#the4disciplines – I have been a long time fan and practitioner of Franklin Covey’s, The 4 Disciplines of Execution. One of the reasons maybe that the 4 Disciplines are closely related to Lean practice of PDCA. If you are looking for a simplified version of putting PDCA in practice these 4 Disciplines serve as an excellent guideline. It is PDCA without calling it PDCA. In fact, I cannot remember any Lean Engagement that I did not cover this material. 
The 4 disciplines have been slightly updated in the book and can be summarized:
- (Plan) Focus on the Wildly Important (WIG): Execution starts with focus. Focus on the one or two goals that will make all the difference, instead of giving mediocre effort to dozens of goals.
- (Do) Act on the Lead Measures: Apply a disproportionate amount of energy to the activities that drive these lead measures. In this way, your team is creating the present while focused on the WIG.
- (Check) Keep a Compelling Scoreboard: If you know the score all the time, people will be engaged.
- (Act) Create a Cadence of Accountability: A frequent recurring cycle of accounting for past performance and planning to move the score forward. Great teams operate with a high level of accountability.
One of my takeaways from the book was this statement: “Accountability means making the personal commitments to the entire team to move the scores forward and then following through in a discipline way.’ Closely resembling a past blog post, Kaizen is Always Individual.
Never understood why there had never been a book published and was excited to see the material finally in print. This is a video introducing the 4 Disciplines of Execution by Franklin Covey. It illustrates the frustration that most leaders experience when trying to execute on their strategy.
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I have followed this program since its inception and attended workshops more than once. This has been a foundational tool for me and any client associated with me. Since 2004, I have routinely listened to the audio of ‘The 4 Disciplines of Execution for reinforcement. I think the book will greatly assist organizations in developing and executing their strategic objectives. If you can’t tell by now, I highly recommend the new book, The 4 Disciplines of Execution.
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