Curriculum - Execution and Management Teams

SG2X PLAYBOOK – Gender Smart Exec’s Program Curriculum

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THE GENDER-SMART EXEC’S PROGRAM CURRICULUM EXECUTION & MANAGEMENT

Session #5

INTRODUCTION TO EXECUTION PART I Length: 2 hours. 90 minutes of lecture and 30 minutes of breakout group work SG2X PLAYBOOK – Gender Smart Exec’s Program Curriculum

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Format: Virtual using Zoom meeting, and shared with breakout rooms for a portion of the session Delivery Tool: PowerPoint Purpose: To introduce executives to the fundamentals of executing a plan Learning Objectives: To learn… 

An introduction to execution

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Why execution is important

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What the elements of effective corporate execution looks like

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How to develop and start using an execution system

Agenda: Recap and orienteering; Why execution is important; What good execution looks like; How to build a gender-smart execution system; Guest speaker; Summary and Assignment Description: This session starts to move the participants from planning into execution. We start with a recap of the materials we have covered – and begin showing an image of a top athlete (Michael Jordan), which will be shown in future sessions to demonstrate the importance of developing core or keystone habits. The idea is that Jordan would stay late, after his teammates left practice, and work on his free throw shot. He knew that when it counted, the ball would come to him to win the championship. So, he got so good at free throw shots that he could do them with his eyes closed. The program encourages executives to use their calendars like Jordan used the free throw. Then the program moves into describing the elements of an execution system – there are five elements – 1) the planning system; 2) the organized company (org. structure); 3) accountability system or position agreements; 4) standard operating procedures (SOPs); and 5) the meeting battle rhythm. Boiled down, these elements make up both good execution and are the fundamentals of project management. We emphasize how important project management is and how a successful company is simply a series of successfully executed projects. We then move into how to develop each of these elements, but stop short of meetings, which are covered in more detail in later sessions. SOPs are given extra attention, as these are the most difficult for many managers to develop and implement. So, we emphasize the importance of not letting perfect be the enemy of great. The assignment is to draw an organizational structure and one position agreement for the CEO’s direct report.

How This Session is Gender-Smart: In this session, and more in the next, we talk about the importance of delegation. Research has shown that delegation is a challenge for all business leaders, but especially for founders. To execute as effectively as possible, delegation and teamwork is crucial. This means empowering talent within the company and enabling employees to grow and to advance. Business owners and leaders find it particularly challenging to truly delegate to women who are coming up as leaders. Female leaders frequently report that their male colleagues delegate key responsibilities to them, but then still want to keep control and make decisions over their heads. We use a case study of a company with such a situation and ask the participants to reflect on why they think it is so difficult for the male leader to delegate to the upcoming female leaders; how this impacts effective execution; how these challenges could be overcome and the wins of effective delegation. We break into groups