Last week, we reviewed how important context is when you are navigating the vast amount of information that we all have access to. Once you have context, you have what you need to take action. Taking action is what we can call execution.

Consider this sequence: Information is relatively easy to access. Context tells you what information matters for your situation and why it matters. Execution is what turns information and context into outcomes.

For the purpose of this newsletter, I want to clarify what execution is by also naming what it is not.

There are many activities that can be worthwhile but that are not execution. Strategizing is not execution. Reading solicitations is not execution, nor is reviewing prior awards. Neither are webinars and trainings. These activities can be valuable and sometimes necessary. The problem is when they become substitutes for action. It is easy to confuse activity with progress, especially when the activity feels productive.

Execution is different. Execution is action that produces a concrete output. It is requesting a meeting and getting it on someone's calendar. It is finalizing the draft of a funding-related project. It is confirming the involvement of a collaborator. Execution is sending the email that starts the conversation you have been delaying.

Oftentimes you already have a good strategy. You may know exactly what you need to do, but for a variety of reasons, it is not happening. You might feel like you do not have time or bandwidth. You might be hesitant because reaching out to a program officer can feel intimidating. You might be waiting until you feel more ready. But when there is a gap between what you know needs to happen and what you are actually doing, time and opportunities are lost.

Here are three concrete examples of what execution looks like and what it does not.

Example #1:

Not Execution: Reading a solicitation multiple times and collecting examples of awards funded by the program in prior years.

Execution: Writing a short white paper that explains the problem you want to solve, why now is the right time, and why you and your team are well positioned to do the work. Execution is sending that document to a program officer, or if it is not ready for that yet, sending it to a trusted colleague for feedback.

Example #2:

Not Execution: Attending webinars or trainings and building a long to-do list of funding-related tasks.

Execution: Making a decision to apply and producing an outline or a first draft as a starting point. A rough draft you can improve is more useful than a perfect plan that stays in your head.

Example #3:

Not Execution: Waiting to pursue an opportunity until you feel ready.

Execution: Having the conversations that determine readiness. It is asking questions about the opportunity, learning what the program is actually trying to fund, and confirming whether your approach could be competitive. Getting accurate information from someone with knowledge of the program is not preparation; it is execution.

In summary, once you have information and context, it is time to act. I encourage you to examine the activities that fill your days. Are you in gathering mode, waiting mode, or preparing mode? Or are you executing on decisions and strategy on a consistent basis?

Challenge yourself to take one small execution step each day. It can be as simple as sending one email. It can be scheduling one conversation. It can be drafting one paragraph that moves your project forward. Small actions build momentum, and momentum produces outcomes.

Of course, time is limited. You have to decide how to invest it. In the final issue of this series next week, I will discuss time management in the broader context of information as a commodity.

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