Team - Turning Vision into Consistent Execution

Part 2 of Optimisation Capital’s 7-Step process for Business & Executive coaching is in relation to TEAM - Turning Vision into Consistent Execution.

At Optimisation Capital, our 7-Step Business & Executive Coaching framework is designed to help leaders move from ambition to execution in a structured, repeatable way.

By the time organisations reach this step, Step 1 – Vision has already been completed. The business has clarity on its long-term ambition, medium-term priorities, and short-term objectives. These outcomes are clearly defined, understood, and committed to by the senior leadership team, with responsibility for embedding them across the organisation.  However, clarity of vision alone does not deliver results. Step 2 focuses on a fundamental question:

One of the most common, and most damaging issues we see in businesses of all sizes is deceptively simple and relates to ‘Uncommunicated expectations kill businesses’

When expectations are assumed rather than agreed, organisations experience slower decisions, blurred accountability, duplication of effort, and erosion of trust. Most often, this is not a capability issue. It is a clarity issue.  Individuals genuinely believe they are doing what is expected of them, based on their own interpretation of their role.  However, problems arise when those interpretations do not align across teams or leadership.

Over time, the gap between expectation and reality widens, creating friction, delays, and underperformance.

Step 2 exists to close this gap.

Once vision is clear, the next requirement is ensuring the team structure, roles, and accountabilities are aligned to deliver it. This applies across boards, executive teams, leadership groups, and functional teams such as sales, operations, finance, and technology. The principle is simple:

Execution improves when people are clear on what success looks like and what they are accountable for delivering.

Start With Goals, Not Job Titles

Before roles are discussed, outcomes must be clear.

We work with teams to define:

• Company or team goals

• How those goals support the broader vision

• What success looks like over the next 12 months

Without this clarity, role definitions become theoretical rather than practical. Roles exist to serve outcomes, not the other way around.

Defining Roles, Accountability, and Ownership

At Optimisation Capital, we deliberately keep tools simple and visual. Organisational charts and role-mapping templates work exceptionally well to clarify accountability.

This process helps teams:

• Define the purpose of each department

• Clarify role-level responsibilities

• Align individual accountability to business priorities

• Establish clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

This is not about creating HR documentation. It is about creating operating clarity using simple templates that can be easily read and utilised. 

Also, we look to Identifying What’s “Falling Between the Cracks”

One of the most valuable outcomes of Step 2 is identifying work that everyone assumes someone else is doing.

Common examples include:

• Social media and brand ownership

• Human performance management

• Internal communication

• Strategic initiatives and cross-functional projects

Without clear ownership, these areas drift. Step 2 surfaces them and assigns explicit accountability.

Further, we also make sure there is Clarifying Executive and CEO Outcomes

A critical, part of Step 2 is clarifying executive and CEO outcomes to the whole Company is aligned and we don’t face the issue of ‘uncommunicated expectations’ are defined per above.

Senior leaders frequently assume expectations are obvious. In practice, they are often interpreted differently across the organisation.

We work with leadership teams to clearly define:

• Executive accountabilities

• CEO outcomes

• Decision rights and ownership boundaries

• Where leadership roles intersect or hand over

Alignment at the top sets the tone for the entire organisation.

We also work on aligning expectations through clear and accountable organisation charts that are simple, well understood and delieverable amongst executives and teams.

Role clarity does not come from documents alone, it comes from structured conversations.

We guide teams through questions such as:

• What am I responsible for?

• What am I not responsible for?

• Where do responsibilities overlap?

• How will success be measured?

Simple templates capture agreed outcomes and expectations, ensuring alignment is explicit rather than assumed.

KPIs That Drive Momentum

When roles and expectations are clear, Key Performance Indicators (“KPIs”) become powerful performance tools rather than bureaucratic metrics.

We focus on:

• A small number of meaningful KPIs

• Measures linked directly to outcomes

• Metrics individuals can influence

• Alignment between personal strengths and business needs

Clear KPIs reduce ambiguity, enable constructive performance conversations, and build trust through transparency.

Review, Refine, and Build Momentum

Following Step 2, clear documentation is provided to capture roles, responsibilities, KPIs, and interdependencies.

These are reviewed annually, or more frequently during growth or change if only is required, to ensure alignment remains intact as the business evolves.

In summary, the Outcome of Step 2 – Team

When Step 2 is done well, organisations experience:

• Faster decision-making

• Improved execution

• Reduced friction

• Stronger accountability

• Higher trust across teams

Most importantly, the business is positioned to consistently deliver on its vision, rather than relying on individual heroics.

Step 2 in the 7-Step Framework

Vision sets direction.
Team enables execution.

In Step 3, we move to Systems, examining the processes and operating rhythms required to support high performance at scale.