It's a chicken-and-egg question. But for me, the answer -- hands down -- is execution.
Take an extreme and recent example: Mortgage-backed securities probably started out as a great idea! But look where poor execution got its proponents. No one has a clue which are the good mortgages and which are the bad.
What went wrong? Greed got in the way of good judgment throughout the lending system, and no one was being held accountable while we were lending and mortgage-backing our economy into oblivion. In fact, those that were accountable were rewarded. So accountability goes hand in hand with great execution, right? If there's no accountability, why care about the result?
Great idea --> Great execution --> Great result
If you're accountable for achieving great results, then there's your basic formula.
Try these others:
Great idea --> Poor execution --> Disappointing result
Lame idea --> Great execution --> Satisfactory result
Even a so-so idea or concept if supported by good execution will generally provide a better outcome than a great idea poorly executed. Albert Einstein gave ideas about 1 percent of the credit and perspiration the other 99 percent.
It was true for theoretical physics and it's true in communications too.
If you can't get the legwork done, or can't keep up with it, and you're not compelling enough or well-enough informed to do the arm-twisting and sell the idea, you won't get the results you're looking for.
This is the reason that the best communicators in the field are those that are driven, passionate and personally invested in the ideas they're communicating. Do you agree?
2 comments:
I agree! My greatest frustration is lack of execution. Is there anything worse than taking an idea (great or small) executing it well and then passing responsibility to someone else and watching the idea go down in flames? It leads to the "do-I-have-to-do-it-all-myself" syndrome. I guess the question is how to we encourage and even enable better execution in peers and associates that seem . . . should we say . . . less motivated to make an idea work.
Hi wish, I am glad you share the same sentiment. And great point re: do it all myself syndrome.
Building a culture around excellent execution is my solution, but I recognize that can be intimidating!
But, hey, there's a reason the majority of people working in our industry are called 'account executive'. The title says it all!
And I'm glad to be surrounded by a team that's always willing to step up!
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