Execution First and Always

Objectives are needed in every area where performance and results directly and vitally affect the survival and prosperity of the business.”


Peter Drucker understood from the outset that sound management was all about performing, organizing, contributing, developing, preparing, and achieving. His works are infused with dozens of words and phrases suggesting that action is the chief determinant of managerial success; not just any action, but responsible action that advances the objectives of the organization.


One of Drucker’s key assumptions was that management is first and foremost a practice, and for a manager to excel at it , he or she must understand that it is performance that is the ultimate measure of success. During our day together, Drucker told me what separated the good from the fair, and the fair from the incompetent manger. Here’s how he described the most capable manager.

Can hire, fire, organize... promote
Is completely accountable for results
Knows how to delegate upstairs
Makes informed decisions after thinning through the time frame
Really thinks it through and then communicates it
Is the right person for the business plan
Asks what needs to be done and sets a new priority
Ends meetings with clear assignments. most meetings end in murkiness


These tenets say a great deal about Drucker’s notion of the practice of management. Managers hire, promote, and delegate (both up, and down, the hierarchy). They are strong communicators; they make effective decisions that help the organization, not only in the near term but for the long run. They set priorities and make sure they are executed, and when that is done, they set a new priority.

ACTION POINT: Execute your role by using Drucker’s tenets for the practice of management.