As a young teenager, I had the privilege of playing golf on one of the finest courses in Minneapolis because, as a golf caddie, I was able to golf on Mondays (which was caddie day and the day they watered and cut the grass). It was challenging to play around the sprinklers and mowers. However, the biggest challenge was combining my golf skills of the drive, approach, and putting needed to achieve a desirable score.

Of those three parts of my game, I typically played well in at least one and usually two parts of the game. However, one of those three parts of the game always seemed to fall short. My overall golf score fell short, too.

I knew enough about how the game should be played. However, knowing is not doing. I was limited by the fact that I only practiced once per week. It was not enough to make the execution of each part of the game second nature.

I know there are many good golfers, professional and otherwise, who perfect their game day-in and day-out. They routinely achieve scores that are out of reach for me.

The Next Book

Carol Keers and I, along with Tom Debrowski, former Executive Vice President of Supply Chain for Mattel, are working on our next book in the “Seeing Yourself as Others Do™ series called “The Execution Trifecta“. We are combining Debrowski’s global award winning knowledge of supply chain operations at Mattel, along with the leadership development we provided to his team to help them achieve their amazing results.

What is the Trifecta?

Most of the golfers I know are closer to my dilemma of never being able to play all three parts of the game consistently, hole after hole, game after game. The golf trifecta is being good at:

1) The drive from the tee to land in the fairway (or green).
2) Taking just the right approach shot to fly over the sand and water hazards to arrive close to the pin on the green.
3) Finally, to sink the putt in the hole with one or two strokes.

There are a few golfers who do all three of the trifecta things very well, consistently and at the same time. They win the game. They have mastered the golf trifecta. The majority of active golfers are like me who are good at one or two skills in any given day and play an average game most of the time.

Execution Trifecta™

The Execution Trifecta is like the golf trifecta. The trifecta requires three skills to be used consistently and effectively every day … as a leader, manager, and coach. Each skill needs to be done well, consistently, and in alignment:

1. Leadership direction communicated with clearly articulated strategy.
2. Managerial tactics need to be communicated and measured.
3. The coaching role ensures the team has the right people with needed skills and motivation.

Just as most golfers do not master the golf trifecta, most executives do not master the Execution Trifecta consistently. Only the very best play the execution game well in all three areas. Success is simple – not easy. It is also attainable.

Debrowski attributes the coaching that Change Masters provided to his team as one of the keys to his team’s outstanding success; which resulted in being rated the top supply chain organization in the world by an international organization of supply chain executives. The Mattel team demonstrated the execution trifecta.

While we progress on the new book, I will share some of the key Execution Trifecta tools in future blogs.