Jagler: Exact Sciences CEO Kevin Conroy explains how to get things done

There’s a good chance you've never heard of Exact Sciences Corp.

But I bet you're aware of the Madison-based company’s Cologuard colorectal cancer screening kit. And there’s an equally good chance you would recognize the animated cardboard box character the company affectionately refers to as “Little C.G.” in its ubiquitous television commercials.

The “get, go, gone” Cologuard test was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2014 and can now be prescribed, with no co-pays, for 85 percent of patients over the age of 50 covered by major health care insurance plans across the U.S.

Those are the kinds of results Wall Street likes. In fact, Exact Sciences’ stock was the best-performing Wisconsin-based stock in 2017, almost quadrupling in price from $13.36 to $52.54 per share.

RELATED:Exact Sciences stock is biggest gainer among Wisconsin firms in 2017

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The molecular diagnostic company has grown to 1,500 employees and has openings for 400 more jobs “in every area of the company,” according to Kevin Conroy, chairman and CEO.

The openings include technicians who — well, they receive and inspect the fecal samples that were collected and mailed to the Exact Sciences laboratory.

I couldn’t help but ask Conroy if the company has terms of endearment for the employees who perform those tasks eight hours a day. I mean, you think your job is …

“They’re our clinical lab team,” Conroy answers stoically, cutting off my sentence. “You become quickly immune to it. You know you are there for a reason. It’s not messy. It’s a very clean environment.”

Ahem. Exact Sciences is not sitting on its colorectal screening success.

The company recently announced another potential breakthrough when it reported that it has co-developed with the Mayo Clinic a blood test that correctly identified 95 percent of the cases of a common form of liver cancer in preliminary clinical tests. Other tests will be needed before the new product can be brought to market.

However, the track records of Conroy, his research team, his lab team and his marketing team are key reasons the company continues to attract new investors, although it has yet to turn a profit.

Conroy obviously has a knack for staying on task and seeing the end game over time, even as regulatory hurdles and other obstacles lie in his path.

“Often in business and in life it’s easy to see what should be done and hard to actually get it done,” Conroy said. “Some reasons for this include a lack of motivation, clarity of purpose, power to act and, worst of all, the corrosive effects of constant second-guessing by higher ups. The simplest advice for accomplishing challenging goals is to ‘make a plan and work the plan.’”

For this week’s C-Level, Conroy provides seven ways to get things done:

1. Set an inspiring goal. “Getting something done is always easier when you humanize the impact of accomplishing the goal. Write down exactly how success will affect the organization, customers and the broader community. Never lose sight that people are inspired more by the ‘why’ than the ‘how,’” Conroy said.
2. The rule of three. “Early in my career as a CEO, a board member and mentor told me, ‘If you have more than three priorities, you really have none.’ That advice is true in business and life. Individuals and teams can achieve more if they truly focus on the most important priorities.”
3. Empower small, multifunctional teams. “A few people with a clear goal, authority to act, a budget and a timeline can move mountains. It must be a two-way street: authority to act, coupled with accountability to get the job done. Appointing a team leader clarifies who will be the final decision maker in the case of difficult decisions.”
4. Start with the end in mind. “Clearly define what it is that you want to do. Writing it all down will reveal all the tasks that matter and decisions that must be made to succeed.”
5. Set a clear timeline. “Nothing drives results more than a red circle on a calendar. A drop-dead date motivates people to make faster, and usually better, decisions.” 
6. Communicate clearly and often. “The best managers at Exact Sciences provide clear and frequent updates up, across and throughout the organization. By doing so, they keep people informed, motivated and excited about getting the football over the goal line. They take the time to write succinctly and leave little room for misunderstanding.”
7. Celebrate successes along the way. “Celebrations create energy for future wins. Whether it’s an impromptu lunch or a party at the end of the project, take the time to enjoy the taste of victory. Nothing is as rewarding as seeing the smiles on your fellow team members’ faces or in recounting the stories of how the team overcame challenges to succeed,” Conroy said.

Steve Jagler is the business editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. C-Level stands for high-ranking executives, typically those with “chief” in their titles. Send C-Level column ideas to him at steve.jagler@journalsentinel.com.

Kevin Conroy

Title: Chairman and CEO

Company: Exact Sciences Corp., Madison

Previous experience: CEO, Third Wave Technologies; attorney, GE Healthcare

Hometown: Flint, Mich.

Residence: Madison

Education: Bachelor of science, Michigan State University; law degree, University of Michigan Law School

Family: Wife, Sheila; daughters Meghan, Grace and Molly; dog, Izzo

Best advice ever received: “From my father: Winners never quit, quitters never win.”

Favorite band: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Favorite Wisconsin restaurant: Mickies Dairy Bar, Madison

Extra credit: "I went skydiving last year at age 51 for the first time, against my wife’s better judgment, to support Exact Sciences’ United Way campaign.”