Flawless Execution with James D. Murphy

Agile Coaches' Corner

This week, Dan Neumann and Justin Thatil are joined by an external guest, James D Murphy, a United States Air Force Veteran, F15 Fighter, and instructed pilot. James founded a company called Afterburner Inc. and is now the CEO of Afterburner Capital; he wrote seven books and is an expert on the Agile Delivery Framework.

In this episode, they discuss the concept of flawless execution, meaning an execution that is as impeccable as possible (nothing is perfect!). James shares how he combined his military training with his work as an entrepreneur and expert in the Agile framework.

Key Takeaways

• Flawless execution can’t be perfect; mistakes will take place.

• Start with simple frameworks that are easy and scalable.

• Find purposeful tasks and actions. Developing and effectively communicating the purpose of the Team’s job is crucially important.

• Knowing more about the context and details is essential to prioritize the purpose. Intention and vision need to stay connected.

• The Team needs to be involved in every step of the process.

• The key to flawless execution is to have a common language to get work done.

• The truth is more critical than artificial harmony.

• Teams must foster psychological safety, which means that anyone can feel safe admitting an error without fearing reprimand.

• Building a safe culture takes time.

• Flawless execution needs a systematic approach.

• The system followed must enable good execution as well as flexibility; in this matter, simplicity overpowers complexity. Complexity will decrease performance while augmenting the chance of errors.

• First is the planning phase (who is going to do what and when). Once it’s over, no more brainstorming takes place.

• After planning, the plan is briefed (repetition of what was planned and the accountabilities that come along with it).

• Execute! Don’t get off track.

• Debrief as soon as the mission is over. Debriefing is almost as important as the mission itself, leaving a lesson to the entire enterprise, not just a small Team. Is there a gap between the obtained results and what was imagined and expected from the plan? The Team should ask itself, how did the success occur? And why?

• This entire process must be leader-led. It is the leader who first has to admit his/her mistakes. This transparency and honesty create the much-needed psychological safety at the Tream.

Learn More:

• Afterburner website
• Afterburner on YouTube
• James D. Murphy on LinkedIn

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