Follow-through is the critical piece in any change initiative. Yet it is hard to put into practice due to miscues from senior management and confusion or resistance in the ranks. A number of books have pinpointed the problem of execution, among them What Really Works by HBS professor Nitin Nohria, William Joyce, and Bruce Roberson. It's Not What You Say is a good addition to the mix, with its clear and engaging style, practical advice, and wealth of examples from sprawling multinationals to a plant farm in Melbourne.
This guide draws on interviews with executives from companies including IKEA, The Wall Street Journal, and Time Warner to provide managers with a four-step process for making a change initiative actually stick:
- Have a clear direction so that everyone understands where they're headed in no uncertain terms.
- Match the right people to every goal.
- Get off to a great start with plenty of buy-in.
- Make sure that everyone maintains their momentum by increasing individual initiative.
That last step is especially tricky: It requires insight and people skills that often arise only through practice. Haughton helps with chapters organized around the skills of explaining the purpose behind new goals, conveying respect, and enforcing accountability. Accountability is a noble expectation, he argues, but managers must also keep in mind that the team or individual may not have enough control over the outcome to be fairly held accountable. Employees may also need more coaching and feedback before they should be accountable for the outcome of a particular project or sales goal.
The author is a consultant with twenty years of experience and coauthored (with Jason Jennings) It's Not the Big that Eat the Small ... It's the Fast that Eat the Slow (2002).—Martha Lagace
Table of Contents:
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Introduction: How following through at every level can make or break your company
- Clear expectations
- Read between the lines
- More accurate assessments
- Hire attitudes over experience
- Match everyone's agenda
- Find a champion
- Outmaneuver the CAVE people
- Get everyone to "just let go"
- Create a HOT team
- Lead a HOT team
- Share your purpose
- Show more respect
- Find the line between enough and too much accountability
Conclusion: It's not what you say ... it's what you do that makes the difference