wherethewholeisgreaterthanthesumofitsparts.Somanycontributedin so many different ways. Some were instrumental in the design and development of the 4Disciplines content. Others refined themethodology through continual application in the fieldwithclients.Stillothersaddedanideaoraninsightoranewwayofviewinganoldproblem.Itseemedthateverytimeweweremissingapieceoftheexecutionpuzzle,someoneshowedupwhohadtheanswer.Thebatonwaspassedagainandagainasdifferentpeopleleddifferenteffortstocommercializeandscalethisexecutionbusinessaroundtheglobe.Ourheart-feltgratitudegoestoeveryonewhohascontributedtothissuccessandparticularlytothefollowingindividuals:

JimStuart,foryourextraordinarycontributiontoFranklinCoveyoveraperiodofmanyyearsasaseniorconsultantandforsharingtheprinciplesofexecutionwiththerestofus.Withoutyou,there isno4Disciplines.Thankyouforyourgreatone-linersandforcoiningthe terms“wildlyimportant,” “landoneat a time,”and“compelling scoreboard,” amongothers.Weare foreverindebted.

BobWhitman, our CEO, who recognized years ago that execution was a big idea and thensteeredus inthatdirection.Yourfingerprints, language, ideas,and influenceareall throughoutthisbook.Wesoappreciateyourvisionaryleadershipandsupport.

The original design and development team (consisting of Andy Cindrich, Don Tanner, JimStuart,andScottLarson),whoconceivedanddevelopedtheoriginal4Disciplinescontent fromscratch.Wealsowishtothankthesubsequentdevelopmentteamsthatfollowed,whichincludedToddDavis,BreckEngland,CatherineNelson,BlaineLee,andLynneSnead.

Mark Josie, for building the initial execution practice, helping to crack the code onimplementation, and creating the vision and strategy behind my4dx.com software. Weacknowledge your heavy influence on the content and appreciate your pioneering efforts ingettingthissolutionofftheground.

BreckEngland,ourChiefWritingOfficer,forcontributinggreatlytothedevelopmentofthe4Disciplinescontentandforyourremarkabletalentsinhelpingtheauthorstowriteandeditthisbook.Yourcontributionsraisedthisbooktoawholedifferentlevel.

Andy Cindrich, a key member of the original design and development team, for yourcontributionstothecontent,andforthetrulyexcellentworkyouhavedoneandcontinuetodowithyourclientsinexecution.

ScottThele,foryourhelponthe“FocusingtheOrganization”chapterandyourcontributiontotheExecutionPractice.

Doug Puzey, for helping us crack the code on implementation and building our first 4DXPractice.

JeffWadsworth,forthoughtleadershipandcontentcreation.Michael Simpson, for your contribution on applying 4DX to project management and

manufacturing.Michele Condon, for your constant management support, passionate encouragement, and

keepingeveryonesane.CatherineNelson,forleadingthechargeonearlyversionsof4DXincludingthedevelopmentof

ManagerCertification.ToddDavis, for leading the version 2.0 development team and for pointing out that people

“playdifferentlywhenthey’rekeepingscore.”SamBracken,ourgeneralmanageroverbooksandmediaatFranklinCovey,forreestablishing

our relationship with Simon & Schuster, negotiating the rights for this book, and for yourcontinualsupportthroughoutthelifecycleofthebook.

Our publishing team at Simon & Schuster, Carolyn Reidy, Martha Levin, and our editor,DominickAnfuso, for your enthusiasm and belief in thiswork and for your ongoing efforts tomarketittoeveryoneunderthesun.

JodyKarr,CassidyBack,andtheCreativeServicesteamatFranklinCovey,forhelpingwiththenumerousgraphicsinthebook.

DonTanner,amemberof theoriginaldesignteamandoneofourbestconsultants, foryourearlycontributionstothecontent.

Richard Garrison, for your work on 4DX coaching and for enhancing the implementationprocess,aswellastheexcellenceyoubringtoyourconsultingandtoourclients.

RebeccaHession,foryourclientleadershipandextraordinaryinnovations.DavidCovey,foryourexceptionalsupportandcommitmenttoourteamovermanyyears.ShawnMoon,foryourleadershipandyourguidanceoftheExecutionPractice.ScottLarson,fordoingagreatjobastheprojectleaderoftheoriginaldevelopmentteam.BillBennett,ourformerdivisionPresident,forchallengingusatthebeginningto“gooutand

buildtheworld’sbestsolutiononthetopicofexecution.Idon’tcareifyoubuyitorbuildit,justdoit.”

Doug Faber, for your help in expanding the practice and for your many innovativecontributions.

TomWatson,JeffDowns,RickWooden,andLanceHilton,foryourleadershipintheExecutionPractice.

PaulWalker,MariannePhillips, andEliseRoma, for your organizational support overmanyyears.

ToStephenM.R.Covey,forhelping,intheearlydays,identifythatExecutionwastheissueofourtime,andtoGregLink,whoofferedmuchwisecounselinhelpingtolaunchandmarketthebook.

ToScottMillerandCurtisMorley, foryourguidanceandsupport inhelpingtodevelopandexecuteasuperblaunchplanforthisbook.

ToDebraLund,foryourencouragementandfriendship,andfortheunbelievablewayinwhichyou,onceagain,roundedupsomanygreatendorsementsfromallover.

LesKaschner,JamesWestern,ChrisParker,HarveyYoung,De’VerlAustin,CoralRice,WayneHarrison,KellySmith,CraigWennerholm,GarryJewkes,RickSpencer,BryanRitchie, andPepeMiralles,foryourinnovationanddedicationtoclientresults.

Index

Pagenumbersinitalicsrefertoillustrations.

accountability,6,41,77–102,77,78,297–98calendarofweeklyWIGsessions,89–91,90creatingacadencefor,85–89,91creativity,innovationand,96–99defined,77–78Discipline4installationand,171–93andengagement,91–93executionand,13–14,15,77–78,77,78personalvs.organizational,93–96scoreboardvisibilityand,70–71teamfocusand,83–85,84weeklyWIGsessionsand,79–83,83,267–68WIGsessionrecommendedagenda,82–83

Aesop,43Alderson,Sandy,56–57Amabile,Teresa,76AMD(company),xixandonchartscoreboards,159,159anonymityintheworkplace,92–93Apple,25,29Armstrong,Lance,10–11automating4DX,194–205,194

acrosstheorganization,203–5,203,204capturingthegame:executiondashboardsand,195–201,195,196,197,198,199,200,201,

204–5,204,298my4dx.comaselectronicscoreboardfor,194–95,194,197–98,203,204,204,300,317–18WIGsessionsand,201–3,202

Azar,AlexM.,II,xxv–xxvi,3,4

Bain&Company,4–5barchartscoreboards,158–59,159Baruch,Bernard,252Beane,Billy,56–57“beatingthegoat,”72,72,297behavioralchange,2–5,4,12,16–17,31

4DXinstallationand,107–13,107,109,110,111,112,113getting-clearphaseof,107–8,107launchphaseof,108–9leadmeasureand,144–45,144

organizationsand,240andperformanceduringinstallation,113–17,117strategiesfor,2–5,4,9,12,16–17,31,297

BethesdaMarriott,1–2Bob(bakerymanager),61–62Bob(teammember),178brainstorming,118–19

cadenceofaccountability,seeaccountabilityCase,John,171–72Chicago,Ill.,224Christensen,Clayton,xix–xxiiClay(five-year-old),289–90“clearingthepath,”298Clive(regulatoryaffairsdivision),124–25coachesandcoaching,258,259–61,278–79,298Collins,Jim,141Comcast(FreedomRegion),222–26,258commitment,5

Discipline4and,14Discipline4installationand,173,173,179–82,182,183,184,185,186–87,186WIGsessionsand,82–83,83,89–91,90,173,173,277

Cook,Tim,29Cooper,Stephen,174–75Covey,StephenR.,16–17,30,265Covington,Alec,209–16,259

on4DXimplementation,210–16onWIGsessions,211–12,214

Cyrix,xix

dashboards,execution,195–201,195,196,197,198,199,200,201,204–5,204,298Deming,W.Edwards,5,49Discipline1,10–11,23–43,45,102,294,298

focusingtheorganizationand,34–38,35identifyinggoalsfor,32–34installationof,118–35leadershipchallengesof,27–31,30,33–34,36narrowingfocusongoals,23–27,23,24,27NASAspaceprogramand,38–41,39,40specific“finishlines,”41–42,42andthewhirlwind,24,25,30–31,30,31,32–33

Discipline2,11–12,44–64,45,102,295,298definingleadmeasuresfor,50–58,51,53,146–51,147,149,150installationof,136–54lagvs.leadmeasures,46–48,47

leadmeasuresandengagement,61–64,63leadmeasuresascounterintuitive,48–50leverageaskeyprincipleof,44,52–55,58,60trackingleadmeasuredata,58–61,59,146–47

Discipline3,12–13,65–76,102,295,298characteristicsofcompellingscoreboards,70–74,72,73creatingawinnablegamewith,73–744DXandteamengagement,74–76installationof,155–70objectivesof,65–69,65,67,69teamperformanceand,65–69,69,72–73

Discipline4,13–15,77–102,295,298–99commitmentand,14executionand,13–14,15,77–78,77,78installationof,171–93weeklyWIGsessionsneededfor,79–83,83,267–68

Dixon,Jim,105–7,188–91,190Downs,Jami,286–89Downs,Jeffrey,286–87,288,289Drucker,Peter,295

EBITDA,214engagement:

DaveGrissenon,221–224DXandteammorale,74–764DXemployeesand,74–76,283,283–85impactofwinningon,75–76leadmeasuresand,61–64,63scoreboardsand,12–13,65,67–69,67,69teamperformanceand,270–71WIGsessionsand,91–93

ETEC,174–75Everest,Mt.,79–80execution,10–21,21

accountabilityand,13–14,15,77–78,77,78commitmentand,14andfocusongoals(WIGs),10–11howthisbookisorganized,17–19leadmeasuresand,11–12problemsandchallengesof,1–9scoreboardsand,12–13strategysessions,317andthe“whirlwind,”6–9,7,10,15–16

executiondashboards,195–201,195,196,197,198,199,200,201,204–5,204,298executiongap,299

finishlines,specific,41–42,42,152,241–46,243,244,245,246,2484DisciplinesofExecution(4DX),2,9–10,16–17,21,296,297

across-the-organizationinstallationof,251–62adoptionprocessatinstallation,110appliedtopersonalgoals,286–93,290,292automationof,194–205behavioralchangeatinstallationof,112–14challengesofrunning,265compensationplansand,276creativityand,280andemployeeengagement,74–76,283,283–85focusingorganizationsonWIGs,235–50frequentlyaskedquestionsabout,263–85implementationof,207–8,209–34,253–55,263–85installationwithyourteam,103–17Jami’spersonalexperiencewith,286–89keynotespeakersresource,318launchphaseofinstallation,108–9,109,269inmatrixedorganizations,266–67optimizationprocessatinstallation,111–12,111performancemanagementsystemsand,276processtipsandtraps,273–79settingcleargoalsatinstallation,107–8sustainabilityof,269–73andteamengagement,74–76transformativepowerof,99–102,99understandingtheDisciplines,17–19wheretoinitiate,266

4DXimplementationpractices,209–34byAlexCovingtonandNashFinch,209–16byB.J.WalkerandGeorgiaDepartmentofHumanServices,226–34,227byDaveGrissenandMarriottInternational,Inc.,216–22,216byLeAnnTalbotandComcast,222–26

FranklinCovey,xxi,18,52,75,155,187,217,227,2524DXresourcesfrom,317–18

Gawande,Atul,252GaylordEntertainment,96Gaylordhotels,245GeneralElectric(GE),86GeorgiaDepartmentofHumanServices,1,2,2,226–34,282GlobalMedicalForum,292glossaryofterms,297–301goals,seeWIGs(WildlyImportantGoals)governmentandmilitaryteams,281–82

Grafman,Jordan,26GreaterChicagoRegion(GCR),222–23,226Grissen,David,216–22

on4DXimplementation,216–22,216oninfrastructure,220–21onleadership,219–20onmethoddesign,218–19

Grove,Andy,xix–xx

HAIs,seehospital-acquiredinfectionsHallowell,Edward,96Harford,Tim,9HarrisInteractive,9HarvardBusinessReview,76HarvardBusinessSchool,xix,xxHerzberg,Frederick,75–76hightech/scientificteams,279–80Hilger,Brian,1–2,3Hill,Pete,60hospital-acquiredinfections(HAIs),116,148HurricaneKatrina,66

immeasurementintheworkplace,92–93Inc.magazine,171–72IncreaseLikelihoodtoRecommend(LTR),246Innovator’sDilemma,The(Christensen),xixinstallingDiscipline1,118–35

assessmentquestions:didyougetitright?,135definingtheWIG,128–32,128,129,130discoveryquestionsabout,121–22,122gettinginput,119rankingideasbyimpact,123–26,123,124selectingtherightWIG,118–22,119testingtopideasfor,126–27,126topdownorbottomup?,120–21,120WIGbuildertoolfor,133,133–34

installingDiscipline2,136–54,136assessmentquestions:didyougetitright?,154consideringpossibleleadmeasures,140–41,140definingleadmeasuresfor,146–51,147,149,150deliverableleadmeasures,151–52,152LeadMeasurebuildertoolfor,153,153–54rankingleadmeasuresbyimpact,141–43,142testingtopideasand,143–46,144twotypesofleadmeasures,137–39,138,139

installingDiscipline3,155–70assessmentquestions:didyougetitright?,170buildingascoreboard,163–64choosingascoreboardtheme,157–60,157,158,159designingascoreboard,160–68,160,161,162,164,165,166,167,168,257,258motivationincreasedby,155–57,156Scoreboardbuildertoolfor,169scoreboarddeliverability,168–69

installingDiscipline4,171–93assessmentquestions:didyougetitright?,193commitmentand,173,173,179–82,182,183,184,185,186–87,186commonpitfallsin,182–83keystosuccessfulWIGsessions,187–88Store334successstory,188–91,190teamleaderstrategiesand,183–87,184,185,186whathappensinaWIGsession?,175–78,176whatisaWIGsession?,172–74,173andthewhirlwind,171–72,174,180,181,182–83,184,185–86,188whyholdWIGsessions?,174–75,174WIGSessionAgendaToolfor,192

installing4DX,103–17,117acrosslargerorganizations,251–62adoptionprocessof,110,110changinghabitsfor,112–13,112,113executionwithcoachingand,258,259–61frequentlyaskedquestionsabout,263–85launchphaseof,108–9,109,269movingthemiddle,113–17,114,115,117optimizationprocessof,111–12,111performanceand,113–17potentialfailurepointsof,261–62settingcleargoals,107–8,107six-stepprocessof,255–59,256stagesofbehaviorchange,107–13,107,109,110,111,112,113teamlaunchmeetingsand,257–58trainingprogramstofacilitate,252–55,255whattoexpect,105–7inyourorganization,207–34

Intel,xixInternet,203iPhone,29irrelevanceintheworkplace,92–93

Jeff(teammember),183–85Jobs,Steve,25,43

Jones,Danny,243

Karen(teammember),178,180Keith,Arthur,237,243Kennedy,JohnF.,39,40–41KhumbuIcefall,79Kim(teammember),177–78,180,202–3Koch,Richard,53Krakauer,Jon,79Kramer,Steven,76

lagmeasures,15,37–38,53,63,131–32,136,136,299data,59–60,59,67defined,11–12,128–29,129goalachievementand,44,45,45,46,51vs.leadmeasures,46–50,47,136,136scoreboardindicatorsof,71,161,166XtoYbywhen(formula),299

leadercertification,253–54,255,257,261–62,299,317leadership,52,98

challenges,27–31,30,33–34,53–56,62,98,100,117,271commonmistakesof,263–644DXinstallationprocessand,255–59lagmeasuresand,48–49quarterlysummitmeetingsof,258–59trainingfor4DXinstallationand,252–55,255vetopowerand,36

LeadMeasurebuildertool,153leadmeasures,44–48,44,45,46,59,136–37,140,176,299

assessingqualityof,275–76assessmentquestions:didyougetitright?,154consideringpossibilitiesin,140–41,140ascounterintuitive,48–50defining,50–58,51,53,146–51,147,149,150deliverabilityof,151–52,152Discipline2installationand,155–70andengagement,61–64,63executionand,11–12impactedbyWIGsessions,84,84,85,88,97,98vs.lagmeasures,46–48,47measurabilityof,145–46process-oriented,149–51,150projectmilestonesand,151quantitativeandqualitativestandardsfor,148–49,149rankingbyimpact,141–43,142

scoreboardindicatorsof,66,69,71,158,159,161,162,164,165,166–67,166,167testingtopideasfor,143–46,144trackingdatafor,58–61,59,146–47twotypesof,137–39,138,139whentochange,273–75,277–78

Lencioni,Patrick,92leverage,44,52–55,58,60,84,243leveragedbehaviors,138–39,139Levey,Ray,292Levitt,Theodore,131LillyUSA,LLC,xxv–xxvi,2,2linefunctions,267lineofsight,299–300

McChesney,Mark,91–92McNeil,James,98MajorLeagueBaseball,56–58managercertification,300managerworksession,300manufacturingteams,279Marilyn(surgicalnursingunitleader),107–13Marriott,J.Willard,216–17MarriottInternational,Inc.,1–2,2,216–22,216MarriottMarquishotel,217matrixedorganizations,266–67measurability:

ofgoals(WIGs),37ofleadmeasures,145–46

Mexico,85MICAREenterprises,85–87MicrosoftOutlook,132Miller,Earl,25–26Minnesota,Universityof,MedicalCenter,88–89MinnesotaCysticFibrosisCenter,88–89missions,229,238–40,239,240,300models(topperformers),113,114Moneyball(film),58MorrisCommunications,64motivation,69,69,155–57,156,166multitasking,25–26my4dx.com,194–95,194,197–98,203,204,204,300,317–18

NASA(NationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministration),38–41,39,40NashFinchdistributors,209–16,259Nass,Clifford,26

NationalInstituteofNeurologicalDisordersandStroke,26Netherlands,116,148NewYorkCity(NYC)BoardofHealth,101NewYorkYankees,56Nidetch,Jean,101–2Nomaco,94–95NorthropGrumman,66NortonandKaplan’sBalancedScorecard,240

OaklandAthletics,56–58“OneMoreTime:HowDoYouMotivateEmployees?”(Herzberg),75–76OprylandHotel,236–38,240,246,247,249

guestsatisfactionstrategiesat,237,241–45,243,244,245organizations,235–50

clearandexecutablestrategyfor,249–504DXinstallationacrosslargegroups,251–62frommissiontoWIG,238–40,239,240narrowingthefocusof,235–36selectinghigh-levelWIGsin,237,241sourcesofWIGsin,238specificfinishlinesand,241–46,243,244,245,246,248strategymappingin,238–40,239,240translatingstrategyintoWIGs,236–38translatingWIGsthroughmulti-unitgroups,246–49,248,249war-and-battlestrategiesin,241–44,243,247–49,248,249,297,301wheretoinitiate4DX,266andthewhirlwind,240,244–45,247,252

Perdue,Sonny,226,227,259personalizedscoreboards,160PhippsPlazaMall,53–56Pogo(cartoon),28potentials(futuretopperformers),114–15“PowerofSmallWins,The”(AmabileandKramer),76PowerPointslides,100projects,131–32,151,300

Reichheld,Fred,246resisters(to4DX),109,110,113–14,114,115,268–69Rupp,Adolph,116

safetystandards,58–60,87–88salesteams,280–81SavannahMorningNews,63–64Scoreboardbuildertool,169

scoreboards,65–76,65,106–7,300buildingof,163–68characteristicsofcompelling,70–74,72,73choosingathemefor,157–60,157,158,159creatingawinnablegamewith,73–74deliverabilityof,168–69designingof,160–68,160,161,162,163–68,164,165,166,167,168,257,258Discipline3installationand,155–70andengagement,12–13,65,67–69,67,69executionand,12–13aslagmeasureindicators,71,161,166asleadmeasureindicators,66,69,71,158,159,161,162,164,165,166–67,166,167motivationand,69,69,155–57,156,166personalchallengesand,287–88,290–91,290teamperformanceenhancedby,65–69,69,72–73,97updatingof,265usefulinWIGsessions,82,83,173,173,179,180,181,187,188visibilityrequirementsof,70–72,72

7HabitsofHighlyEffectivePeople,The(Covey),16–17Sisyphus,105,188SixSigmamethodology,260,279smalloutcomes,138–39,139Smith,Hyrum,187SovietUnion,39speedometerscoreboard,157–58,158StanfordUniversity,26Stein(containerteamleader),125–26Store334(JimDixon),105–7,188–91,190“strategicbets,”271–72,300strategies,300

andbehavioralchange,2–5,4,9,12,16–17,31,297andexecution,xxiii–xxiv,317organizationalmappingof,238–40,239,240stroke-of-the-pen,3–4,4,9,31,240,249–50,300war-and-battlestructuresas,241–44,243,247–49,248,249,297,301

stroke-of-the-peninitiatives,3–4,4,9,31,240,249–50,300Stuart,Jim,xv,xv,4,68,168summits,258–59,301Susan(eventmanagementteamleader),123–24,130–31,141–42,143,144,152,163–66

executiondashboardspecificto,196–201,196,197,198,199,200,201WIGsessionaccountabilityand,175–78,180–81,183–86,201–3,202

Susan(nursemanager),85

Talbot,LeAnn,222–26,258on4DXimplementation,222–26

onteamengagement,224–26TarboroPlant(Nomaco),94–95teamperformance:

Discipline3and,65–69,69,72–73engagementand,270–71enhancedbyscoreboards,65–69,69,72–73,974DXand,74–76vs.individualaccountability,146duringinstallation,113–17,117duringleader’sabsence,278optimizationof,111–12,111publicrecognitionof,269–70,271resistersto4DXand,109,110,113–14,114,115,268–69

teams,301teamworksession,301Ted(seafoodmanager),1893MCompany,141ThreeSignsofaMiserableJob,The(Lencioni),92Tom(salesteammember),85TourdeFrance,10–11TowneParkvaletparking,96–99trainingprograms,270

coachesandcoaching,258,259–61,278–79,298whatdoesn’twork?,252–53whatdoeswork?,253–55,255

trendlinescoreboards,157,157

UndercoverEconomist,The(Harford),9

Walker,B.J.,1,3,4,226–34,227,282on4DXimplementation,227–34onfront-lineteams,229–30onleadership,231–34onWIGsessions,230–31

WalmartSupercenter,62war-and-battlestrategies,235,241–44,243,247–49,248,249,297,301WeightWatchers,101–2Weihenmayer,Erik,79–80Welch,Jack,86whirlwind(yourdayjob),10,15–16,73,301

Discipline1appliedto,24,24,25,30–33,30,31Discipline4installationand,171–72,174,180,181,182–83,184,185–86,188executionand,6–9,7,15–164DXinstallationand,112organizationsand,240,244–45,247,252

WIGsessionsseparatefrom,80,81,83–84,89–91,90,268WIGs(WildlyImportantGoals),299,301

achievedwithexcellence,25–26,25,27buildertoolfor,133–34correctsettingof,272–73definingandinstalling,128–32,129,130Discipline1installationand,118–35focuson,10–11,13,23–43,23,24,27,45identifying,32–34leadershipchallengesand,27–31,33–34,36,48,52,53–56,62,98,100,117measurableresultsand,37–38,127ofNASA’sspaceprogram,38–41,39,40organizationalfocuson,34–38,35,235–50safetystandardsand,58–60,87–88selectionof,267specificfinishlinesand,41–42,42,152,241–46,243,244,245,246,248spreadingthewordabout,268startingsmall,265–66asstrategicbets,271–72understandingof,andcommitmentto,5WIGselectionatinstallation,118–22WIGsessionsand,seeWIGsessions

WigSessionAgendaTool,192WIGsessions,301

accountabilityand,79–83,83,267–68agendaplanningfor,82–83,83AlecCovingtonon,211–12,214automating4DXand,201–3,202B.J.Walkeron,230–31andcommitment,82–83,83,89–91,90,173,173,277creatingacadencefor,85–89creativityandinnovationin,96–99defining,172–74andengagement,91–93and4DXinstallationprocess,257,258high-impactcommitmentsand,179–82,182importanceofweeklymeetings,79–81,265keystosuccessful,187–88leadmeasuresimpactedby,84,84,85,88,97,98personalvs.organizationalaccountabilityin,93–96reasonsforholding,174–75,175scoreboardsand,82,83,173,173,179,180,181,187–88asseparatefrom“whirlwind”activities,80,81,83–84Store334successstory,188–91,190

teamfocusduring,83–85,84teamleaderstrategiesfor,183–87,184,185,186weeklycalendarfor,89–91,90whathappensin(Susan’steam),175–78,176

Wood,Beth,61–62worksessions,301

Yolanda(bakerymanager),188–89Young,Julian,95YoungerBrothersConstruction,58–60,87–88,100,138–39,148–49

AbouttheAuthors

ChrisMcChesney

ChrisMcChesneyistheGlobalPracticeLeaderofExecutionforFranklinCoveyandoneoftheprimary developers of the 4 Disciplines of Execution. For more than a decade, he has ledFranklinCovey’son-goingdesignanddevelopmentof theseprinciples, aswell as the consultingorganization that has achieved extraordinary growth inmany countries around the globe andimpacted hundreds of organizations. Chris has personally led many of the most notedimplementationsofthe4Disciplines,includingtheStateofGeorgia,MarriottInternational,ShawIndustries,RitzCarlton,Kroger,CocaCola,Comcast,FritoLay,LockheedMartinandGaylordEntertainment. This practical experience has enabled him to test and refine the principlescontainedinthe4DisciplinesofExecutionfromtheboardroomstothefront lineofthese,andmanyotherorganizations.

Chris’scareerwithFranklinCoveybeganbyworkingdirectlywithDr.StephenR.CoveyandhascontinuedovertwodecadestoincluderolesasaConsultant,ManagingDirector,andGeneralManagerwithintheorganization.Chris launchedthefirst4DisciplinesofExecutionPractice inthe Southeast Region of FranklinCovey and today has seen it expand around the globe.Throughoutthisperiodofsignificantgrowthandexpansion,Chrishasmaintainedasinglefocus:tohelporganizationsgetresultsthroughimprovedexecution.

Known for his high-energy and engaging message, Chris has become a highly sought afterspeaker,consultant,andadvisoronstrategyexecution,regularlydeliveringkeynotespeechesandexecutivepresentationstoleadersinaudiencesrangingfromthehundredstoseveralthousand.

Chris,andhiswife,Constance,aretheproudparentsoffivedaughtersandtwosons.Hisloveoffamilyiscombinedwithhispassionforboating,watersports,coaching,andtryingtokeepupwithhischildren.

FormoreinformationonChris,visitwww.chris-mcchesney.com.

SeanCovey

SeanCoveyisExecutiveVicePresidentofGlobalSolutionsandPartnershipsforFranklinCoveyandoverseesFranklinCovey’s international operations in 141 countries around the globe. Seanalso serves as FranklinCovey’s Education Practice Leader which is devoted to transformingeducationthroughouttheworldthroughimplementingprinciple-centeredleadership.

As theChiefProductArchitect forFranklinCovey,Seanorganizedanddirected theoriginalteamsthatconceivedandcreatedThe4DisciplinesofExecutionandhasbeenanavidpractitionerandpromoterofthemethodologyeversince.Seanhasalsooverseenthedesignanddevelopmentofmost of FranklinCovey’s other solutions, includingThe 7Habits ofHighlyEffective People,LeadershipGreatness,Focus,The5ChoicestoExtraordinaryProductivity,andTheLeaderinMe.

Sean isaNewYorkTimesbest-sellingauthorandhaswrittenseveralbooks, includingThe 6Most ImportantDecisionsYou’llEverMake,The 7Habits ofHappyKids, andThe 7Habits ofHighlyEffectiveTeens,whichhasbeentranslated intotwenty languagesandsoldover4millioncopiesworldwide.HeisapopularandversatilekeynoterwhoregularlyspeakstokidsandadultsandwithinschoolsandorganizationsandhasappearedonnumerousradioandTVshows.

SeangraduatedwithhonorsfromBYUwithaBachelor’sdegreeinEnglishandlaterearnedhisMBAfromHarvardBusinessSchool.AsthestartingquarterbackforBYU,heledhisteamtotwobowlgamesandwastwiceselectedastheESPNMostValuablePlayeroftheGame.

Born in Belfast, Ireland, Sean’s favorite activities include going to movies, working out,hangingoutwithhiskids,ridinghismotorcycle,andwritingbooks.Seanandhiswife,Rebecca,livewiththeirchildrenintheRockyMountains.

FormoreinformationonSean,visitwww.seancovey.com.

JimHuling

JimHuling is theManagingConsultant forFranklinCovey’s 4DisciplinesofExecution. In thisrole, Jim is responsible for the4Disciplinesmethodology, teachingmethods,and thequalityofdelivery worldwide. Jim also regularly leads large-scale engagements, including the 4DXimplementationforMarriottHotels,Kroger,Ritz-Carlton,andanumberoflargehospitals.Heisasought-afterkeynotespeakerforeventsrangingfromseniorexecutivesessionstoaudiencesinthethousands.

Jim’s career spans over three decades of corporate leadership, from FORTUNE 500organizationstoprivately-heldcompanies,includingservingasCEOofacompanyrecognizedasoneofthe“25BestCompaniestoWorkforinAmerica.”PriortojoiningFranklinCovey,JimwasoneofthefirstleaderstoadoptThe4DisciplinesofExecutionandusedittodriveperformanceforalmostfiveyears.Thisexperienceenabledhimtosignificantlyenhancethemethodsbywhichthe4Disciplinesaretaughtandimplementedaroundtheworld.

Jim’steamshavewonnationalawardsforcustomerserviceexcellence,businessethics,andanoutstandingculture,aswellasnumerouslocalandregionalawardsasaworkplaceofchoice.Jim’spersonal awards also include being selected for the Turknett Leadership Character AwardrecognizingCEO’swhodemonstratethehigheststandardsofethicsandintegrity.

Jimholdsadegree inComputerScience from theUniversityofAlabama,adegree inMusicfromBirmingham-SouthernCollege,andserveson theboardsof several localorganizations,aswellastheSiegelInstituteforLeadership,Ethics,andCharacter.

Jim ismost proud of hiswonderfulmarriage of over thirty years to his sweetheart,Donna,beingDad to twophenomenal adults, Scott andSarah, and“Papa” tohis three grandkids.Heholdsa3rdDegreeBlackBeltintaekwondoandisanavidrunner,backpacker,andwhite-waterrafter.

FormoreinformationonJim,visitwww.jimhuling.com.

AlsofromFranklinCoveyCo.The3rdAlternative

The7HabitsofHighlyEffectivePeople

TheLeaderinMe

FirstThingsFirst

Principle-CenteredLeadership

The8thHabit

PredictableResultsinUnpredictableTimes

GreatWork,GreatCareer

_______

AlsofromSeanCoveyThe7HabitsofHighlyEffectiveTeens

The6MostImportantDecisionsYou’llEverMake

The7HabitsofHappyKids

4DXResourcesfromFranklinCovey

LeaderCertificationLeaderCertificationisacomprehensiveprogramthatpreparesleaderstoapplythe4Disciplinesandthenguidesthemthroughintensiveworkingsessions,qualityreviews,andongoingcoachingtocreateasuccessfulimplementation.Thisprocessisdescribedinthechapter“RollingOut4DXAcrosstheOrganization.”

ExecutionStrategySessionsExecutionStrategySessionsareworkingsessionswithseniorleadersinwhichthewildlyimportantgoaloftheorganizationisidentified,aswellasthedrivingobjectivesthatwillensureitsachievement.Thesesessionsusuallylastonetotwodaysandincludedevelopingafulltacticalplanfortheimplementationofthe4Disciplines.Thesesessionsaredescribedinthechapter“FocusingtheOrganizationontheWildlyImportant.”

my4dx.commy4dx.comisasoftwaretoolspecificallydesignedtoautomate4DXandtosupportthefulladoptionoftheDisciplines.Itprovidestheabilitytocaptureresults,driveaccountability,andsustainengagement,aswellasofferingsignificanttoolsforreportingandanalysis.Thesesessionsaredescribedinthechapter“Automating4DX.”

4DXKeynote/OverviewTheauthorsaresought-afterkeynotespeakerswhoregularlydeliverkeynotespeechesandexecutiveoverviewstoaudiencesrangingfromthehundredstoseveralthousand.Thesemessagesareengaging,high-energypresentationsofthe4Disciplinesthatareillustratedbystoriesofsuccessfulorganizationsthathaveimplemented4DXaroundtheworld.

Formoreinformationon4DXresourcesfromFranklinCoveycall1(800)882-6839orvisitwww.4dxbook.com.

WehopeyouenjoyedreadingthisFreePresseBook.

Signupforournewsletterandreceivespecialoffers,accesstobonuscontent,andinfoonthelatestnewreleasesandothergreateBooksfromFreePressandSimon&Schuster.

orvisitusonlinetosignupateBookNews.SimonandSchuster.com