Everyone Agreed. Nothing Happened: Why Alignment ≠ Execution
Summit Climate Services (“SCS”) had completed two acquisitions in three years. While the administrative integrations had gone reasonably well, the commercial integrations had not. The company still operated too much like three separate businesses. Silos, politics and loyalty to legacy processes were hurting performance. The private equity investor wasn’t happy and the CEO and Board knew the platform needed a major reset.
So, the CEO hired a well-known facilitator and scheduled a two-day offsite that included the entire C-Suite and the PE partner who sat on the board. This was a serious investment in both time and cost.
The group left with a shared vision, stronger cultural alignment and clear operating targets by business line - and six months later, performance was still lagging.
How did that much time, talent and alignment yield so little?
Because alignment isn’t execution.
Execution Is Built, Not Declared
While alignment is necessary, it’s not enough, and it won't produce results unless these five elements are in place:
1. Clear Objectives and Intermediate Targets
Mission, alignment and long-term objectives create a “North Star,” but unless those long-term objectives can be broken down into intermediate and short-term targets that keep the team more focused on the path, the North Star will get lost in the ether.
2. Overcommunication
Leaders consistently underestimate how much communication is required. Senior management and the organization in general must be reminded repeatedly of both the ultimate objective and the intermediate milestones and the reasons for achieving them. Priorities must be reinforced often enough that they begin to influence day-to-day decisions throughout the company.
3. Proper Reporting
People pay attention to what management measures. If progress is not tracked, reported and reviewed regularly, attention drifts and priorities change. Proper reporting requires quality data and accounting, the right metrics to motivate performance, and timely reporting. Without those, management often discovers problems long after corrective action should have been taken.
4. Incentives Aligned with Results
People generally do what they are rewarded to do. Goals, communication and reporting are important, but they are far more powerful when compensation, recognition and accountability support the desired behavior. If incentives point in one direction and strategy points in another, incentives usually win.
5. An Obsession with Execution
Even when all of the above are present, meaningful change rarely happens without leadership that remains relentlessly focused on execution. The offsite may create alignment, but leadership must create follow-through. Priorities must be reinforced, obstacles removed, resistance addressed, resources reallocated and accountability enforced until a new execution culture emerges and the intended results are achieved.
Execution Is the Advantage
Most organizations already know what they need to do. What they lack are the systems, tools, processes and leadership focus to execute.
SCS knew what it needed to do. The leadership team agreed on the direction. What was missing wasn’t alignment. It was execution.
For over 35 years I have helped founder-led and PE-backed lower middle-market businesses, as well as firms such as Goldman Sachs and Prudential Financial, execute better.
If your firm, a client, or portfolio company is failing to execute as intended, I would be glad to schedule an introductory call.
All the best,
Bob Fitts
CEO
v3.0
Miami, Florida
bob@v3llc.co
212-300-5568
About v3.0
Founded in New York in 2008 and headquartered in Miami since 2011, v3.0 helps founder-led and lower middle market B2B companies across the U.S. and beyond navigate complex challenges. We specialize in situations that demand broad, hands-on leadership across multiple functions for companies at major inflection points in growth, exit, integration, or turnaround. We serve as Interim or Fractional CEO/COO/CFO or as an advisor. Our work spans strategy and operations, finance and marketing, analytics and execution.