The Planning-Execution Gap

posted by admin at 7:34 am

Lately, I’ve begun to point out to leadership groups face an important and persistent problem that requires their attention.

The easiest way to say this is planning/initiatives will always outpace the ability of an organization to change.

Here’s a graphical representation of what I mean.

On the one hand, this graph represents a predicament: the gap between expectations and execution causes increased demands on monitoring and “educating” or forcing “buy in.” These become activities that occupy much of leaders’ time. On the other hand, this predicament causes a sense of hopelessness or cynicism on the part of workers. I consistently hear healthcare professionals bemoan the fact that they feel “scattered,” that they feel like they have “a million initiatives.”

I contend that leaders must match their initiatives to the pace of change. Not because it’s morally right, but because leaders have no other option if they wish to succeed.