The Skill
of Execution
June 2nd,
2019
Growing up
I played select baseball for the Bellevue Club and had this baseball coach,
Jordan. He had this thing about the phrase “Get it Done”. Don’t ever say “Get
er Done” or else you’ll find yourself running. One does not “Get er Done”; one
“Gets it Done”. Simple. Done and dusted. And our team had a short list of
simple rules:
1) Polish your cleats before games
2) Dress your pants according to how
the starting pitcher is wearing his pants
3) If your hair shows out of your cap
you will be benched until you get a haircut. Caps are always to be worn forward
4) Get it done
Funny how
the first three are about respect, unity, and cleanliness. And then we get to
it: Get it done. Execution. Now Jordan is an incredible athlete and has a deep
understanding of the minute details of baseball. However, coaching baseball to
him was simply a medium. We had our short list of team rules. And he had a
short list of priorities for us:
1) God and family
2) School
3) Baseball
Looking
back I can fully appreciate the simplicity of his lessons. And I’ve learned an
incredible amount of lessons since playing baseball for him – heck I’ve learned
about international shipping routes, equipment procurement across borders, the
trade-offs of applying chemicals to prevent disease versus treat disease (vegetable
farming), and even two new languages! However the simple lesson of “getting it
done” is one of the most important lessons I have learned so far.
Execution,
getting things done, is truly a skill. Maybe even an art form. It requires a
high degree of emotional intelligence (EQ) and smarts (IQ), both of which can
be trained and improved upon. It requires an ability to create habits and a
thirst for learning. Time and time again I’ve heard people label themselves as
procrastinators. I’ve procrastinated for sure! Procrastination and time
management are two elements constantly acting as road-blocks to getting the job
done. However, procrastination has nothing to do with motivation or desire or
how bad you want it.
Procrastination
more often is a result of subpar emotional regulation. You know that flow
state? The one where time doesn’t exist? Or that mental state where you just
feel productive? Where you’re just knocking out one task after the next? Well
sure, but we also know that binge state where you don’t want to do anything. Or
that overwhelmed state where there’s so much to get done so you end up getting
nothing done. Or the cluttered feeling encouraging you to just stop and do your
work another time.
So ya, time
management, motivation, intelligence, desire to learn, emotional quip, and
creating habits are all building blocks to something much larger and much
harder to develop and train: the skill of execution. Task completion.
Commitment. Power of your words. In the past couple years, I have become to depend
on executers more and more and more. Those type of peoples who say something
and then get it done. No (or few) ands, ifs, ors, buts. Just getting the job
done. You ask them to do something and you don’t need to worry about following
up, sending a reminder, or nagging. They say they’ll do it and they get it
done.
I’m
reflecting more on NGOs and start-ups. In the past couple years, I’ve heard
fantastic ideas that have a strong business case. I’ve seen a few workout and
many die out. Overall, the biggest difference has nothing to do with how good
the idea is. Don’t get me wrong, having a good idea is important. Even more
important is the ability to execute and get the job done. If tasks are executed
well and in a timely manner, then eventually the team will be executing a
decent idea (the bad ideas will be tested and dropped). A team able to execute
will be successful. You can have the most fantastic idea, maybe an idea worth a
billion bucks. But without a team able to execute, your idea will stay just that:
an idea.
I have so
many people to thank; people who have helped me begin to realize an idea and a
vision. It’s what gets me up when it’s too cold outside and too early. It’s
what allows me to continue to work until the job is done; long after I’m
already exhausted. Specifically, I am incredibly grateful to the Dichone
family, my family (parents & sibs), my Nana, Richard and Caroline, my
church organization back home (susan, skip, and many others), Ms. Tidyman (a
mentor from my scouting days), and many others. I could and probably should
write a blog at some point just taking the time to thank the people who have helped
me get to where I am; and those who are helping me get to where I’m going.
I’ll be
posting another blog shortly and as a brief update, Niri Nkhayi has been
awarded a grant through Sodexo’s female empowerment and End World Hunger
program! Next week we’ll be discussing contracts and figures as I’ll need to
raise some monies to leverage against their investment.
Thank you
for taking the time to listen and read my post!
With all of
my hear,
Daniel
