All the planning in the world doesn’t matter if you don’t have equally good execution skills. I get it, brainstorming, getting strategic, and vision planning can give anyone an adrenaline rush. Yet without the proper execution strategy, your plan can come crashing down like a bad habit. That is why I admire the thoughts expressed about execution in Chris McChesney’s book, 4 Disciplines of Execution. These execution strategies will help you have so much that you want to accomplish, but need help with getting started.

Focus

[bctt tweet=”There will always be good ideas than there is the capability to execute. – Chris McChesney” username=”planitonapostit”] Having focus helps to narrow ideas down to the ideas that can be implemented easy and quickly. When you write down the ideas that you have, focus on your wildest, most important goals. These types of goals enable the passion that you have to take your plans to completion. Also think about how many steps will it take you to get to your desired outcome. The more step, the increased level of difficulty. So what are the fewest number of steps that you’ll need to win? This question should be your focus.

Leverage

Now that you are working off your narrowed down list of ideas, let’s take a look at where you can apply the leverage you have in order to execute your plan. In our industry of event planning, we gain an incredible amount of leverage in the connections that we have. Go through your LinkedIn, call a few friends, approach your supplier partners and apply the leverage that you have into your situation. Additionally, take a look at your team and people around you that might be able to provide you with the skills to pull of your plan. Leaning on key people with the right contributions, will be able to supply you with some powerful leverage.

Engagement

Although you may have your exact plans laid, you will need to engage with others to help. There is an art about engagement. To acquire the right engagement and execution, you need to have to get the key people involved for their specific piece of your plan. When you get them involved, quickly manage their feelings, and insights about your plan. Letting those you engage have their say and voice their insights, can be a crucial component to engagement. However, just because they have their say, doesn’t mean things have to turn out their way. You can veto ideas that don’t align with your plan, just don’t go so far as “dictate”, McChesney says, as that might turn some away.

Responsibility

In order for people to stand up and fully execute your plan, make them feel responsible for the part that they are given. My fellow type A’s out there, might struggle with this. Endowing people with the responsibility of a specific part of your plan will immediately help them not only accomplish the goal you set, but could inspire them to beyond your expectations in a way you couldn’t have done yourself.

[bctt tweet=”Leaders drive change.” username=”planitonapostit”] If change is very difficult to implement, then as leaders, we can’t blame the people helping you drive. Changing the way we execute can be a behavioral change, and behavioral changes are the hardest to execute. However sticking to the above road-map will make your plans become a become a reality. You will not only be able to give the responsibility to the right people, but will provide them with a plan with the fewest steps to help things come together quickly and painlessly.