The Mechanics Behind Executing With Urgency

I’m a big believer that the mechanics behind executing with urgency can be taught.  Executing with urgency is really two things:

• First, it’s a mindset that internalizes the team deadlines and goals and always asks: What can I do to ensure we meet all these goals by the deadline?  The word all is key because it’s not about optimizing schedule at the expense of quality or other customer needs.  It’s about constantly adjusting focus to ensure every goal, whether it be feature or quality or customer adjustments, are met by the deadline.

• Once you have that mindset, it’s a specific set of tactics to maintain your focus.

It’s about figuring out what your Top Issues are (If you want help with this, see the Issue-Driven Execution course, toolkit, blog, or workshop.), and it’s about constantly keeping the team’s focus on the most important issues.  It’s not done only during a meeting, and it doesn’t stop even when the ball is in someone else’s hands.  If you are the Engineering Leader (i.e. the Technical Program Manager, the Engineering Manager), you’re constantly watching the person who has the ball to ensure the ball is advancing.  If it isn’t, like any good coach, you adjust.  You switch tactics.  You sub in another player.  You give coaching and support from the sidelines.

I cover these mechanics in my first episode of “The Pragmatic Minute”.  It’s a 60 second journey into the mindset and mechanics of executing with urgency.

How to Execute With Urgency