Results-focused leaders are unreasonably impatient with the pace of execution.
When it comes to completing a task, they have a need for speed. They want everyone and everything to go faster.
So, they ask those in charge of execution to find a way to shave some time off the clock. Any incremental improvement is a big plus.
Whether those in execution mode deliver or not, they keep the pressure on, demanding faster completion times within the same quality standards.
No one enjoys this badgering, including the impatient leader, who is often disappointed by only small gains or none at all.
The problem with this picture is not only the leader’s impatience and insistence for a faster pace but also the expectations everyone has about execution.
Expectations frame what is possible. People operate within the limits they perceive are realistic.
Impatient leaders would be much smarter to sit down with those tasked with execution and ask an outlandish question: How can we cut execution time by one-half or more?
The reaction is usually swift and incredulous. There is simply no way to achieve such a dramatic difference, so it is a fool’s errand to spend time strategizing about such an improvement.
Unless.
By contemplating the goal of cutting execution time by one-half and jettisoning the assumptions and expectations that constrain conventional thinking, leaders and teams sometimes find a solution or plan that achieves exactly that.
Even when no such breakthrough is found, the strategies and ideas that such an extreme goal promotes are often far superior to traditional solutions.
Expectations rob people of the creativity they need for out-of-the-box thinking. They also set limits on what is possible, so people avoid looking for more innovative solutions.
Challenging team members to think without the blinders and constraints of expectations sometimes unleashes a flood of new ideas.
So, the next time you lose your cool about slow execution, instead of attempting to shave off a few hours, days, or weeks, try cutting the time in half.
After fielding the complaints and moans such a goal elicits, good leaders collaborate with the team to seek creative solutions that have remained obscured by everyone’s self-limiting beliefs and expectations.
To achieve out-of-the-box thinking, sometimes leaders must burn the box.
