Execution Skills -- Now go DO something!

Okay, I know that I’ve said over and over, the executive is NOT the “doer” of the organization. Now you will wonder if I’ve changed my mind. Nope, the ability to execute within the context of an organization doesn’t mean that the executive performs the tasks that are the actual business of the organization. In fact, as one of my survey participants points out, “I don’t buck the rivets that go into the airplane”. Nevertheless, there are a set of execution skills for the executive.

The survey confirmed the following execution skills for the new/aspiring executive: decisive; manage data; financial acumen; manage change and ambiguity; manage fragmentation and rapid pace; knowledgeable of industry; operate globally; and delegate.

Decisive and Manage Data. Employees look to the executive for decisions. So the new executive must have the skill to take in large quantities of data and then analyze/synthesize it to fit the needs of the organization. The result of this data management is the knowledge that leads to the ability to make a decision. Of course, the executive must also know when to quit managing the data and actually decide. To wait for perfect information is often equivalent to letting opportunities pass by.

Financial Acumen. Some level of financial acumen is important for every executive, regardless of tenure. Of course for the new executive, the specific level will vary. In the case of my survey participants, it was a growing awareness of financial acumen relative to how internal business decisions impact external financial performance indicators. In this instance, for the new executive, that would mean the skill to understand basic financial processes and their impact(s) on cash and the bottom line.

Manage Change and Ambiguity; Manage Fragmentation and Rapid Pace. I found that these skills are intertwined, particularly in today’s rapid-fire business environment. This is true for any company or industry. The fact is, the new executive must become adept at managing change and ambiguity while dealing with fragmentation -- all at a very rapid pace. The information that bombards the executive all day long is typically fragmented and often ambiguous. Tying this back to the skill of managing data, the new executive must synthesize it such that he/she recognizes the potential change in a timely manner and then takes the appropriate action(s), all at break-neck speed.

Knowledgeable of Industry. For my survey group, this wasn’t at the top of their skills list. However, the ability to understand the industry in which you operate is still noteworthy. This is particularly true of the aerospace industry because the product is very complex and this translates to the overall industry. In addition, work share allocation within the industry is often based on personal knowledge of the players within the various companies. It is critical that the executive know “the lay of the land” and where to go to get information or answers. It seems to me that this complexity and interrelatedness would be descriptive of many other (if not all?) industries. Therefore, at least some level of industry knowledge is beneficial to the new executive in his/her effort to achieve specific strategies.

Operate Globally. Most industries touch on the environment outside of the organization’s home country. Specifically for the aerospace industry, both customers and suppliers are spread across the world. In fact, the internal operations of a specific company may likely be disbursed to other countries. Therefore, to have successful internal and external operations, the new executive must have the skills to operate globally.

Delegate. Related to being decisive and management of data (above), the new executive must also have the skill to know when to drive the decision-making to the lower levels of the organization. This also goes back to empowerment. The new executive should, when appropriate, empower his/her employees to analyze the data and make the decisions that are relevant to their jobs and functions.

In fact, this particular skill can often dictate the level of success that an executive can hope to achieve. As pointed out by some of my survey respondents, one of the most common difficulties that they faced was moving up a level and delegating previous tasks to their teams (or replacement). If not careful in accomplishing this, the new executive might find him or herself doing both the new and the old job. Not a good situation.

So what? Yep, the executive is not the “doer” of the organization. But the executive does have a set of skills that are needed for his/her execution function. It really boils down to having the skill for getting the actual business of the organization done through others.

Cheers!