For BlueCotton, The 4 Disciplines of Execution is a crucial part of our framework for success. Written via collaboration by Sean Covey, Jim Huling, and Chris McChesney, the book provides a formula through which a business can visualize, plan, and execute on its strategic priorities. The foundation of this strategic execution is a concept the authors refer to as “wildly important goals (WiGs).” 

These are objectives without which a business simply cannot function — the core drivers behind what makes a business tick. For BlueCotton, our core WIG is to ship the correct orders as quickly as possible. As noted by the authors, the best way to make this happen is through engagement.

“Coming up with the right lead measures is really about helping everyone see themselves as strategic business partners,” it reads. “[It’s about] engaging them in dialogue about what can be done better or differently in order to achieve [the best results.]” 

We’ve accomplished this in a few ways.

Accountable Teams

BlueCotton’s leadership designates teams of six to ten people to work together. Although these teams have a weekly touch base and a coach to support them, they ultimately govern themselves. They regularly ask themselves as a group how they’d affect change if everything else remains the same. 

For instance, to ensure order accuracy, one team decided to create a checklist of all the steps necessary at the press to print a T-shirt. They also keep a team scoreboard visible to everyone, allowing them to track mistakes and see improvements due to their efforts.

By taking such an approach to employee-level change, we let people take ownership of their job, empowering them to make their own decisions and implement their action plans. We also have them hold themselves accountable to their peers. This is wrapped into the weekly touch bases, where each employee reports on the commitments made the previous week, reviews the scoreboard, and creates new commitments. 

Leadership Training

We’ve also tapped Greg Coker, founder and CEO of leadership development and consulting firm The Institute for Soft Skills, for leadership training. As part of this training, 20 team members meet offsite two hours a week for eight weeks. They focus on two things — how they can solve problems they encounter and how they can better work with their teammates. Since kicking off the initiative in 2020, we’ve put 40 employees through Coker’s training.

It’s been so successful we intend to continue it through 2021 and for the foreseeable future. 

Working Genius Personality Evaluations

A simplified personality evaluation geared towards the workplace, Working Genius posits that there are six types of geniuses in the workplace. It further suggests that every successful team represents all six “geniuses” or talents. It’s why our teams always consist of at least six people — we want to ensure that each type of genius is represented, with a strong tendency towards one of the following: 

• Discernment.
• Enablement.
• Tenacity.
• Wonder.
• Galvanizing.
• Invention. 

Without People, No Business Can Thrive

Years ago, Good to Great by Jim Collins was instrumental in teaching us the importance of having the right people in the right seats on the bus.  It’s why we use Working Genius to identify people’s strengths and put them in a position where they’ll be happy. And it’s why, more than anything, we’re focused on empowering our employees.

Because no matter what industry you’re in, your people are your business.