The Hindu Business Line : Ensuring delivery when you are in charge

The typical expectations both in government and business enterprises include priorities, vision, strategy, structure, team, roadmap, and execution process steps.

Define Priorities: Understand the reasons why you were brought in. It could be for crisis management, long-term value generation, operations streamlining, or a combination of these.

Your priorities should address these first. Seek a board-level committee to design your first 100 days plan chaired by you. Agree on the priorities with the board to get its backing through the implementation.

Vision, strategy, and structure: All the above should be driven by the priorities agreed upon with the board. The focus should be to define the direction, approach and measures, and execution with course correction controls.

Your team: Your team should be an extension of your leadership, projecting your vision, values, objectives and requirements. Before initiating your strategic agenda, assess whether you have the people who can hone it, own it and implement it.

The team you build is a reflection of you, but don't fall into the trap of making it a carbon copy of your skills. You need to find others whose skills and strengths complement yours.

Assess each executive for fitment in to the roles that you have designed, and get the right people (from within and from outside).

Also, have floats in your team to serve as think-tanks and to pitch in with execution when needed. Engage your human capital developer to bring in new and also handle outplacement.

Don't assume that someone who was less effective before will not be effective in the future — a new environment and leadership style may cause that person to blossom.

Likewise, don't rule out managers who disagree with your views. Their willingness to challenge the status quo can be a great asset to a group, forcing it to question assumptions.

Can the team serve the company going forward?

The team must match in passion and commitment in the execution of your strategy. Conduct an aligned aspirations audit in your team to count on their collective contribution. Weed out political agendas to ensure delivery!

Meanings will be read into every personnel change you make. Left unexplained, rumour and speculation will abound.

Who you recruit also sends signals about your management style and expectations so it's critical that you clarify and communicate your objectives from the start.

So make your first 100 days count! A strong vision, execution strategy, the structure for delivery, a visible roadmap, and a committed team will help you achieve greatness over mere success. All the best!

(The author is Chairman and Managing Director, ECHC Management Services. He can be contacted at rameshkv@echc.co.in)

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