Promise-Based Execution

Build Execution Leadership Excellence to succesfully execute your strategy

This playbook is about how you can improve your Strategy Execution by tapping into the power of promises.
– why not start improving today.

Buy on Amazon.comAbout the book
Based on 30 years of experience.
Promise-Based Execution Book

How to Engage Your People in Strategy Execution and Leverage the Power of Promises to Deliver Great Results

Research by Harvard Business Review shows that poor execution robs companies of 40–60% of their strategic potential. It is an alarming failure rate, and the need to execute strategy properly has only increased in today’s fast-paced and unpredictable business environment.

What is the Power of Promises all about?

In this book, the authors challenge conventional approaches – relying primarily on top-down mandates and implementation of strategic initiatives – and advocates for a new approach called Promise-Based Execution (PBE) that focuses on the commitments that people make to each other to achieve specific goals. It is based on the idea that people are more likely to follow through on their commitments when they have a personal stake in the outcome – when we make a promise, we put ourselves on the line or what the authors call “The Emotional Power of Promises”. Engaging people in Strategy Execution requires Execution leadership at all levels. This book provides practical steps for leaders to apply the PBE model and develop the skills required.

At its core, PBE is about building reliability and trust through ownership and personal accountability. It is about creating a culture in which all employees deliver on their promises and feel motivated to do whatever it takes.

Just think about what that kind of company culture could do to your success in strategy execution.

What our readers say about the book

"In their recent (practitioner) book, Promise-Based Execution, consultants and leadership advisors Claus Maron and Niels Beck adopt a new idea to the traditionally thorny strategy implementation and execution context. The idea is to break down strategies to mainly lateral promises at the level of people and units. They convincingly argue that lacking ownership and accountability are root causes of implementation and execution failures. There is much to learn from this clear and well-written book, and using it productively doesn’t require that you are planning to go all in on the idea of Promise-Based Execution. The very notion of committing employees through (the mutual exchange of credible) promises is a very powerful one that can be leveraged in many contexts (including universities!)."
Nicolai J. Foss, Professor of Strategy at Copenhagen Business School, and co-author of “Why Managers Matter”
“It is hard to think of a management team that would not benefit from reading this book and trying its approach out in practice. Having themselves worked for many years as advisors and practitioners within the leadership discipline of executing strategy, the authors Claus Maron and Niels Beck have absorbed much of the research and literature on strategy execution, boiling down the advice in it to distil its essence, and testing it out in practice. They have turned that into a methodology of their own, and ‘Promise-Based Execution’ is a practical guide to what really works. They rightly recognise that effective execution is really just a function of how well people can work together to achieve a common goal, and so the commitments people make to each other about what they are going to do and how they will support each other is at the centre of their approach.
Stephen Bungay, key note speaker and author of the bestselling book “The Art of Action”.
“This book is a must read. Based on scientific research and 30+ years of hands-on experience by the authors, they have combined the latest thinking in leadership psychology with strategy execution. Promise-Based Execution will re-shape your thinking on strategy execution and performance management. The methodology offers practical guidance and tools to create real strategy execution commitment in every team. Highly recommended!”
Jeroen De Flander, Bestselling Author and Global Thought Leader on Strategy Execution.
“Niels Beck and Claus Maron identify and create links others rarely see between three of the most important management disciplines – strategy, execution and people management. Most of us enjoy thinking creatively about strategy, but sooner or later, you have to turn it into tangible action at every level of the company. Their book provides extremely practical and specific instructions on ‘how’ to do just that, combined with a healthy dose of common sense about motivation and good people management.”
Thomas Krogh Jensen, CEO of Copenhagen Fintech.
As a Private Equity investor, success builds on supporting and transforming family and entrepreneur-owned companies to become strategically and operationally much stronger and hence create value from being the “first institutional owner”. It is always a challenging and complex journey, and it becomes key to be very good at strategy execution to succeed in this transformation. We have been working together with Blue Note Consultants for some years and used their Promise-Based Execution (PBE) method in several of our portfolio companies and we have experienced PBE to be a very strong Leadership approach, particularly when it comes to engaging people around the Strategy and creating transparency and commitment for each individual’s contribution in strategy execution”. Claus and Niels’s book “Promise-based-Execution” gives great practical insight on how PBE works and how to get started”
Rune Lillie Gornitzka, Partner at Polaris Equity
“This is an easy-to-read book and full of practical ideas on how to ensure that everyone within an organization identifies with the overall strategy but equally importantly, understands how their own role fits within the whole”. I now gift copies off this book to boards that I chair where management are on their first journey under Private Equity ownership and where strategic planning and professionalizing the business is often new to the individuals involved.”

Andy McRae, Experienced Private Equity Non-Executive Chairman and Board adviser.

“Most executives – like me – will have read numerous books about management, strategy, and organization. This book is among the best books I have read and has a distinct quality, which sets it apart from other management books: it is worth revisiting when you need it. I enjoyed reading the book because it is so practical yet well founded in modern leadership. No matter how seasoned we are as leaders, we to return to the training ground occasionally, reinforce and upscale our leadership skills. This book takes us there and it guides us how to lead strategy execution by delegating and building trustful relationships that make people perform and execute better. And when things don’t go to plan the authors remind us of the pitfalls to avoid.”
Torben Munch, Non-Executive Director; Chairman of The Board of numerous Tech companies; former CEO of Itiviti, MFEX and COO of SimCorp.
“Promise-Based Execution is by far the best book that I have read in terms of bringing successful strategy execution to life in simplified, practical steps. It is a publication that any visionary leader will find insightful. 25 years’ of service in the Royal Marine Commandos had ingrained in me ways of working and behaviours that are the foundations for successful execution. Making a promise and therefore building and maintaining trust, is the critical ingredient required for success. Maron and Beck have much experience working with organisations around the globe. Their learnings and insights from these experiences, coupled with intensive research, are essential components when even trying to pull something like this together. I would highly recommend it to every company/organization to read this book and consider how they can learn from others in a dynamic, changing world.”
Jed Stone, former Warrant Officer in the Royal Marine Commandos and Partner at McKinney Rogers.
“Too often leaders dedicate time to strategy and assume execution will just take care of itself, yet we know it will not! Leading execution by engagement, promises, and commitment rather than burdensome processes, hierarchy, and top-down dictation is the passion of Maron and Beck, and that show’s in their excellent new book Promise-Based Execution. Based on decades of experience and research, they offer leaders a clear, detailed, and practical guide to why Execution Leadership matters and how to engage your wider group of leaders in making strong commitments to execution and delivering results. It is a must-read for all executives who want to understand why things are not working now, and more importantly how to rethink their approach to execution and finally achieve the promised outcomes.”
Dr. Rebecca Homkes, High-Growth Strategy Expert; Lecturer at LBS and Faculty at Duke University Corporate Education and Author of Several HBR Articles.
"Promise-Based Execution is a tour de force. It walks its talk by demonstrating solid strategy and excellent execution. The authors’ applied knowledge permeates this future-fit operating system. They succeed in building a compelling case that front-loading an investment in PBE makes your organization more robust and resilient due to the engagement and empowerment of your people. This in turn reduces friction and leverages growth. The book’s inspiring key concept is The Power of Promises, which bridges business and the profoundly human fundamental of trust. This book places the reader front and center. It leads you to reflect on your own leadership behavior and makes you want to become a better you.“

Stephen Bruyant-Langer, Top Executive Coach; Author and Associate Professor at Copenhagen Business School

"I can highly recommend reading this book! In essence, it is a leader’s guide for a simple and proven approach to Strategy Execution. The Promised Based Execution method can improve the ability to drive transformative strategies. By fostering an environment where success is a collective achievement driven by personal contributions. It nurtures a sense of both individual and collective responsibility, where each individual feel truly committed and empowered to execute and deliver results in line with the strategy. As the younger generations are driving our focus on purpose, this approach of trust and commitment to each other is pivotal to engage future generations."
Charlotte Dreyer-Gershof, CFO Pihl Holding A/S

About the book

The two parts

Part One

The WHY and the WHAT

Part One is mainly about the thoughts, science and ideas behind our approach. You will hear about ‘people dynamics’ and learn about ‘friction’ from a long-dead Prussian general and master strategist. And you will find yourself in the company of some really bad guys and hear the good news that humans are masters of collaboration. You will also learn about the psychology behind the power of promises.

We explain that you need to add what we call “Bottom-Up Engagement” to the traditional way of implementing strategy via projects, which is the main reason why 40-60% of all strategies are never delivering the results expected. We describe why promises – defined as a combination of accountability and a strong sense of ownership – develop exactly that needed Bottom-Up Engagement. This part of the book also explains the background to our approach to Strategy Execution, which we call “Promise-Based Execution”, and the important people dynamics that underpin it. These chapters explain the general WHY and the overall WHAT.

Experienced managers will no doubt recognize some of the elements of our approach, and we quite consciously quote other experts and thinkers who have influenced our thinking. The magic happens when you combine all of these findings and integrate them into your workflow and organization, as we describe in Part Two.

 

Part Two

The HOW

Now you know why you need to execute strategy differently. The second part of the book teaches how to do just that by explaining the general Promise-Based Execution Model and the seven guiding principles behind it.

You will learn the HOW as we delve deeper into Promise-Based Execution (PBE) and how to apply the framework and the Execution Leadership that will make it fly. How to create a culture of execution and achievements based on promises. You will hear about drumbeats and GamePlans, handshakes and fundamental Execution Leadership Practices.

Only then will you be introduced to the toolkit – the framework and the steps you need to take in the right order – plus a rundown of what could go wrong and how to fix it. We describe how to deploy PBE in an organization – how to get started and a step-by-step approach that we have used in numerous companies we have worked with over the last many years.

It will still take you and your leadership skills to make it all soar to new heights, though. We can’t do that bit for you, but by this stage of the book, you should have a pretty good idea of what you need to do and how.

 

Download two chapters for free

This playbook is about how you can improve your Strategy Execution by tapping into the Power of Promises – why not start improving today.

For whom it is written

If you already know how to draw up a strategy and gain the support of the whole of your organization to execute it successfully every time, then this book probably isn’t for you. On the other hand, if you are one of the vast majority of managers at all levels who finds this difficult, then it is written very much with you in mind. Most strategies are never implemented as intended. That is the truth of the matter. Usually, it isn’t because the strategy is wrong – it is the execution that is poor.

Strategic execution book

You will learn how to:

  • $Setting a direction that is clear, meaningful and relevant to everyone.
  • $Turning a group ambition into personal ownership.
  • $Facilitating cross functional collaboration to reduce the organizational friction in execution.
  • $Motivating people and holding them accountable for delivering results - based on the power of promise.
  • $Building a strong execution culture that can ensure success in times of uncertainty.
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About the authors

Behind the scene

Claus Maron

Claus Maron

With more than 30 years of consulting experience, Claus is a seasoned expert in Strategic Execution. He has a background in leading management consultancies like Accenture, Right Management, Siar Bossard and Kjaer & Kjerulf, combined with more than 10 years in top management positions. Claus is also a frequent speaker and writer of blogs and articles on Strategy & Execution.

Niels Beck

Niels Beck

Niels has more than 25 years of leadership experience in the fast-growing international technology company SimCorp. He has worked as the CEO of subsidiaries in London and Sydney, SVP for Investor Relations, HR and Strategy Execution. For the last decade, he has been an Executive Advisor to organizations and managers on strategic business development and Execution Leadership.

Susanne Sayers

Susanne Sayers

Susanne is a journalist and author with more than 30 years of experience. She has been a news editor for the Danish financial media Børsen and has co-written several books on leadership, digital transformation and sustainability, including Dreams & Details by Jim Hagemann Snabe and Mikael Trolle.

Claus and Niels are founding partners of Blue Note Consultants

Blue Note Consultants helps companies succeed with Strategy Execution by building Execution Leadership Excellence.

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Promise-Based Execution Book

Promise-Based Execution

Get the book now or download two chapters for free before deciding

40-60% of a company's strategic potential is lost due to poor execution, poor understanding of customer needs or company culture not supporting the ambitions.

Buy on Amazon.com

Keynote Speech (workshops)

Strategy Execution during Uncertainty – the 3 Ps of Execution

We have entered a new world of disorder, where dealing with market turbulence and uncertainty has become fundamental for businesses to survive. Others use these conditions to thrive. What is it that distinguishes such companies when it comes to Strategy and execution? This speak will talk about three overall models of execution and what it will require from a execution leadership perspective by introducing an integrated approach for linking strategy with business execution and performance management.

Key words: VUCA world, 3 Execution models, Promise Based Execution, the changing role of the execution leader

Duration: 45-90 minutes optional.

The fundamental 4 gaps in Strategy Execution – and how to overcome them

Between 40-60% of a company’s strategic potential is lost due to poor execution. Why is that? what are the most typical pitfalls? and how can you overcome these effectively? In this talk, you will hear about the lessons learned from other companies and learn about the four fundamental leadership practices for succeeding with your strategy execution effort.

Key words: Typical gaps of strategy execution, Top-Down Governance vs Bottom-Up Engagement, The four fundamental execution leadership practices

Duration: 45-90 minutes, alternatively as seminar of 3 to 4 hours duration with interactive discussions in groups.

Promise Based Execution & the Four fundamental Execution Leadership Practices

Most companies primarily rely on a so-called “Top-Down Governance” model for strategy implementation. Research shows that this will often lead to installation of change but without a full realization of your strategic intent.  For your organization to fully live a strategy, you need to add Bottom-Up Engagement by making clear what are the contributions of your teams, managers and employees and build ownership and accountability. Learn more about how to do this via a proven approach called Promise Based Execution.

Key words: Strategy engagement, Promise Based Execution, Execution Leadership, Building personal ownership and accountability.

Duration: 45-90 minutes optional, alternatively as seminar of 3 to 4 hours duration with interactive discussions in groups.

Interrested?

What our customers say

Leaders perspectives

Inspiration

Global Thought Leadership

Blue Note Consultants and the authors cooperate with some of the World’s most influential thinkers on Strategy & Execution.

Dr. Rebecca Homkes

Dr. Rebecca Homkes, High-Growth Strategy Expert; Lecturer at LBS and Faculty at Duke University Corporate Education and Author of Several HBR Articles

Jeroen De Flander

Bestselling author, Global Expert on Strategy Execution; Key note Speaker and resident faculty member at TIAM and guest lecturer at IMD, London Business School, Essec and others.