business – Jennifer L. Park, MBA

Flawless Execution: 5 Keys to Success

It has long been my belief that great ideas are only as good as their execution.

You have seen it before. Bright new ideas conceived by equally bright people. But due to a lack of knowledge on how to get started, or simply a lack of resources, these ideas are not brought to fruition. And instead of a new idea making a solid change in their business, it languishes in a half-formed plan or a pretty PowerPoint–never to see the light of day. Execution can be daunting, and often the highly visionary and the extremely busy want to simply run from the thought. But execution can really be boiled down to just five keys, and when properly followed success is almost always the result.

1. SCOPE

Do you truly understand the scope of the project/idea you are about to undertake? Take some time to sketch out the entire concept. Look at it from all angles. What else will it entail? How will it relate or interact with your other initiatives? Do you have the time, people and money resources to make it happen? Play the devil’s advocate–why might it not work? What could go wrong (did you check for copyrights or necessary permits for example)? What obstacles need to be overcome? Who needs to approve it? Who needs to buy-in? Think of every contingency you can and have a plan to tackle it. Be painfully realistic here, but don’t get negative. If the idea is a good one, there is always a way to get it done!

2. STEPS

Now that you understand what has to be done, it is time to break it down into chronological, specific and assignable steps. I find it helpful to place these steps under organized “buckets”. For example: venue, contract, advertising, volunteers, etc. Underneath each “bucket” list every step needed and who will get it done. Knowing who will be assigned is crucial, because then the plan can be pulled apart and each team member will have their own list of tasks. Using a project management program such as Basecamp, Asana and others is great, but an Excel spread sheet can also do the trick. The main point is to be sure you have the ability to sort by bucket, team member, due date, etc.

3. TIMELINE

Since you have already put all of the steps into chronological order, creating a timeline should be a snap! Assign due dates (thinking through how long it will realistically take to do each task) working BACKWARDS from your final due date. This ensures you start in plenty of time to complete the project on time. If you go through this process and discover you needed to start three weeks ago, don’t despair! Look at each step and see if any can be eliminated, if the timing can be shortened, or if there is an alternative step or way to get it done that will be quicker. Do you really need a paper invite? Can you ask your printer for a rush job? Can your writer work through the weekend? Can you put more team members on a task to speed it along? Make your adjustments and then stick to your timeline religiously.

4. BUDGET

Now you see your project can be done, done well, and done on time. But chances are that your project, including a budget, needs approval by someone. Even if that someone is you. Make another column in your step-by-step plan and assign any and all costs associated with each step. Get necessary bids early to avoid surprises. And keep an eye out for hidden costs. Add it all up and make a projected ROI based on your anticipated results. Is it worth it? Will your approvers agree? Now is the time to make necessary adjustments to keep your vision affordable.

5. MEASUREMENT

You have now put quite a bit of effort into making your great idea come to fruition. Take a moment to savor the accomplishment. Things went flawlessly, looked great, and were well received. Success, right? But how will you know if it was really a success? Your plan should have KPIs baked right into it so you can measure, and show others, your proven accomplishment. Put all this into some great graphs and charts to illustrate your success and get ready to do it all again!

Jennifer L. Park is a CEO, entreprenuer, senior leader and multi-decade veteran in the communications, marketing, and higher education fields. Park has helped companies such as the University of Denver, University of Colorado, Procter & Gamble, Kellogg, Eastman Kodak, Kimberly-Clark and Frito-Lay, achieve their communication, brand and revenue goals.

Internal Brand Engagement and How it Makes an Impact

Why strive for internal brand engagement? What makes it so important to your business? In the words of a CEO of a global fast food chain, “We’ve invested millions in developing our brand. Now it’s in the hands of our people.”

Your brand is experienced by your stakeholders in so many ways. The obvious being product satisfaction, logos, packaging, merchandising, marketing and advertising. All of these are important, but the entire brand experience includes all brand touch points ––including (and arguably most importantly) –– the interactions your constituents have with your employees.

Gaining alignment with your brand is essential for all employees. An employee who is not aligned is a recipe for disaster. This goes beyond the obvious employee who has personal interactions with your customers and other stakeholders. All aspects of a business can affect the customer experience, including turnaround time, accuracy, product quality, distribution, cleanliness, accessibility and more.

On the flip side, an employee who is aligned with your brand will deliver on your brand promise and that translates into revenue. To continue to build and maintain a strong reputation, it is important that an organization convey a consistent, cohesive brand image. Your brand is expressed in your marketing materials and also in your actions — in how your employees answer the phone, interact with your customers and the larger community, and how you deliver on your commitments and brand promise.

While crucial, just being aligned is not enough to deliver a stellar brand experience. I like to look at internal stakeholder brand alignment as a progression of four levels that have very distinct degrees of impact on your bottom line. As your employees move through the progression, they’ll transition from a rational engagement to an emotional one. This emotionally engaged employee, the true brand ambassador, will have the most significant effect on your reputation and longevity in the marketplace. Your goal should be to ensure each and every employee is somewhere on the alignment progression and that your organization is doing everything possible to lead them to the point of emotional engagement for maximum business success.

Awareness: At this level, you have successfully communicated your brand to your employees and gained their alignment. They are aware of your brand promise and recognize they are responsible for delivering it to your customers. They have passed the point of apathy or ignorance and “bought in.”

Understanding: Here, the employees begins to truly understand the significance of delivering on this brand promise. They understand the correlation between the living out the brand and the business impact it will make. They can see their efforts make a difference.

Commitment: Employees at this level are committed to the company mission and begin to show a concerted effort and true pride in delivering the brand. They are loyal and vested in your company outcomes.

Engagement: The employees that reach this level are your silver bullets. This is the peak you want all employees to summit. These employees realize that every interaction they have with your stakeholders, internal and external, makes a difference. They are not only committed to delivering your brand, they are passionate about it. This is the true brand ambassador and they are worth their weight in gold.

Your brand is not only your external face but also your internal heart. Employee brand alignment is crucial to delivering on your brand promise. And delivering on your brand promise will build your reputation, customer base, and profits.

Jennifer L. Park is a CEO, entrepreneur, senior leader and multi-decade veteran in the communications, marketing, and higher education fields. Park has helped companies such as the University of Denver, University of Colorado, Procter & Gamble, Kellogg, Eastman Kodak, Kimberly-Clark and Frito-Lay, achieve their communication, brand and revenue goals.

Cure your team of the idea hangover

By Jennifer Park

We all face problems and challenges in our business. Too often we approach those really tough issues (the BGP’s—Big Gnarly Problems) in the same tired manner that we approach those that are easy to solve. But developing new solutions at work is a real puzzle that can confound even the best teams. When faced with problem-solving in the workplace, do you and your team tend to turn to the same old answers? Are you noticing your team drinking in the sweet yet toxic “because we have always done it that way” cocktail far too often? When the same old hum-drum ideas continuously resurface, I call this the “idea hangover.” If your team is losing creative steam, try the proven cure of supercharging some innovation in your workplace. Tough questions require true innovation. Take steps to wake the sleeping creativity giant.

“Problems are nothing but wake-up calls for creativity”
– Gerhard Gschwandtner

One great way to supercharge some innovation is bringing the team together for a good old-fashioned brainstorm. A well-run brainstorm may be the best tonic for idea hangovers ever created, but don’t be lulled into thinking this is something that can be done on the fly. An effective, truly imaginative brainstorm is far from simply throwing a few flip charts up around the room and asking for ideas. Planned correctly, your brainstorm session can bring out authentically creative ideas and help you break the mold in problem-solving. The added benefits? Building team comradery, inspiring a shared vision as the team works together and increasing overall employee satisfaction and productivity (because if done right, brainstorms can be downright fun.)

Problem-solving leaders have one thing in common: a faith that there’s always a better way.”
– Gerald M. Weinberg

So, how can you lead your team in discovering that “better way” to solve your BGP’s?

Include these six simple ingredients in your next brainstorm and whip up some new answers to old problems.

1. In It To Win It

Don’t approach the brainstorm halfheartedly. Your attitude will be apparent to the team you assemble. Take an enthusiastic, open-minded approach and others will follow suit. You need to truly believe new ideas will be the result and be open to hearing those ideas. Set this concept out from the beginning and ask for only the truly committed to stay and participate.

2. Diversity Leads to Creativity

Don’t keep your invitee list to your usual suspects. Great ideas can come from anyone, in any function. While taking care to not let the group get too big, do extend an invitation to a variety of coworkers, at various levels within the organization and from across a multitude of functions. The fresh perspective from finance or HR might just be the breakthrough idea you have been waiting for!

3. Engage All Five Senses

Incorporating thought-provoking activities in brainstorms can really get the ball rolling. Next time you all sit down together, try invoking all the senses. Play some inspiring music at well-timed intervals. Let some aromatherapy open the mind—try some specifically for energy or focus. Ply your team with whimsical, sugary treats that evoke memories of childhood when creativity ran rampant. Hand out kinetic sand and pipe cleaners so the team can keep their hands busy while their minds race for new heights. And be sure to make the whole process as visually appealing as possible, including capturing ideas using bright, fun colored paper and markers.

4. The Golden Rule

No idea is a bad idea in a brainstorm. That has to be the golden rule the entire group follows. Every idea should be given credibility and captured. So often I have seen the really terrible idea get picked up by someone else, turned on its head and suddenly…brilliance! Brainstorms should allow for interweaving the best of all thoughts, and we won’t know what those are if we allow ideas to be stifled.

“Instead of thinking out of the box, get rid of the box.”
– Deepak Chopra

5. Capture Everything

See above. That outlandish, impossible idea from Dina in customer service might just be the seed to an entirely new product line. But if you don’t write it down, you can’t riff off of it later. Good notes will be invaluable to all of the participants to reference at later times. The challenge you tried to answer that morning may just be followed by a similar one the next afternoon. Good notes will allow you and your team to see if the answer to the next BGP has already been discovered.

6. Follow Through is King

You took up a lot of people’s time, had a great creative session and had some fun to boot. But what is the next step? Make sure the brainstorm has a “so what” and follow up with everyone who contributed. Send out the notes, highlight the key takeaways, identify the potential solutions and be crystal clear about next steps and who will be accountable. And then circle back around after you have implemented the solution and share the success!

According to Forbes, of CEO’s polled, 60% agreed that creativity was the most important skill to have in a leadership role.
Forbes

The bottom line? Forcing down too many of the same old tired solutions is sure to lead to Idea Hangover. Creativity is key to problem solving, and problem solving is key to business success. Take steps to make sure you and your team can excel in this area. It will help all of you excel in your careers.