0147: Why Solid Strategy Won’t Survive Poor Execution with Kim Bohr

Intro [0:00]

EA Interviews Episode 147. Inspiration, transformation, success stories, and the Imperfect Action Round seven days a week. Join Mario Fachini for today’s Expert Authority Effect Interview. 

Mario Fachini [0:13]

I am excited to have Kim Bohr here today. And if you have a company that ever comes up with a plan, I want to ask you how well is it working? I know there’s been times where I create a strategy and it’s like, “This is gonna be awesome.” But does it get done? She’s the CEO of The Innovare Group. She’s an author and speaker and she helps companies execute on their strategy. Because a solid strategy isn’t any good unless it’s executed. I’m going to bring her up right after we thank our sponsor. 

SPONSOR Acorns [0:47]

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Mario Fachini [1:06]

Here she is ladies and gentlemen, Kim Bohr. Kim, how are you doing today? 

Kim Bohr [1:10]

I’m wonderful. I’m excited to be here. 

Mario Fachini [1:13]

I’m so glad you are here. Because what you’re providing for companies is so beneficial. Like I was saying, there’s been times you can come up with a strategy, but if it’s not executed, it’s really like what’s the point? 

Kim Bohr [1:26]

Absolutely. 

Mario Fachini [1:26]

So I want to know more about how you help people with their companies to execute on the strategies. What even inspired you to start your business in the first place? 

Kim Bohr [1:38]

You know, so much of it was a couple of different aspects. One was that I was finding organizations very frustrated where they would talk about months and months spent on these strategic planning sessions. And they really believe these are going to be the things that really dominated their business for the next year. And then circling back around and finding out there was a lot of frustration in all these different areas. And when I started to dig and understand, I really started to see a pattern where the execution was breaking down in a couple of particular areas as well. And realized that this was something that needed to be addressed. Because for as much as time and effort was put into strategy, the execution side was not being addressed, really, at all. And that was really becoming quite an issue. 

Mario Fachini [2:23]

So when you’re working with people, how do you figure out if they’re even executing on it or not? What is your litmus test to even start them off? 

Kim Bohr [2:33]

So it’s really asking questions. And a lot of times I go back to saying, “So what were the strategic plans for last year? What were you’re really big bets and your big initiatives? How did those go? And start asking questions to allow them to do some self-assessment and listening and getting very curious. And typically inside that, there’ll be a little bit of hesitation. Or, “Well, we did okay in this one area. But we really didn’t do well here.” Or, “You know what? We really overshot what we thought we could do.” And so in really asking some of those questions and understanding how they self-assess, then I start to say, “Well, what’s changing for this year?” And start to ask questions for whatever this plan is that they’re either currently in or right now that they’re looking at. And in doing so I just really start to say, “So then what’s different between what you did last year, the results you got, and how you’re looking at this year?” And quite frankly, a lot of times the answer is that not a lot has changed. That, you know, they’ve worked that strategy even harder and really just forgetting that entire execution piece. It doesn’t really come up. 

Mario Fachini [3:35]

It sounds like a lot of them are making resolutions year to year, not actual business goals. 

Kim Bohr [3:40]

It feels that way. It absolutely does. And I think for some organizations, the goals, maybe they make too many. And even if you have more than one really key strategic initiative that’s part of your overall strategy you’re trying to initiate, you still need to do the operational planning side of it. And that’s where so much is being missed. And so we talk about execution failing in two particular areas. And it’s really on the people and the process side. And there’s some areas that go deeper in on those. But the people and process side are where if you don’t have that shored up, your execution is pretty much guaranteed to fail, which means your strategy for all those months that you put into it is really going to be quite disappointing. 

Mario Fachini [4:20]

So for anyone listening, give me like three things they should look for, maybe for the questions you ask in the beginning. Three things they should look forward to make sure they are executing and also achieving what they’re setting out. Because what’s going through my mind is, you know, I’m ambitious. I think all entrepreneurs are to a degree. I do think I execute well, because there’s a lot of times there’s the small detail things where it’s like, “Ah. We’ll get to that later. Let’s make progress with it.” And I can tell you, that’s one of the weak points. I’ll get everything off the ground but I’ve gotten a lot better. But how do you differentiate, “Hey, let’s do this big moonshot goal even though we need to do these smaller things.” How do you get it off the ground and then flip? Because I tell my clients all the time, “Don’t get stuck in startup mode.” You can get in the hamster wheel of like you would ask me, “What does it take to actually pull off the show?” It’s like you have to, like, get the thing off the ground. But then you also have to essentially break the habit of running 24/7. How do you help your clients with that? 

Kim Bohr [5:29]

So great question. So I start by asking those questions. So, “How did last year’s plans go? What worked? What didn’t work? Tell me exactly what worked? What can you really identify and isolate? And are those things that you can replicate? And are you planning to?” Most often than not, we’re over to the other side of the coin, which is these are the things that didn’t go well. And so I start asking those questions to see what what level knowledge they have. Then I start to move into more of the process and the people side. So I’ll ask questions like, “So when you spend all these months on the strategic planning, literally, what did you do next?” And I’ll hear a lot of times been said, “Well, we sent out for the particular clients and spreadsheets to each of the different leadership teams. And we brought the leadership team together and said, ‘Okay. Here’s what’s happening. Here’s each of your plans. Now, go make it happen.'” And the breakdown there, there’s a few different areas. So then I’ll ask the question around, “So how are your people doing? How’s the people side of the business going? How’s the turnover looking? What areas do you feel like are struggling the most that you’re most dependent on?” And the reason I’m asking those questions is because what we’ve learned from the work we’ve done is that, the disconnect between people and process with having that direct correlation to execution is generally where all the problems lie. And we’ve often find that when a plan is set and all those leaders are brought in the room to say, “Okay. Here’s the plan. Now, go.” There’s a couple areas that have broken down. One is oftentimes having enough of the perspectives included. But the other is allowing those leaders to then operationalize and plan. And so they end up going off. And many times just operate in their own silos. And so that’s definitely one of the areas that we know creates a tremendous problem. 

Mario Fachini [7:17]

So out of all the people you’ve helped, who would you say is your biggest success story? You don’t need to necessarily name them. But paint the scenario of what their business was like prior and then afterwards working with you. 

Kim Bohr [7:30]

So there was a very well – VC funded tech startup that really had revolutionized some areas of the cybersecurity space. And I was brought in to help them create the team alignment they needed because the execution was breaking down. And they didn’t know what the pieces were yet. So when we came in, it was very much like I described, asking a lot of questions, asking how did things Initially execute, how are people operating today, what’s happening to the turnover, that sort of thing. And then when we started to realize was that the the directors who were really in charge of making sure all the plans landed really well really weren’t communicating with each other. And they felt like the each of the problems they had were within their own functional area. They didn’t realize that they could be sharing these experiences and actually supporting and benefiting one another. So the first area we did is we really started to shore up their team alignment and have them start to operate as a leadership team collectively, not independently. And then we start to look at what was some of the process pieces that were breaking down. And a lot of it has to do with communication. So as simple as that sounds, the secret sauce is often a really well defined execution and executed communication plan. And it’s about helping people understanding where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going. And then what we ended up doing was really working on what some of the skill set that’s lacking between some of the leaders and some of the people that have to pull this off. And the reason this was so important was because this organization was trying to sell. They were trying to come out of the funding, they were looking to be acquired. And so we had to really get these pieces shored up so that acquiring companies would see them as having it all together and being able to actually produce the results they said they could. And so the great outcome of it was that we were able to have all those pieces together. We helped them get what needed to be done to execute. They did get a buyer. Then we stuck with him to help them pull through into that new organization. And help them bridge some of those pieces that they needed to happen. And all the while what we were doing was really trying to help give them skill set and and frameworks that they could then take themselves and go on when we’re well out of the picture. And so that was a very exciting piece because they’ve even come back and credited us that, if it wasn’t for the work we were doing, they’re not sure they would have actually been able to keep everything together in order to get to that finish line that they were looking at. Because just a great product alone was not enough to do it. 

Mario Fachini [10:22]

That’s interesting that you’re saying some of the things that’s reminded me of an episode I did with Terry Lammers. His background is in mergers and acquisitions. And it’s like parallel where you can have a great product, you can have a great business, but if it’s not a company that’s sellable, I mean, you and I can have a great dialogue or whatever. But if we can’t replicate that to the team, the communications break down, the systems and the processes. You don’t really have a company. You have you with an LLC attached to it, maybe. I’m not an attorney or played one on TV, so ever leave me alone for that. But it’s so great that you helped them do that because now they have a chance to get acquired. 

Kim Bohr [11:06]

Right. It’s all about the team alignment. So you know in that cases, I’m sure he had shared it, yes, the product is one thing. But you got to have the right leadership team and the leadership team dynamics that can actually take it over the finish line. And that’s what we were really helping them with is the technical expertise is very common in a lot of these VC funded startups and a lot of organizations in general. But the leadership side, the communication side sometimes becomes a little bit more of the challenge and the opportunity. And so that’s really important work that we do. We’re really excited when we’re able to work with organizations that way. And a lot of it is just to help them see those blind spots they can’t see. And we’re always trying to help people understand. We’re not trying to come in and bring heavy process. Literally, we talk about aligning people and process. It’s at the most critical, yet probably surprisingly, fundamental level where people think they’re communicating. And they’re just not communicating quite in the same way that actually brings people on board and has them want to go on that journey with you. 

Mario Fachini [12:11]

I agree 100 percent. I mean, if there’s one thing anyone can learn, whether it’s personal or professional, managing expectations, or managing client expectations, or team, or whatever, all it takes is one person expecting another thing in any area of life and not getting delivered on that promise and problems happen. And it’s also surreal because wasn’t I just saying right before we went live out of all the stuff, the tech is not the most important. 

Kim Bohr [12:39]

Right. It’s true. 

Mario Fachini [12:41]

It’s helping out a lot right now. I’m very thankful. And would you agree it looks awesome and this is the best yet. 

Kim Bohr [12:48]

It is. Yes. I’m very pleased. I’ve learned a lot just in our conversations already about it. 

Mario Fachini [12:53]

But at the same time, I know we could be having dinner somewhere enjoying each other’s company with a group of people and have a lot of great conversation. And we don’t need the tech there to do it. 

Kim Bohr [13:06]

Yes. Absolutely. 

Mario Fachini [13:07]

And I’m so glad you’re out there bridging that gap for people with the processes and the people. Because I saw something when you were saying, “A lot of these companies, they’re tech oriented.” Like, “I get it.” They’re very good with the tech. And they’re very good with the tech. 

Kim Bohr [13:27]

Exactly. And sometimes it’s not just tech, right? There’s a lot of organizations that because you’re an expert – 

Mario Fachini [13:33]

Poor processes. 

Kim Bohr [13:33]

– in that thing, you launch a business because you’re an expert in that thing. And it doesn’t always mean you’re an expert in people dynamics or in communicating really effectively. So people are following you. And so it’s just a piece. It’s a skill set development, quite frankly, that anybody can acquire. And it’s something that once you realize and have it in place, it makes a world of difference. Which is what it’s all about. That’s how we get to business growth and personal growth. 

Mario Fachini [14:05]

Are you guys hearing this? This is awesome. I’m so glad you’re sharing it. And I bet you share a little bit of it in your book too. 

Kim Bohr [14:15]

Yeah. So the book is a tool that we use that will pull into the people side. And depending on what the dynamics are, what we need to do, and shore up. One of the things the reason the book came to fruition, which is the Successes, Failures and Lessons Learned, is it actually came into play because we are moving through such a busy society. And in our American culture, businesses are extremely busy the whole more with less as the way we do it now. And so in working with a lot of organizations, a lot of leaders, what I was finding was that were people were just simply forgetting the impact they made. It was a checklist. “Let me check this thing off. Let me move to the next level of whatever is on my list.” And so what I was noticing was that we were really starting to have exceptional people going unrecognized or really not a part of that leadership pipeline. And so when we talk about having to be able to execute effectively, you have to have the people being accountable to their role, wanting to own the role they’re doing, understanding how their work matters, and really ties to the strategy of the organization. And so what I created in this book was a 12 week guided professional journal. And it allows employers to really put a tool in the hands of their employees that allows them to look at not only this goal setting, but really accountable at the week to week impact of the successes and failures, which is intentionally used as a catalyst for growth. And the lessons learned from both. So that you can see real measurement in the impact you’re making. And so it’s a really key tool when we’re talking about from execution standpoint, where we’re seeing gaps and people not feeling that their work is mattering, or competent, or all this other sort of thing. So it’s a tool that we pull out when we’re really heavily in developing that side of an organization to improve the execution. 

Mario Fachini [16:06]

Well, it sounds like it’ s- I already know, it’s working with companies. But it sounds that way also. 

Kim Bohr [16:13]

It is. And it’s really exciting to know that it’s having an impact. And whether it’s from an individual perspective, or it says we’re talking about here, these teams that need better alignment. It’s making a difference. And that’s why I got into the work I have done, is to really make a bigger impact, and help people see that some of these small elements can make really big difference in their business and their professional growth. 

Mario Fachini [16:37]

And that’s the thing, it’s one of my favorite things to help people with, is because that statement right there, some of the smallest things do make the biggest difference. You know, if you’re talking sales, how about just following up with people. I mean, it could come down to, “Ah. I don’t really want to” versus “I’m going to shoot that one email.” For my own show, there’s guests that have been on the show because I was like, “You know what? I followed up a couple of times. I’m going to do it one more.” And that one more was the time they go, “Oh, yeah. I’ve been so busy. Thanks for your patience.” Yeah. Click. And within five minutes, I get the booking email. There’s probably a dozen people that have been on just because of one quick click, click click. 

Kim Bohr [17:22]

Persistence. You know, that persistence and having the compelling message and the follow through. And I think that we’re just aren’t – we’re so busy. We have so many distractions. And some of those distractions are legitimate business distractions. And so – 

Mario Fachini [17:38]

But not 95 percent of them. 

Kim Bohr [17:40]

But not 95 percent. So how do we cut through the noise to say, “Okay. I need to really track my movement in this way.” And in a way that I can look back and actually say, “Okay. Here’s what I did well. Here’s what I didn’t do well.” Big or small in either of those cases. And then start making the adjustments that we need to make. 

Mario Fachini [18:01]

Well, I only have one more question for you before we go to the Imperfect Action Round. And I call this the Wheel Of Whatever. And it’s just whatever. And for you, I want to know, what is one company you would love to work with that you haven’t yet that you know you could make a big difference for? 

Kim Bohr [18:22]

What a great question. So one of the companies that I have been in conversations with for some time is a local organization that just – I mean, it’s growing tremendously. And it’s in the – well, it’s Smartsheet. And so we’ve been really talking about they’ve been growing so tremendously. We’ve been really talking about the people side of their execution. And they’re really good at executing so effectively technically. And now, they’re ready to start executing and investing in their people. So we’ve been talking a lot and hopefully we’ll be able to find something that fits. And so I just love the work they’re doing and the culture they’re creating. And I think that would be a really fun one to work with as well. 

Mario Fachini [19:15]

Excellent. Well, I’m glad you shared that with us. Thank you. We’re going to thank our sponsor. And we’re coming back for the Imperfect Action Round. 

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Mario Fachini [20:37]

And we are back with the Imperfect Action Round. Kim, are you ready to take imperfect action? 

Kim Bohr [20:42]

I am. 

Mario Fachini [20:43]

First question, what is the fastest path to the cash in your experience? 

Kim Bohr [20:49]

I think it’s getting to the heart of what is really holding people back. So what is that piece that they’re just struggling with that they just don’t know that’s holding back from executing. And so really looking at helping them unlock that, it’s the piece they just can’t see. And they’re waiting for someone to show them that light. 

Mario Fachini [21:08]

Excellent. Number two, what is the biggest problem you see your prospects making and the fastest way they can fix it? 

Kim Bohr [21:15]

Oh, the biggest problem I’m seeing is that people assume that everybody should just do their job. That they should just know what their job is and just do it. And that they don’t really – they make the mistake of not understanding that regardless of how qualified or tenured somebody is. And they still need leadership. And they need communication. And they need guidance and really passionate driven reasons to be there. And when we can do that, then everything syncs up and aligns. And I think that’s one of the biggest mistakes people are making right now. It’s just not realizing that one simple thing will make a huge difference in their business. 

Mario Fachini [22:00]

Excellent. Number three, what is the best way to maximize customer lifetime value? 

Kim Bohr [22:07]

You know, it’s about helping people see what they can’t see. And so really understanding what is it in their business that they don’t realize is broken or disconnected. And then helping them give them the tools specifically to shore it up and be able to move forward. So our work isn’t intended to be sitting in their basement forever. We’re trying to help them equipped with what they need and get them on their way. And so we can help them understand what is it in the business that will help them grow and something that they don’t see. They’re delighted and then we give them that skill set they need and off they go. 

Mario Fachini [22:47]

Books. You wrote one. I’ve wrote some. But let’s give some recommendations of books that have made a big difference in your business. 

Kim Bohr [22:59]

So one of the ones I, as a leader, that – as a business executive before even starting my own firm and growing in other businesses and operations and things, I was not the most effective leader in my early years. And I couldn’t get really strong feedback on that. And so I picked up Marshall Goldsmith’s book, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There. And that today is still a book I highly recommend. Because if you don’t have that connection of head and heart and understanding how to really lead, your business won’t grow to the ability that it can. So you might think your business is great now. And if you’re a terrible leader, imagine what it can be if you really make that investment. So that book I highly recommend even to this day. It has not gone out of style. 

Mario Fachini [23:49]

That’s funny but it’s true. If you think you have a good business and you’re a terrible leader. But how many businesses – like, I was joking about earlier, you can have the skill set, but you might not have the people skills, the business side, the systems, the processes, any of that. And that’s good, congrats for starting it. But also when you start growing it, if you’re yelling at everyone all the time and can’t get stuff done, that’s no good either. I’ve found a lot of people they’re control freaks. And the business stops – you know, the business starts and stops with them. And unfortunately, it’s at the end of their arm because they don’t trust anyone else. And it’s sad. 

Kim Bohr [24:32]

It is sad. It is sad. It’s a hard fix to to want to look at yourself and say, “Okay. Clearly, what are the things I need to do in certain leadership areas?” And just imagine how much more the business can be successful, how much more aligned your employees can be and engaged. And it all translates into dollars. That’s the reality. It really does. And it also translates into work. It’s work you have to do and you have to look at yourself that way too. 

Mario Fachini [25:06]

Yeah. And I’m by no means perfect. I’m great at the things I do great and the stuff I’m not. I’m very thankful for my team because there’s no way 80 percent of this would be happening without them. So thank you for the recommendation. And where can people find more? 

Kim Bohr [25:26]

So we have put up a page that we’re really excited to share that is for the viewers here right now today. So they go to TheInnovareGroup.com/ExpertAuthority, they will find three complimentary resources that they can take advantage of today focused around seven reasons that most strategic plans fail. And it gives a little bit of consideration of what to do. The other piece is three steps to take to improve communication when you’re rolling out and executing on a new strategy. And then the third is an opportunity to speak with me if there’s interest. So that’s at TheInnovareGroup.com, which is T-H-E-I-N-N-O-V as in Victor-A-R-E.com/ExpertAuthority. And those resources are available for your listeners right now. 

Mario Fachini [26:22]

Well, thank you very much. And I’ll make sure there’s a link on the show notes page on EAInterviews.com. 

Kim Bohr [26:29]

Wonderful. 

Mario Fachini [26:30]

Kim, it’s been an absolute pleasure. Thank you for joining us today. You’ve shared a lot of Ex

Kim Bohr [26:37]

Thank you for having me. I’ve absolutely loved it. I’m excited. 

Mario Fachini [26:42]

All right. Expert Authority world, we have another great episode here today. I’ll see you tomorrow. Have a great day. And God bless. 

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www.EAInterviews.com [27:41]

Hey, thanks for listening to today’s episode. I hope you got a lot out of it. I know I sure did. If you haven’t done so already, I invite you to subscribe to the show. And also be sure to check out EAInterviews.com for complete show notes, the full interview video experience, links to the resources we mentioned, and more. Have a blessed day and I’ll see you tomorrow.