Feature

XQ: Execution Quotient

Lack of execution intelligence is a debilitating factor in many organisations. Sudipta Dev says that the onus rests on the company to ensure execution excellence

What is it that differentiates an overachiever from an average worker? Two individuals with similar aspirations, equal intellectual capability (IQ) and the same competencies might show astonishing variance when it comes to success. The answer is simple—execution quotient or intelligence (XQ). It is the ability to execute an idea that determines the winner. After the EQ (emotional quotient/intelligence) phenomenon, organisations are now realising the need to develop the execution intelligence of their employees to further their own levels of growth. The execution gap is the inability to put the high-level goals of the organisation into action and meet the desired expectations.

It is the mid-level employee or the slightly-jaded employee who can have issues with execution. The mid-tier employee is typically going through a lull in his career and is pondering what to do next Niraj Kaushik country head Trend Micro India

Most experts agree that while individuals do have the capacity to execute well, it is more often than not organisational constraints that limit their ability to meet desired goals. It is therefore a critical responsibility of the organisation to provide the requisite processes and work culture to aid employees in performing their duties in an optimal manner. “Execution is the great unaddressed issue in the business world today. Its neglect is the single biggest obstacle to success, and the cause of most of the disappointments that are mistakenly attributed to other causes,” declares Bijay Sahoo, vice-president, talent engagement and development, Wipro Technologies. He says that execution has to be built into a company’s strategy, goals and culture, and that the leader of the organisation must be deeply engaged in it. “He cannot delegate its substance. Many business leaders spend vast amounts of time learning and promulgating the latest management techniques. But their failure to understand and practice execution negates the value of almost all they learn and preach. Such leaders are building houses without foundations.”

Execution intelligence is not merely an individual’s problem. It is an issue with an individual in the context of an organisation. Praveen Kankariya, CEO and president of Impetus Technologies, agrees. He says professionals not lacking in personal XQ may still not satisfy performance expectations due to a host of organisational reasons. Kankariya lists the factors thus:

• Many a time roles or goals are not clearly defined in the organisation’s overall perspective, and consequently the implementation of tasks might not be in line with requirements.
• An individual might not be able to understand how his current action will impact the big picture if the long-term strategy is not clearly spelled out.
• If the actual objectives are not clear, one cannot expect execution to be in line with requirements. It is up to the organisation or managers to very clearly and precisely lay down the requirements and avoid any ambiguities.
• Sometimes, the implementer does not have the authority needed to meet the requirements; this affects the execution. An organisation’s hierarchy, its bureaucracy and other limitations might hinder smooth execution of processes which might have a bearing on the final outcome.
• Poor execution is also a result of poor planning, which might imply that a task was allotted much less time than it required.

In certain cases, the individual might also be responsible for improper execution. This happens when he lacks the feeling of responsibility and accountability. XQ will also be an issue when the individual is not committed to the organisation, and is not focused on his objectives in the context of the big picture.

Conceding that smart and highly motivated people can and do fail to achieve the vision that they set for themselves, S N Jadhav, chief, people’s officer, GTL, adds, “About 70 percent of organisational failures are due to poor execution. Companies are beginning to realise that it’s not enough to have brilliant, qualified people; what they need is people with more XQ—execution skills. Being new, the lack of maturity and hands-on experience puts the service industry at a disadvantage in execution intelligence.”

Who lacks XQ?

About 70 percent of organisational failures are due to poor execution. S N Jadhav chief, people’s officer, GTL

Which section of the organisational hierarchy is most vulnerable to the execution gap? This is debatable. While some believe that it is middle managers (who are primarily involved in executing goals) who are the most affected, others opine that it is freshers who lack in execution intelligence. A few also believe that lack of XQ can occur across all levels.

Niraj Kaushik, country head of Trend Micro India, feels that a fresh employee will feel motivated to achieve and prove himself on his own, hence he will try to find ways of performing. “It is the mid-level employee or the slightly-jaded employee who can have issues with execution. The mid-tier employee is typically going through a lull in his career and is pondering what to do next.”

But Kankariya argues that the problem tends to be more at the junior level, where both organisational and individual factors are adverse. “At the junior level, execution of operations is the maximum. However, this is the level where an organisation tends to not concentrate on, and misses out on clarifying goals and even explaining the big picture. Also, with multiple levels of hierarchy in the chain, the information that is distilled down to this level is, most often, not clear and objective. As a result, implementation at this level has to bear with such

organisational issues.” Furthermore, commitment and understanding of responsibility at this level is probably the least. For instance, in the contact centre industry, where one witnesses high attrition rates.

The impact

Poor execution know-how can have a serious impact on the organisation as well as the individual. Apart from the loss of time and resources as a result of re-doing the job, it adversely affects the individual and his team’s morale and future prospects. “An organisation might not necessarily understand the context of a task not performed adequately; however, the poor performers will be penalised even if the real problem was with the organisation’s policies and practices. If this happens regularly, poor XQ will affect the overall internal health of the organisation. Employees begin to doubt and question their own abilities, even if the problem is with something else, such as lack of vision or clarity of goals,” says Kankariya. From the organisation’s perspective, it results in loss of face before the customer, and ultimately affects the brand image and bottom-line.

The solution

To avoid any problem in execution, it is important to be cautious at the recruitment level itself and select the right person for the job. “Once this part has been done properly, it’s my conviction that most employees are capable of executing well. The management has the onus of ensuring that the employee is motivated enough to excel and execute,” asserts Kaushik.

The good news is that an organisation can plug the execution gap with concerted efforts. A large part of the responsibility rests with the organisational leadership, which should be deeply involved in the process. Sahoo points out that the leader should constantly lead by example. “He should have a shared vision to make strategies happen and implement them effectively. Regular and excellent communication with the team is a basic requirement for achieving this shared vision. The leader should constantly motivate people and recognise their achievements, and meet those from the grassroots level who bring in business for the organisation.”

Team-orientation and a high emotional quotient are very important qualities for excellence in execution Vipul Varma Managing Director Focus Management Consultants

“Team-orientation and a high emotional quotient are very important qualities for excellence in execution,” says Vipul Varma, managing director of Focus Management Consultants. He suggests the following steps to plug the execution gap:

• A clear definition and translation of vision throughout the organisation. This leads to a common sense of purpose across all levels, and alignment of the goals of the individual and the organisation.
• A strong link between planners and the people responsible for executing the plan. Often, planners lose touch with ground reality, so it is very important for them to correct their assumptions.
• The organisation’s, team’s and individual’s goals should be set, clearly defined and measurable. The performance management system should have a balance between various goals set for an individual.
• Empowerment of employees should be linked with responsibility and accountability. People should be encouraged to think and grow as both individuals and professionals. The growth of the organisation should be linked to the individual’s.
• Milestone reviews involving the entire execution team is an absolute must.
• While forming execution teams, choose the right combination of people. A judicious mix of skills and strengths should be considered to create effective teams.

Making a difference

Training can play a significant role in developing enterprise-wide execution intelligence. It should focus on both soft skills and technical expertise. Kaushik lists the factors which need to be included in the training programme for it to achieve its objectives:

• Overall company objectives
• Clear brief on employee role
• How the particular task or role is in sync with the company’s objectives
• How doing this job well will impact the employee or organisation
• What the feedback and monitoring mechanism should be, along with benchmarks to improve execution.

There are more ways of increasing XQ. “Apart from orientation or training in organisational behaviour for middle and top-level management, people should be exposed to global practices. Teach employees to provide customer delight through quality services,” adds Jadhav.

The key to execution intelligence is to make employees look at the larger picture rather than at individual aspirations. And it is for the organisation to create the processes and culture to help them broaden their perspective.

Execution excellence at Wipro

In this age of highly competitive businesses and very demanding customers, Wipro Technologies has formulated its own strategy for ensuring execution excellence. “Inefficiencies are no longer tolerated. Whether it’s in the area of sales, customer service, supply chain or anything else, significant measurable improvements in organisational performance is the order of the day,” says Bijay Sahoo, vp, Wipro Technologies. He tells of some initiatives: As we rely on the disciplined approach mentioned above, we achieve execution excellence that translates into higher margins, greater profitability and increased customer retention. We focus on a few clear objectives, and align the focus of every employee to work towards those few goals. To face our key challenges and meet with success, we not only plan for outcomes but measure these outcomes as well. We plan for programme management, integration issues, and put in place effective processes and metrics to monitor results. We also ensure the highest quality, sufficient risk mitigation, and delivery of critical projects while realising measurable business benefits. Our global delivery model, and proven best practices in HR, quality and other processes have helped us in achieving execution intelligence. From the HR side we help in flawless execution by putting the right people in the right place at the right time. Our best practices help in making our leaders deeply engaged in our organisation, and honest about its realities both with others and ourselves.

sudipta@expresscomputeronline.com