Stephen Lynch is the Head of Strategy & Consulting at RESULTS.com. He presented best practices for business execution based on observations of thousands of client firms. Some key practices included focusing both short and long-term strategic planning, setting clear strategic projects and metrics, conducting regular meetings to drive accountability, and using coaching questions to support employees in achieving goals.

1. Presenter: Stephen Lynch
Role: Head of Strategy & Consulting at RESULTS.com
Email: Stephen.Lynch@Results.com
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/stephengeoffreylynch
Slides: results.com/slides
Software Demo: results.com/EO
Business Execution for RESULTS
Best practices based on the direct observations
of thousands of RESULTS.com client firms

8. "If everything you do needs to work on a 3 year time
horizon, you're competing against a lot of people.
But if you're willing to invest on a 7 year time horizon,
you're competing against a fraction of those people,
because very few companies are willing to do that.
We can't realize our potential as people or as
companies unless we plan for the long term."

10. “Companies need to operate with one eye focused on
the short-term, and one eye focused on the long-term.
Short-term is about projects related to improving
the current core business, and meeting the needs
of today’s target customers.”

11. Often, this demands bold, disruptive strategic moves
away from the present to reshape the company
for future success.”
“Long-term is NOT about performance improvement.
It is about forgetting the past and reshaping the business
to compete more effectively in the future.

12. “Every leader needs to
clearly explain the top 3 things
the company is working on.
If you can't,
then you're not leading well”

14. RESULTS.com - One Page Strategic Plan

15. Core Values
BHAG
Core Purpose
Geographic Focus
Target Market Customer
Generic Strategy / Value Discipline
Core vs. Non-Core Activities
Strategic Positioning
Key Benefits
Brand Promise
3 to 5 Year Strategic Moves
Numerical Targets
SWOT Analysis
Current Strategic Projects (OKRs)
Metrics (KPIs)
RESULTS.com - One Page Strategic Plan

18. Core Values
BHAG
Core Purpose
Geographic Focus
Target Market Customer
Generic Strategy / Value Discipline
Core vs. Non-Core Activities
Strategic Positioning
Key Benefits
Brand Promise
3 to 5 Year Strategic Moves
Numerical Targets
SWOT Analysis
Current Strategic Projects (OKRs)
Metrics (KPIs)
RESULTS.com - One Page Strategic Plan

19. Current Strategic Projects

21. What are the top 3 long-term strategic moves
to position your firm for future industry success?
(will be implemented within the next 3-5 years)
3-5 Year Strategic Move Person Accountable
1.
2.
3.

23. What are the top 3 Current Strategic Projects your organization
needs to execute in the coming period (quarter)?
- Each must address 1 or more issues described in your SWOT analysis (relevant)
- Describe tangible end-point milestones (so everyone knows the finish line)
- Balance short-term business improvement initiatives (improving “what is”)
vs. building long-term strategic capability for the future (creating “what will be”)
Current Strategic Project Due
Date
Person
Accountable
1.
2.
3.

25. Strategic Project #1 Due Date Person Accountable
Associated Individual Tasks

26. Strategic Project #2 Due Date Person Accountable
Associated Individual Tasks

27. Strategic Project #3 Due Date Person Accountable
Associated Individual Tasks

30. Accountability for Projects / Tasks
“I hope to get this Project done by (date)”
vs.
“You can absolutely count on me to have this Project 100% complete
by (date), no matter what.
I am making a promise to the team
that I am willing to be held firmly accountable for. ”

31. Conduct a “Pre-Mortem”
Imagine the worst case. 3 months have passed and each Project is
significantly behind schedule. People over-committed and did not
get their Tasks done on time. There were delays and interruptions.
Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.
Ask everyone to individually write down their story of “what
happened” that caused the Project to fail. 5 minutes should be
ample. Then get everyone to read aloud what they wrote. Everyone
needs to listen to these stories without comment or judgement.
Now, as a Group, discuss the following questions for each Project:

32. What factors could negatively impact this project?
List your answers below:

33. What actions could we take to eliminate or reduce
the factors could negatively impact this project?
List your answers below:

34. What changes do we need to make to scope of the Project,
and to the due dates of each Project and its related Tasks?
List your answers below:

41. Project or Task overdue? (“In the red”)
What’s happening here?
When can you promise to have it
done by? (commit to new due date)
How can I help? What support do you
need?

43. ★ Use your 3 to 5 year Strategic Moves and SWOT as the context
for choosing your Strategic Projects
★ Review and update SWOT & Strategic Projects every quarter
★ Clear Project milestones - everyone knows the finish line
★ Conduct Pre-Mortems to avoid the “planning fallacy”
★ Conservative due dates for Projects and Tasks
★ Update status of Projects and Tasks every week
★ Capture “The 1 thing” - the most important Task that will get
done each week to move each Project forward
★ Follow up every week to make sure Tasks are getting done
★ “Weed the garden” to drive accountability
Strategic Projects - best practices

44. Metrics /
Key Performance Indicators

45. 92% of companies don’t measure KPIs [3]

47. Create
leads
Convert leads
into sales
Provide
product-service
Delight
customers
Grow cash
make profit

48. Questions to identify your KPIs
1. What are the functional areas of our operating model?
2. What result or outcome are we looking for in each area?
3. What “activities” or “actions” drive this outcome?
4. What “effectiveness” measures let us know how well these
activities are being performed?

53. In the past, we used Spreadsheets / MS Excel

54. Now we use software

55. Everyone knows their own individual accountabilities

56. They can also see how other teams are performing

57. We can see who is, and who is NOT performing

58. What’s happening here?

61. Metrics / KPIs “In the Red”?
What’s happening here?
What 1 thing can we do this week to
improve this?
How can I help? What support do you
need?

62. Capture Key Tasks

63. “I know what is expected of me at work”
Questions / Answers:
#realKPIs || @RESULTSdotcom

67. Always aim for the STARS,
if you miss…
..you’ll at least
reach the moon

76. Questions / Answers:
#realKPIs || @RESULTSdotcom
Regrets? I’ve had a few….

78. Accountability is meaningless without consequences
What positive consequences can the person accountable expect
if their KPI is consistently in the “GREEN” at the end of the month?
What negative consequences can the person accountable expect
if their KPI is consistently in the “RED”…
• For 1 month?
• For 2 months in a row?
• For 3 months in a row?
• For 4 months in a row?
Questions / Answers:
#realKPIs || @RESULTSdotcom

79. KPI performance thresholds
Be conservative in the beginning
Get everyone used to “winning”
You can always raise the bar later

80. ★ KPIs drive “business as usual” (your current operating model)
★ Don’t just track outcomes or currency measures
★ Focus on activity & effectiveness measures that drive outcomes
★ Make performance visible on a dashboard
★ Weekly team and 1 on 1 meetings to discuss performance
★ Good performance praise and recognize
★ Poor performance discuss every week, “What’s happening here?”
★ Shame is not a motivator. Beware setting thresholds too high
★ Be conservative in beginning. Get everyone used to winning
★ Ratchet up performance threshold over time
★ Adjust thresholds every quarter to ensure relevance
Metrics / KPIs - best practices

81. 10 Benefits of KPI Dashboards
1. Radical Transparency - motivates action
2. Drive your operating model (Business as usual)
3. Keep people focused critical success factors
4. Communicate “what” needs to be done
5. Delegate authority to staff to figure out “how”
6. Recognize progress when things going well
7. Early warning indicator when things going wrong
8. More effective meetings to drive accountability
9. Objective decision making based on data
10. Drive business execution and RESULTS

82. Meetings to Drive Execution

84. ● Dashboard data must be updated
● Good news
● Review Projects Reinforce focus and accountability
● Review KPIs Reinforce focus and accountability
● What’s happening here? Weed the garden
● The “1 Thing”? Capture Tasks in software & follow up
● Parking Lot Capture decisions as Tasks
● Core Values story
● One phrase close
Team Meetings

86. ● Same time each day 15 minutes max
● Circular - fast paced
● What did you get done yesterday?
● Any lessons learned?
● What will you get done today?
● Any obstacles?
● Take issues “offline”
Daily Huddle

88. ● Booked in calendar every week. 30 minutes max
● Dashboard data must be updated
● Status update on Goals & Tasks Reinforce focus and accountability
● What’s happening here? Weed the garden
● The “1 Thing”? Capture Tasks in software & follow up
● What support do you need?
● How are you feeling?
● Finish with praise and encouragement
1-on-1 Meeting

90. GROW Coaching Questions
★ G = Goal. What is the Goal here?
(What is desired outcome? Make sure everyone is aligned on this)
★ R = Reality. What is the Reality right now?
(Get the facts. What does the data say?)
★ O = Options. What Options do you have?
(List all options, and the pros and cons of each option)
★ W = Will. What Will you do?
(Support them them to choose a course of action and assign a
Project/Task to put their decision immediately into action)

91. Presenter: Stephen Lynch
Role: Head of Strategy & Consulting at RESULTS.com
Email: Stephen.Lynch@Results.com
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/stephengeoffreylynch
Slides: results.com/slides
Software Demo: results.com/EO
Business Execution for RESULTS
Best practices based on the direct observations
of thousands of RESULTS.com client firms