How to generate commitment to perform

I Have already written an article about Meetings that waste time and resources.

This article is about the challenges managers face when trying to implement decisions and assignments reached during these meetings.

Meetings that contribute to achieving the goals and improve profit

At one company I coached, the meetings were unproductive. As a result, the employees felt they were wasting their time and refused to participate. However, meetings were necessary to advance the business and reach the company’s goals.

To address the issue, we assembled a group of employees for a workshop. The aim was to turn the meetings into productive ones. At the end of the workshop the CEO sent a summary of the conclusions to the participants.

The main conclusions were:

1. A chairperson must be appointed and announced when a meeting is arranged.
2. Every meeting must include not only updates and sharing of information but also conclusions and action plans.
3. The minutes of the meetings will include the insights and decisions reached during the meeting and focus on the assignments ahead. A single employees must be assigned to lead each task and a completion date must be scheduled.

Improvement plans,  assigning employees, and deadlines

Indeed, as I wrote in my aforementioned articles, the CEO correctly summarized the most important conclusions: define an action plan to correct and improve performance, assign an employee for each job, and set a completion date. The summaries must focus on actions, performance, and deadlines.

However, one element is rarely achieved. The tasks are not carried out.

Tasks are delayed

In one of my articles, I quoted  some prominent opinion leaders: Yuval Noh Nahari wrote in his book “21 lessons for the 21st century”  that words are cheaper than actions.

Fred Kofman says that talking is inexpensive, therefore it’s easy to verbalize decisions. However, actions are costly because they require a personal commitment  […]  commitment that clearly defines who promised to do what. It also identifies the manager responsible to make sure the job is done on time.

Elizabeth Haas Edersheim writes on behalf of Peter Drucker who is the founder of modern management, that if a decision is not translated into actions and does not reach a point of execution, it was never made.

Drucker mentions the resources required to execute decisions. He asks if assigned employees are engaged to carry out the job and if resources are available to them to put words into actions. He also addresses the issue of follow up plans and a feedback system to monitor performance.

Companies I coach repeatedly fail to act on their decisions. Managers who take on responsibilities fail to meet results.

What should be done? How can words turn into actions?

The quotes above are also words. Words that must turn into actions.

Assignments, even when defined during productive meetings, which include action plans, personal tasks and a timetable, end up undone. Execution is often postponed to the following week or the one after that.

Why does it happen?

Here I would say that CEOs who avoid confronting inefficient mangers are at fault. I ask, what happens when a manager fails to execute his responsibilities? Does the CEO react?

Let us examine a situation in which orders came through and the maintenance manager did not make sure the equipment was available and machines were ready to start manufacturing. Or a situation in which a sales manager does not push sales. Will the CEO  respond to the situation? Will he keep these managers in employment?

No response from management enables employees to continue behaving in the same way. When questioned, they will often try to explain or find excuses why the job was not done, but excuses should be dismissed.

CEOs tend to fire inadequate managers who continuously fail to do their jobs. But if a manager “only” fails  occasionally, the CEO will usually do nothing about it.

A positive example

Leor Levin, CEO of Dolav Plastic products leads  productive meetings with excellent results. He begins the morning meetings by going over the tasks scheduled for completion by that morning. Most of the tasks are assigned on the previous day. 

Attending a few of Lior’s morning meetings, I realized that tasks were very rarely not finished on time. All line managers arrived at the meetings with a list of their daily targets and reported their status. I did not hear of delayed tasks because there were none. All managers met the targets assigned to them.

The meetings, which were short and focused, were conducted in a pleasant and friendly atmosphere. They lasted no more than half an hour and the results were extraordinary. Every manager knew that meeting his daily personal targets was an integral part of his job. Words were translated into actions.

Lior manages his meetings correctly. He understands that it is his sole responsibility, as CEO, to make sure that decisions are put into actions. It is the only way to achieve performance, on time.

Summary and recommendations

Meetings are productive only when they contribute to the purpose for which they were summoned.

Defining an action plan, setting timelines, and appointing an individual to complete the task, are nearly always essential to achieve the goals.

Turning words into action means getting the job done.

Delays hinder achieving company goals.

CEOs are accountable for the company’s results. It’s their responsibility to make sure decisions are implemented.

Good management reduces the necessity to fire non-performing employees.