Business owners and CEOs are often clear on the vision – but the real challenge is execution. Big plans start strong, then lose momentum as priorities shift, teams drift into silos, or the metrics being tracked don’t clearly tie back to outcomes being sought. 

What makes the difference isn’t more planning – it’s building a system that actually sticks. 

At Checkside, we call this an High Performance Operating System – the way leaders set priorities, establish accountability, check in on progress and keep everyone focused on what really moves the business forward. 

Why an Operating System Matters

Without structure, even the best strategies stall. Our expertise has helped support leadership teams where:

• Regular meetings between the senior team weren’t happening
• Meetings were happening, but accountability was weak
• Metrics were being tracked, but they weren’t the right ones
• Energy was high at planning off-sites, but execution fell flat afterwards

In each case, a High Performance Operating System was a pivotal part of the solution – and it wasn’t about adding more noise. It was about embedding the right conversations, at the right time, with the right focus – to ensure exectuon became part of the strategy process, not an adhoc afterthought.

The Three Essential Elements of a High Performance Operating System

From our work with mid-sized organisations, three elements consistently stand out:

1. Clarity of Focus: Agree on the few key priorities that matter most and make them visible. Then spend the time upfront to plan for successful execution. Design casts the biggest shadow.

2. Measure What Matters: Regularly track performance against KPI’s and progress against Objectives and Key Results. Address any issues at the earliest opportunity to get things back on track.

3. Clear Accountability: Ensure each objective has one accountable person assigned. Link rewards and consequences to KPIs and objectives – in a way that fits your business and culture.

 What Good Looks Like

When a High Performance Operating System is working well, you’ll notice:

• Leaders and teams consistently talking about the same priorities
• Meetings that are short, sharp and focused on outcomes
• Teams identifying and addressing issues early
• Progress that builds – and compounds – quarter after quarter
• Less noise, stress, “busy” work and pet projects that don’t really “move the needle”

How Checkside Can Help

Our work with busienss owners, CEOs and leadership teams focuses on embedding strategic thinking and execution into the way your business runs – not just during the annual strategic planning process, but every day.

We help sharpen your focus, design high performance operating systems that stick and create alignment and accountability that lasts well beyond the strategic planning day. 

The result? Leaders who spend less time reacting to noise and more time moving the business forward towards its performance goals and strategic objectives. 

Final Thought

The question isn’t whether your business has a High Performance Operating System – it’s whether that system is helping your team get the stuff done that really matters. 

The post From Strategy to Execution: Why Businesses Need a Rhythm That Works appeared first on Checkside.

Surprisingly, making the connection between how to have success on the track and traction in business is not always so straight forward. Many of the companies Checkside meet are searching for the right “personal trainer” and game plan to unlock the potential of their business and kick it into high gear.

For many companies, the months leading up to a new financial year are devoted to budget planning as they grapple with the uncertainty of the business environment and economy. High-performing companies use this time to refresh their strategy so it can inform their budget and plans.

What is your process to prepare for the new financial year? What role does strategy play? Is strategy a process, a constant state-of-mind, a rhythm and a roadmap that unites your organisation around a common purpose, set of plans and moments to celebrate or re-evaluate progress? Give these points some consideration while you are next out training:

1. Strategic Alignment: investing the time to bring the senior leadership team together to create or refresh the strategy has these benefits:

• use all the brains and experience around the table to identify the issues, threats and opportunities for the new year
• challenge and update the underlying assumptions of the strategy
• learn lessons from the past year and avoid blind spots
• ensure full engagement of your team in the new plans
• agree on objectives and key results with accountability ascribed to develop an actionable plan; and
• motivate the leadership team around the company’s values and purpose so they have the narratives to do the same with their teams.

A study by Bain & Company found that companies with a clear, well-communicated strategy are 300% more likely to outperform their peers. (Source: “What Separates the Best Companies from the Rest,” Bain & Company)

2. Employee Engagement: not all companies have a clearly defined purpose / mission statement and values and those that do often struggle to connect it to their business strategy and the role of every employee in its successful execution. Having a clearly defined strategy unifies a company around a common “why” and “what” needs to be done to achieve it. In the war to attract and retain the best people, success or failure often rests in the way a company can articulate the role the current employees or new hires will play in the achievement of the company’s purpose and mission.

Organisations with a clear, inspiring vision and strategy have significantly higher levels of employee satisfaction and lower turnover rates. (Source: “The Impact of Leadership and Culture on Employee Satisfaction and Turnover,” Harvard Business Review)

3. Resource the Strategy: budgeting is the process of deciding where and where not to allocate financial resources to achieve an agreed financial result. This tension requires a clear strategy to guide the budgeting process so hard decisions can be made where the resources will create the greatest return for the organisation in the coming year or longer. When strategy directs the budget and organisational changes that are often necessary to keep companies competitive in this VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) environment, a logical, cohesive and clear narrative can be communicated to all employees. A good strategy process includes thought around the key objectives, key results and KPIs to align around what is to be achieved, what to measure as lead and lag indicators and with individuals accountable and deadlines defined.

Companies with a clear, engaging strategy experience a 17% increase in employee engagement and a 19% increase in operating income. (Source: “The Power of Engagement,” McKinsey & Company)

If the thought of the next stage for your organisation makes your heart race, it might be time for a business “trainer” – someone who can help you set the pace, provide the right tools and challenge you along the way.

Having a good “business trainer” to guide you, provide the process, tools and support and challenge you along the way is proven to generate a strong ROI and can get your resting heartbeat down to below 80 bpm.

Contact Checkside for a coffee and a conversation (click here)

The post The power of a clear strategy and three great outcomes appeared first on Checkside.

By putting these three elements together, companies can get the best out of their staff and really benefit from the results.

Here are four key advantages of blending strategy development and execution with leadership development:

1. Improved Alignment:  When leaders have an understanding of the company’s strategy, and have the skills to carry it out, they can get everyone in the organisation working towards the same goals and objectives. This creates a more focused environment where everyone is moving in the same direction.
2. Increased Engagement:  Staff are more likely to be engaged and motivated if they know what the organisation is trying to achieve and have the tools to get there. This leads to better productivity, creativity, and customer satisfaction, as well as less staff turnover.
3. Better Decision Making: When leaders understand the company’s direction, they can make better decisions. This makes the organisation more agile and able to take advantage of new opportunities – which is critical in a constantly changing world.
4. Improved Performance (ROI):  Investing in leadership development increases the chance of having high-performing teams. Leaders are better equipped to motivate and guide their staff which leads to better results. It’s been shown that this can lead to a 20% increase in performance, which is great news for any business.

By combining strategy, execution and leadership development, businesses can unlock potential and achieve results. It can improve alignment, engagement, decision making and performance, helping organisations build truly high performance teams. In the current volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (‘VUCA’) environment, this could provide just the edge you are seeking.

To learn more about our services around strategy development, strategy execution and leadership development see the Services Page on our website.  If you’d like to discuss further in person, please free to reach out directly on (08) 6298 6400 or reach out via email through our Contact Us page….

The post Outsized Returns from the Strategy, Execution and Leadership Development Overlap appeared first on Checkside.

In January 2022, world No. 1 tennis champion Novak Djokovic deported from Australia following a high-profile legal case regarding his COVID-19 vaccination status, preventing his participation in the 2022 Australian Open.

• Lesson: No matter how high-performing a team member may be – you must ensure they are engaged and aligned with your core cultural and strategic intent.
• Question: Are your organisation’s core cultural and strategic intentions clear to all of your people?

In February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a decree declaring the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk independent from Ukraine, and begins a full-scale invasion of Ukraine despite international condemnation and sanctions.

• Lesson: Disruption and competitive threats can appear at any time – often with little warning. Ensure you conduct regular competitor and risk analysis, contingency planning and have sufficient reserves on hand to withstand unexpected events.
• Question: What are your competitors and alternatives REALLY up to? How could this impact you?  How would you potentially disrupt yourself?

In May 2022, the Australian Labor Party, led by Anthony Albanese, wins the Australian federal election and forms a majority government for the first time since 2007.

• Lesson: Product-market fit matters! Organisations must know whether they have a product with market appeal before they dive into the delivery phase to avoid wasting time, effort and money.
• Question: Where have you achieved product-market fit? Where haven’t you?

In July 2022, the first operational image from the James Webb Space Telescope, is revealed to the public. Webb will study every phase in the history of our universe, ranging from the first luminous glows after the big bang, to the formation of solar systems (including ours).

• Lesson: Mark Twain once said that “History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme.” The better and clearer your organisation’s visibility on historical data and results – the better equipped you are to identify trends, issues and opportunities to be investigated, solved and capitalised on.
• Question: How effective is your monthly reporting? Is it clear how you are tracking towards the achievement of your most important operational KPIs and strategic objectives?

In September 2022, Liz Truss is appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In October 2022, Liz Truss resigned from her post after just 44 days in office, making her the shortest-serving leader in UK history.

• Lesson: Leadership is defined by the presence of followers, those in your team that actively choose to follow the direction you set – even when they have a choice not to.
• Question: Which of your leaders REALLY have follow? Which don’t?

In November 2022, the world population reached 8 billion.  Australia’s unemployment rate remains at 3.5% – its lowest since 1974.

• Lesson: The talent pool is tight and your employer brand and value proposition matters!
• Question: How will you attract and retain the brightest and best in 2023 and beyond?  What can you do to enhance your employee value proposition?

Personal Reflections

The Christmas break is the perfect time to reflect and plan. To help, we’ve included a link to our Personal Development Roadmap – a practical exercise to help you reflect, reset, and set yourself up for continued success in the year ahead.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT ROADMAP: download IT HERE   

As James Clear famously said, “You will never find time for anything.  If you want time, you must make it.”  Use the Xmas break to think and plan, and you will reap the rewards in the new year.

We wish you all the best for a safe and healthy Xmas break.
The Checkside Team

The post The Value of Reflecting appeared first on Checkside.

What is a Management Operating System?

In its simplest form, a management operating system is a combination of systems, process and tools that are designed to facilitate clear, data driven communication and teamwork between the functions and senior leaders of a business.

The best operating systems are specifically tailored for the needs of the individual business and designed to ensure key strategic objectives and KPIs are kept front and centre.  They will also ensure accountability is clearly assigned to leaders and progress in relation to each objective and KPI is tracked and measured at regular intervals.

Why is a solid Management Operating System so Important?

A good operating system effectively provides the glue to bring the senior leadership group together to work as a team to ensure the strategic objectives and KPIs are achieved for the business.  It provides a mechanism to ensure key leaders remain well informed as to progress of each strategic objective and KPI – particularly critical where cross-functional dependencies exist.

Over time it should form the central platform to measure and track the key initiatives of the business and provide a forum for leaders to remain informed.

It should help surface issues in a timely manner and provide a forum for the leadership group to collectively own the resolution of issues – irrespective of who is ultimately responsible for delivery of any particular objective.

What is a good Management Operating System comprised of?

Good management operating systems will differ according to the complexity and stage of maturity of each business, however at their core they need to have the following essential elements to truly drive performance:

• Clearly articulated inputs: Simple, important and measurable objectives for the functional leaders in the business to identify with and connect to. Each of these should connect directly to the overarching corporate strategy and be assigned to someone responsible for delivery
• Great structure: the senior leadership group should devise a regular meeting cadence and have each meeting controlled by a well-structured agenda to streamline the focus and conversation to drive efficiency. This agenda should primarily focus on ensuring bottlenecks are identified and issues discussed to help ensure objectives can be achieved in a timely manner
• Simple tools: at the heart of the operating system lies the “scoreboard” or tracking tool. These should be simple, easily accessible tools tailored for each business, that help keep the important things front and centre and provide visible tracking and measurement of achievement and progress.

The essential elements outlined above provide the foundation of a good management operating system, noting that there is a myriad of other pieces of the puzzle that need to be wrapped around these to ensure it is appropriately tailored for your business.

To learn more about how we help our clients develop and embed tailored management operating systems, take a look at our Case Studies and Strategy Execution services page on our website. 

Alternatively, feel free to get in touch with us to discuss further

The post Three essential elements for successful strategy execution appeared first on Checkside.

We often observe that a strategy session has been planned and facilitated, the strategy discussed and captured but once the team disperses back into the organisation the substance stays locked up in the reports and documents that form the outputs of many of these exercises.  To maximise the benefit from this investment the rubber needs to hit the road.

Our work with clients has consistently reinforced one thing to us – those organisations that work on establishing an operating system that is appropriately tailored to their business (i.e. not too complex but not too simple) tend to maximise performance.  This is what we call operating ‘in “the zone’.

Too Little

On the one hand, companies that are not getting enough done, tend to miss deadlines and deliverables, have ambiguous KPIs and objectives and hold internal meetings with little or no structure and typically sit on the scale between Chaos and Coasting.

Too Much

At the other extreme, we see companies that are simply trying to do too much. This is often characterised by more time reporting than executing, having too many KPIs and objectives and holding too many internal meetings – particularly ones with very rigid and inflexible structure.  These companies are often overdoing it and can easily get stuck in bureaucracy.

Find the Zone

Ideally, companies need to be ‘in the zone’ to maximise performance.  When done well this results in businesses and internal teams doing what they set out to do, establishing reporting that fits the flow of work, adopting clear and simple KPIs and objectives and holding just enough meetings (with just enough structure) to make them efficient and effective.

Operating ‘in the zone’ tends to lead to higher performance outcomes and is a key to successful strategy execution.  To operate ‘in the zone’ you need a fit for purpose operating system that is designed and implemented to support your people and maximise their outputs.

The post Are You Maximising Performance by Operating ‘In the Zone’? appeared first on Checkside.

The transition between financial years is always a busy few months at Checkside.

For clients running on a July-June planning and financial year, this is the time when we work with them to review the year that was and plan for the year ahead.

The COVID-19 pandemic has served up an operating environment that is more volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous than most in recent memory.

It is clear from the annual strategic planning sessions I have facilitated this year that companies with high accountability cultures are navigating these challenging times best.

Here are a few highlights from the 10+ sessions I’ve facilitated this period:

• An 18-years-established manufacturing business which delivered record Revenue and Net Profit numbers (50%+ increase on their previous “record year”)
• A medical services business which successfully pivoted to telehealth as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic whilst maintaining high levels of patient satisfaction
• A transport company that successfully redeployed its entire fleet from the tourism sector into servicing a large resources project over the course of a weekend
• A software company which achieved world-class employee engagement scores (71% of its 50 employees are Fully Engaged)
• A for-purpose organisation which successfully expanded into a new geographic region whilst delivering on its (pre-COVID-19) budget
• A professional services firm which identified COVID-19 as a potential issue in a strategy check-in on 14 February – and which had convened a working group and developed response plans and systems weeks ahead of most other Australian companies

This got me thinking – what did these high accountability companies do that set them apart from the rest of the pack?

Reflecting on this question in recent days, the following four factors stood out…

1. They have leaders who are self-aware and dedicate time to strategic thinking and personal/professional development

• The best companies… have self-aware leaders (including key executives) who are actively engaged in regular strategic thinking, often via executive coaching, executive groups or coursework. They thrive on challenges and see failure as an opportunity to learn and grow – operating with what Jim Collin’s called productive paranoia.
• The rest… can’t see the forest for the trees because they don’t dedicate enough time (or depth) critically examining their business model and strategy.

2. They have an appropriate operating system for their company size, stage of growth and culture

• The best companies… have an operating cycle, agendas, tracking and meeting facilitation which is well understood and drives accountability. They made a conscious effort to ensure that they kept their form through the twists and turns of the COVID-19 pandemic – including maintaining regular communication with all team members (or evolving this to suit their situation).
• The rest… either don’t have an operating system (the urgent trumps the important and every day is SNAFU), or they’ve tried to implement an operating system straight out of a textbook blueprint, which leads to many growth companies spending more time writing reports and attending time-wasting meetings than actually getting stuff done.

3. They have a clear, simple strategy and measurable KPIs and objectives

• The best companies… keep everyone aligned with a simple and memorable strategic plan which is regularly discussed as part of their operating rhythm. They then keep everyone focused on the small number of strategic ‘rocks’ that really matter – and ensure people are held accountable through regular meetings to review progress towards well-defined KPIs and objectives.
• The rest… either don’t have a well-defined and/or communicated strategy, are spreading themselves to thin across too many KPIs and objectives, or have no idea how they are tracking towards the achievement of their KPIs and objectives. They’re either “flying blind” or “driving the car looking in the rear-vision mirror”.

4. They operate with a high-performance mindset

• The best companies… operate like a pro sports team. They hire, develop and cut smartly so that they have stars in every position. Sustained B-level performance, despite an “A for effort”, results in a respectful severance discussion. Sustained A-level performance is rewarded with more responsibility and generous remuneration.
• The rest… tolerate or accept mediocrity… or worse, brilliant d*ckheads, which inevitably acts as an anchor, dragging performance and culture down into a death-spiral (hat tip to Patty McCord at Netflix for putting this one so succinctly).

The good news is that all of the above are within reach of business owners and executives who are willing to put in the work. That means investing the time and resources to diagnose the particular type of chaos that your company is looking to manage now and/or avoid in future as it grows. The key is then to ensure that initiatives aimed at increasing accountability (and in turn high performance) are appropriately planned, executed, embedded or maintained.

To find out more about how Checkside helps companies implement High Performance Operating Systems please click here, here or here.

The post How the Best Companies Are Thriving in Turbulent Times: A Strategy Execution Playbook appeared first on Checkside.

McKinsey have highlighted six steps to building skills and business competency:

Strategy Development:

• Rapidly identify the skills your recovery business model depends on.  For example only 1% of doctor appointments were via telehealth in 2019 versus 93% currently
• Build employee skills critical to your new business model.  Need more ability to operate in the digital world, stronger cognitive capability to respond to redesign and innovation and more resilience and adaptability to cope with evolving situations
• Launch tailored learning journeys to close critical skill gaps.  Upskill your workforce for the new skills required to meet your revised strategy

Strategy Execution:

• Start now, test rapidly and iterate – 91% of those companies that don’t start or wait to reskill will be either average or left behind when it comes to dealing with the next disruption
• Act like a small company to have a big impact – make bold moves based on clear views of what you need and be prepared to fail
• Protect learning budgets (or regret the deferral of investment later) and leverage ready-made solutions and IP of external providers

In line with these views, we have been helping clients test and reset strategies over the last few months, whilst increasing the cadence of operating rhythms and focusing on continuous learning and application of new skills. This ‘adaptive strategy’ approach is a necessity in uncertain times, but also will help businesses evolve over the longer term.

Of course, the execution component and (effective application of learning) remains the most challenging element for mid-market and emerging companies – and highlights the need for a High Performance Framework and Operating System to underpin your adaptive strategy .

Checkside’s High Performance Framework

Checkside’s High Performance Operating System

By bringing together the elements of strategy iteration, leadership development, and performance improvement into a tight operating rhythm, you will be well set to outperform the market through 2020 and beyond.

To read the full McKinsey article please click here.

The post Adaptive strategy – focus on learning and application to accelerate your performance through uncertainty appeared first on Checkside.

People aren’t the only solution of course, you still need a robust operating and accountability system in place (see our recent blog on Navigating your business through the COVID-19 pandemic), but A-Grade talent will drive and maximise the outputs of your execution model better than average talent. Statistically it’s impossible for everyone to be ‘above average’ (despite what many performance reviews seem to suggest!), so now is a great time to ask yourself if you have the right people on the bus to deal with your new reality?

In his current Harvard Business Review article ‘Now is an Unprecedented Opportunity to Hire Great Talent’, Claudio Fernandez Araoz points out that the best companies heed their own learnings from previous crisis events and focus on investing on the right talent to pull through downturns in better shape. And the reality is that the availability of talent right now is approaching never seen before levels.

An analysis of over 4,700 companies across the last three recession showed 9% were able to come out much better positioned than when they entered because of their progressive mindset and focus.  Importantly, the critical difference lay in resizing and reshaping their talent (as opposed to simply downsizing) meaning successful firms continued making important investment decisions during these downturns.  As we know, making the right executive hire at the right time can make a massive difference – in fact it’s been shown that A Grade talent can be up to 400% more productive than average talent.

Most of you won’t have high level executive Talent and Search teams in-house like Fortune 100 companies, but that’s where you can leverage consultants to help you ‘upgrade’ your talent at an opportune time

To read the HBR article, click here.

To ensure you have the right talent to drive performance in your business, give us a call to discuss further or alternatively, book a meeting with an advisor here.

The post Do you have the right talent to execute your post pandemic recovery plans? appeared first on Checkside.