How jumping ship too quickly may do more harm than good and what to do when you are feeling the urge to do so.

One of the hardest things to do is to choose a strategic direction, not see the results you want, and still continue to stay the course.  Of course, your first instinct may be to jump ship quickly before the ship goes down.  However, the problem may not lie with the strategy but the tactical execution of it.

Top leaders often weigh the pros and cons before choosing a particular strategy. Despite this, there are an infinite number of outcomes that can occur with any given strategy. A world class CEO will focus on execution and readjustment before abandoning ship. It is uncommon for execs to choose wildly off-target initiatives and strategies. More often than not the solution is in the discipline to continue the course correction process, particularly through the ability to ask probing questions. Thus, we solve problems that are actually being presented versus solving problems that are an extrapolation of a probable outcome.

To avoid this mistake: Consider the best case, worst case and possible unexpected forks in the road ahead of time.  Work with your team to create the expectation of long-term commitment to a strategy – even through tough times. Focus on the execution of a strategy chosen and not on going back to the drawing board.

To help our clients avoid this blindspot, CCA has developed a proprietary “Needle Mover” training and “Motivated Accountability System” to set execution at the highest bar possible. This ensures each strategic initiative is being implemented thoroughly throughout the culture, receiving the highest-level attention possible and allows management to immediately determine any effectiveness leaks in the system.