Planning, Accountability, Communication, & Execution (PACE)

After running companies for more than 20 years as well as working with CEO’s for the last 10 years helping Turn Stumbling Blocks into Stepping Stones, I have distilled 1000’s hours of practical experience into 4 principles for Success. Now of course there are many other things that must be done correctly within an organization but you as the CEO can’t do everything so becoming proficient in these 4 areas will help you far beyond what you can personally do yourself so P.A.C.E. yourself.

Planning – You would never go on a trip without first planning your route to your destination. What roads will you take? How far will you drive before stopping for gas? When you will stop for Lunch? Where will you stay? So why wouldn’t you do the same for your business? What’s your vision? How are you ever going to get where you want to go without laying out a course first? Making a clear and concise business plan with mile stones, key actionable and measurable steps that must be done as an organization along with the 1 or 2 things you must do exceptionally well to give you the best chance for success.

Accountability – Getting people in your organization to take a greater ownership and understanding of what they want and need to accomplish. As a leader you need to be able to help people stay on track with what they want and need to accomplish by removing excuses, asking the right questions.

Communication - From Latin commūnicāre, meaning "to share"(Online Etymology Dictionary). Since you can’t do everything yourself it’s important that everyone knows where you want to go and their roll in how to help the organization to get there. This is more than just telling everyone, it’s making sure they understand.

Execution – The key to success and the most difficult to accomplish .It’s no secret that most strategic plans fall short of delivering their intended results. Execution is a process not an action and usually takes place over a longer period of time ,involving many more people than planning. Execution demands ownership and is the land of no excuses which can make it a difficult place to live at times as it can burn out the very people you need to make the strategy happen. This is why it’s important to focus on the results and the behaviors needed not activities