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Origin of the 5 Rules
Gaps in execution regularly surface in business. These dysfunctions can hamper an organization’s ability to achieve change. Sometimes poor or unclear executive direction creates confusion and misdirection. Sometimes the dysfunction is inherent in the team composition. Occasionally the competitive nature of individuals and teams working to meet their own business goals derails progress, though seldom with overt malicious intent. Often groups simply move too slowly or too quickly with a poor understanding of why they are moving in the first place.
The 5 Rules were refined through years of use. Having led different organizations with different missions, one thing becomes abundantly clear – You need a consistent approach for setting and reinforcing strategic direction, leading teams through the phases of development, and ensuring high levels of execution. The 5 Rules are a great way to sharpen focus on what you are doing and why you are doing it.
The 5 Rules are written to be simple to understand. Some people may choose to discount simplicity as lacking impact. Some people may be frustrated because the rules require basic ground work be done to ensure alignment. They would much rather argue the merits of their own “Pet” solutions. The reality is, once people “Get” the approach the rules take, they are refreshed with the process and its ability to empower teams through the storming (argumentative) phases, create more effective meetings, allow for more streamlined strategy development and planning, and take a pseudo Agile approach to prioritization.
Some of the problems organizations face are poorly understood planning processes, overly cumbersome strategy development models, ineffective meetings, and pet projects taking precedence independent of priority.
The 5 Rules are solutions to many of these problems and I humbly propose that they work. Assuming that organizations understand they could be more effective and efficient in the execution of their work, the rules are just another solution competing for their time and attention.
Although each of the 5 Rules adds value independently, they are designed to work in concert. They are written “simply” to allow their application at a very high level.
Steering a team to a new process can take time. The 5 Rules apply “just enough” process to allow for quick adoption while maintaining the core mission.
The keys to success are simple. Apply one rule at a time. Hold each other accountable to the ground rules. Build your toolkit for reinforcing the application of each rule. As your team becomes more comfortable in utilizing the rule to ensure effectiveness, elevate the conversation with elements of the next rule.