What Every CEO Wants.

How I Outlined a Framework That Executes | Aligning Vision With Data And Operations.

I’ve had the privilege to work with some outstanding CEOs, who have pushed me beyond limits I ever thought I could handle. Basically, if I hadn’t sparked their interest with what I had to say within the first minute, I had no chance of getting the go-ahead or direction I needed to reach my objectives.

Meticulous planning and research had to go into the proposals for my grand plans to execute whatever challenge they laid before me. I quickly learned, however providing clear, concise, and valid data to back my plans was the only way to get their nod of approval. In addition, if I showed the slightest hesitation with my answers to their questions, I would lose them and consequently lose the opportunity to execute the initiatives I set out to do.

Ambition Led to Creation.

Throughout the years, I’ve observed this fine species of CEOs in detail. My perseverance, coupled with my ambition to succeed, led me to create a ‘less is better than more’ approach when presenting my initiatives and backing them with the right data. After years of tweaking this skill (and I’m still working on it), I created a framework that ultimately results in a semantic layer of information that the CEO and the whole team can relate to, understand, and act upon.

It took me a few grey hairs to get here because, under that semantic layer, I just mentioned lies processes, which are done mostly by people. This means that order to streamline the accurate information probably entails changing the way people work.

Everyone wants change but no one wants to do anything differently — Eugene Burger

Even if the change proposed looks, sounds, smells, tastes (and I can go on, you know what I mean ), is more efficient, cost-effective and will eventually increase revenue; asking people to change a process or methodology is far from straightforward-actually it’s probably why changes are usually slow to implement if implemented at all.

I’ve definitely experienced people holding on to their ways like their life depended on it …literally. Changing the way people work is often the most arduous part of digital transformation for any company. Unless you have the solid backing of the CEO and his executive management team, it is almost impossible to execute any change as people’s resistance is by far the hardest hurdle you will need to overcome to digitally transform a company and bring it to a truly data-driven culture.

What Every CEO Wants is A Framework To Execute.

From what I’ve gathered, it’s quite simple, really. CEOs want to execute their vision, have everyone understand the path to get there, and have the right information at the right time to make objective decisions. Sounds easy, right? It’s not unless you have a framework in place.

In his article “Leaders of Tomorrow”, originally published in Construction Week. Omar Delaware, CEO of Dubai Holdings (a former CEO of mine), outlines key learnings from his own 25-year career on what makes the leaders of tomorrow. He also refers to the need for a framework to be able to execute.

Leaders need to create a clear framework that empowers the professionals, given the speed of decision-making required in today’s business and allows them to showcase their creativity and experience while working together in harmony. Omar Deleware CEO DHB Holdings in Leaders of Tomorrow.

The Three Main Components of an Executable Framework.

To have a framework that delivers the above, it must incorporate three main components: Vision, Data and Operations. However, ONLY when the Vision Data and Operational components of a company are strategically and intentionally combined do they create the framework that best enables the execution of the CEO’s vision.

Each component is then made up of elements that together make up a dynamic real-time execution plan. Finally, this plan is communicated to everyone, and in it, they also find how their activities align to the grand vision. The three main components are as follows:

1. Vision — is getting everyone on the same page, communicating the goal, and planning how to achieve it.
2. Data- (my personal favourite) — is having your data organised around your business model, product, and customer. This results in a data-driven culture where decisions are made on facts and figures rather than emotions, feelings and, worst of all, egos.
3. Operations -by Operations, I mean aligning what your people are doing to the Vision and how they use the Data component to drive their daily activities and future planning.

Image by Author

The Separation of the Visionary Aspects With What Happens Operationally.

In many organisations, the mission and vision statements are on their wall or in a section on their website. They may quote it here and there in staff and team-building meetings, but that’s as far as it goes. As a result, the team is unsure of it, and they do not relate what they do daily to the vision. In addition, their metrics KPIs and goals are siloed, so there is no roadmap on how the CEOs will reach the vision and measure how far/close they are to it.

This separation of the strategic and visionary aspects from the operational and measurable parts increases the risk of making decisions on the wrong information. In addition, your people will lack clarity which usually results in the good people leaving, and those who stay will lack motivation. If the Vision is not clearly communicated to employees to the point where they understand the part they play in it and clear ways to measure how close or far you are from it, you risk losing key people or not attracting them in the first place.

Some leaders consider vision as part of a company’s branding exercise, which portrays its image to the outside world. Some other leaders cannot distinguish between actions required to achieve targets and the vision to achieve the organizational goals. Distracted visions can confuse employees from understanding the corporate goals- Omar Delaware CEO DHB Holdings.

A Framework That Aligns Your Business.

An executable framework that aligns with your business; brings together all the essentials combining Vision, the Data, and the Operations — and combines these components that enable CEOs and leaders to execute and achieve their goals through clear communication.

A CEO Wants A Framework To Make Better, Stronger and Faster Decisions.

With the vast amount of information available, working in confusion has become the norm. By aligning the Vision with Data and Operations enables leaders and CEOs to be right more often — they want to make better, stronger, faster decisions and do so with confidence. A framework combining these three components will produce a robust data strategy that does what every CEO wants.

An executable framework is a critical step towards identifying unmet needs, goals, opportunities and challenges of all departments and aspects of a business. Backed by the executive team, it will enable the organisation to meet its objectives. In addition, when you intentionally combine the company’s data and analytics into the mix, you get a framework that supports the company’s growth and continuous improvement both upstream and downstream.

Thriving in a World that Easily Leans Towards Information Overload.

A clear communicated Vision and a mapped road to get there (strategy) are paramount to surviving in a world that can easily lean towards information overload to achieve the set goal. When coupled with the team knowing what part they play and having the data to support them, a framework executes is essential for success and growth.

Now isn’t that what every CEO wants?

Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.