Ben RidlerIn tough times, keeping everyone focussed on getting the right things done is everything. Actually it's the key to success in all times, the price of not doing is just higher now.

Having a great strategic plan is base camp, if you don't have one you lose. Keeping on learning should be part of the DNA, never stop. So armed with a great plan and all your new knowledge you're still only about 5% of the way to succeeding. None of it means anything if it doesn't get applied.

This year at RESULTS.com we've taken our execution to a whole new level. We already thought we were good but have learnt so much more about what it takes to get things done. Here are a few key points that have made a difference:

• Start with "why?" – if you want people to go the extra mile give them a bigger purpose. Your company's purpose and vision need to be something alive that everyone knows how they are contributing to.
• Hire for fit to values – if you want to build a team that pulls together and delivers for the company – and for each other – then make sure you have articulated your companies values, and that you hire people who align with them and demonstrate them. Start with yourself always.
• Transparency – Make sure that people know the numbers, the targets and who is expected to do what, the more "real time" the data the better
• Make many mistakes fast and learn from them – Encourage people to have a go and learn from what works and what doesn't. Don't give them all the answers (your team will come up with better ones only if you don't give them one first) and don't persecute those who try things that don't work, it is those that don't try things that stop you moving forward.
• Get everyone to commit to a weekly task that is not business as usual but is moving the company towards it's longer terms goals. Make sure that they understand that they are helping the company achieve it's vision by contributing. Do this as part of your weekly meetings and review the following week.
• Hold people accountable – The hardest thing to do gets easier when you've done all of the above. If there is transparency on numbers and also completion of tasks and goals, when your team understand why you are all working towards your vision, when people share a common set of values with each other and the company, then you have permission to hold people accountable for their results. The funny thing is, if you do all the other bits, you won't need to. They will get it done for the company, and for each other – and not because they had to.

As you can see, there is a mix of the soft and the hard to get a culture working that is about performance and delivering RESULTS. You need to be prepared to do the work on both having the big picture vision – and measuring and managing activity and effort. The two area's can't work in isolation and the sum of both is far greater than the whole.

There is much more to write on this topic, it is the most important and least talked about part of business. When you get it right and the business is firing, it is like driving a race car. The transformation doesn't happen overnight and you need to get all the parts working together to really get it performing.

Have fun and remember, a fish stinks from the head down. Make sure that as the leader you front up every week with your task completed and your numbers met...

Kia Kaha

Ben