Little Things Add up to Big Things

by John Kennedy

In the book, “The Four Disciplines of Execution,” the authors introduce the concept of a “WIG”—a Wildly Important Goal.

It is achieved by focusing on “Lead Measures” which, when combined, help you to reach your overall outcome (referred to as a “Lag Measure”).  These three principles can be shared in a real -life example some of us go through at some point in our lives---getting into better shape.

Usually there is an event that drives us to such a commitment—a wedding, a health scare, a high school reunion, a pair of pants that just don’t fit, a flight of stairs that left you breathless, etc. And we finally commit to the outcome of a healthier you.

So, we embark on the journey with an end goal in mind—lose ten pounds, feel better, it into a suit or dress we used to love to wear, run a half marathon. These are examples of  “Lag Goals”—an outcome of your effort.

However, outcomes don’t appear until later and are a reflection of the effort it took to get there…like in economics, you don’t know if your policy is working until after the report comes out and is looking back—lagging indicators.

It’s the little things that add up to the big things:

Going for a walk each day.
Watching your food portions.
Not eating late at night.
Going to the gym and actually doing gym things.
Cut back on booze.
Cut back on sugars.
Be consistent at least 5 days a week for 30 minutes or more.

These are the “Lead Measures” or activities that will help create the outcome of losing weight.

This same approach can be applied to our IGC space as we look to find and retain talented folks to accelerate our growth, enhance our team, serve our customer and foster an enterprise that is built to list or built to last.

If we only focus on the attraction and retention of talent, it’s like standing on a scale each morning and not seeing the results. Efforts drive results…not the other way around.

And again, it’s the little things that add up to big things:

On-Board with intention (Plant Your People)
Morning huddles to communicate the goals and celebrate the wins.
Train employees to be successful 
Catch employees doing things right. 
Be the first to initiate a smile.
Learn something new each day.
Communicate with clarity.
Lead by example.
Reward when the goal is achieved.
Rinse. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Consistently.

If we want to build a culture where folks will want to work and want to stay, then the efforts and little things are what make it possible…if I focus on the outcome of attraction and retention, I am focusing on the wrong thing---lead activities create lag goals.

The Four D’s of Execution are as follows:

1.    Focus on a very few Wildly Important Goals—WIGS
2.    Act on Lead Measures
3.    Keep a Compelling Scoreboard
4.    Create a Cadence of Accountability

At the Fall Event in Raleigh, I look forward to showcasing this concept as I present on TeamWise—Games Retailers Play and spotlight successful IGC’s that are running this playbook each and every day.

We will highlight the impact on turnover and retention when lead goals are executed with consistency, intention and measurement. It is a compelling story to share and hope to see you there.