4 steps to shift from outputs to outcomes

4. Stay present and discuss outcomes everywhere

High-demand business leaders often make the mistake of moving on to the next objective as soon as they hand projects over to their teams, leaving those projects vulnerable. Without a leader actively keeping the team connected to the strategy, reinforcing the importance of their work, and being present to remove barriers and answer questions, progress stalls.

In David’s case, it took weeks for his project teams to get time on his calendar, and he didn’t realize this bottleneck was slowing the entire cadence of value delivery across the portfolio. Leaders can’t afford to disappear once the project kicks off — they need to stay engaged to ensure momentum and success. Once David recognized the issue, he made it a priority to stay more accessible, regularly checking in and removing obstacles. As a result, throughput and ROI across all projects significantly improved, and his teams were more motivated to drive results.

So, measure what matters, connect people’s work to the strategy, make priorities clear, and never stop talking about it. Take these steps and you’ll be amazed how quickly your team accelerates the delivery of your organization’s strategy.