Execution Excellence Through A Review Mechanism

It is imperative today for any competitive organization to be very dynamic and navigate the changing business environment. This requires leaders to be able to think ahead and plan proactively. And while there is no dearth of strategic thought in most organisations, what separates the winners from the laggards, is often, the execution of that strategy.

In my experience, any execution that involves multiple persons or teams, must be both, enabled and supported by an effective reviewing mechanism. Depending on the scale and speed of the project or deliverable, the frequency of the review process can be defined. Often, a weekly connect works optimally to ensure that there is traction on the sub-deliverables and regular visibility to all.

Thus, an effective review begins with the discipline of being structured and on the calendar with high degree of governance regarding the attendance of the key required attendees. The next critical fact that determines the effectiveness or success of a review is the manner in which the same is conducted. When conducted maturely, fairly and in a conducive environment, it can be the magic tool that ensures that the entire team is aligned to the goal and is able to drive achievements against the same.

But, unfortunately, this is where, often the ball drops. During the course of a review, it is easy for the reviewer to adopt a questioning stance with a view towards planting the blame or accountability solely and not towards problem solving, as should be the case. The excitement of being a part of the review gets replaced by the fear of being targeted. This leads to a vicious cycle where the energy of the participants is sapped even prior to the meeting, level of ideation falls, team work suffers (individuals decide that it is better for someone else to be fried rather than themselves) and sycophancy rises.

As a leader, you must avoid the trap that leads you to change the orientation of your review meeting in this manner. It may not be deliberate in all cases but to keep the sanctity of your review, you will need to take deliberate steps, including (but, not limited to) the below-

1.      Define and share an agenda in advance for each meeting and then adhere to it (unless something critical has come up that requires to be included). This will ensure that only those who have prepared for the discussion are the ones who are required to share their updates.

2.      Focus the group’s efforts on stock-taking / ideation / problem –solving (isn’t that the real benefit of getting multiple people together?).

3.      In case of a missed deliverable or unseen issue, isolate the problem from the individual / team. Even if a message needs to be given to the larger team, it needs to be done maturely without making a spectacle of the same.

4.      Celebrate and share success (both, interim and overall) jointly – nothing motivates employees more than recognition of their efforts, in front of their peers and leaders.

5.      Ensure effective Minutes taking – Often, this gets delegated to the junior most person in the meeting, which is not advisable unless the individual has been coached or trained in the art. This effectively drives the agenda for the next meeting, so ensure the same is given high priority.

In this way, an effective reviewing mechanism will help in running a tight ship and in minimizing missed targets and goals.

What are your tips to ensure a productive and positive review mechanism?