Purchasing Management Guru Bill Kohnen reviews popular management book and process The 4 Disciplines of Execution by McChesney, Covey and Huling with brief comments and suggestion to read.

1. The 4 Disciplines of Execution
Book Review
William Kohnen
Vision without execution is hallucination."
Thomas Edison
Bill Kohnen
Sept 2013

2. • A popular and anecdotally effective process for putting
Strategy in place
• Deeply rooted in the Stephen Covey Philosophy and
Approach
• Probably more relevant in Western Corporate culture
• Possibly transferable globally in a western based
multinational corporate culture with localization
• Arguably might not be as effective in Asian or Latin based
cultures
Absolutely recommended reading with potential relevance to
both work and personal life.
Bill Kohnen
Sept 2013

3. Summary
The 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX)
• Focusing on the Wildly Important
• Acting on Lead Measures
• Keeping a Compelling Scoreboard
• Creating a Cadence of Accountability
Bill Kohnen
Sept 2013

4. Wildly Important Goals (WIGS)
• Focus on the "wildly important"
– What moves the organization forward
• Minimize focus on “the whirlwind”
– That merely keeps things going
Bill Kohnen
Sept 2013

5. Wildly Important Goals (WIGS)
•
Focus on the "wildly important"
– What moves the organization forward
– Minimize attention to “the whirlwind” that merely
keeps things going
• Finish Line is clear
From (X) to (Y) by When
Example:
Sales will increase from $100,000 to $150,000 per month by February 1 2014
Bill Kohnen
Sept 2013

6. Know What to Do to Achieve Goals
The Levers
• Act on the "lead measures" which can:
– You can influence
– Predictive of Outcome
• Do Not wait for "lag measures" (i.e. results of
what has been done) which show only what
has happened
Bill Kohnen
Book Review
2013
Sept

7. Keep a Compelling Scoreboard
• Simple
• Visible
• Lead Measure Levers and Total Results side by side.
Leads
New Sales
Generated Meetings
Proposals
Sent
Sales
1,400,000
1,200,000
100
20
1,000,000
15
800,000
600,000
140
150
25
30
20
400,000
200,000
0
20
October
Bill Kohnen
Book Review
2013
Sept
Novemer December

8. Create a Cadence of Accountability
• Creates a rhythm of frequent periodic
meetings
• Weekly meeting with Leader, Manager or
Coach to review progress
• Same time every week
– Report on Commitments
– Review and Update Scoreboards
– Make New Commitments
Bill Kohnen
Sept 2013