Rhythm: How to Achieve Breakthrough Execution and Accelerate Growth by Patrick Thean

Author:Patrick Thean
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781626340800
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group
Published: 2014-02-22T18:30:00+00:00

The result of the discuss, debate, agree process should be a team commitment to the decision made, with everyone moving forward aligned, just like a championship crew team.

Having the right process is key. Yet different facilitators armed with the same process can arrive at different results. Success is in the nuances of how facilitators help you through the difficult discussions. Here are some tips for facilitators:

Your facilitator should allow breathing space during discussions. Do not feel compelled to fill periods of silence. Let the silence do the heavy lifting for you. These are the best moments. Allow the team to consider what others are saying. Brief periods of silence encourage deeper thinking and discussion on the topic. At the opposite end of the spectrum, when the debate gets too hot, the facilitator should remind everyone that there are no losers when we discuss and debate. Only the less-good ideas lose. And when that happens, we are all winners.

The facilitator should also encourage the silent ones to speak up. Make sure that everyone has had the opportunity to share their opinions and participate, especially the people who are typically quiet. Encourage them to speak up. If you are the CEO, you can help. You probably do not often get the chance to bring your entire team together for this type of focused work. Take the opportunity to listen to their ideas and input versus telling them what you want done. Spend the time listening instead of talking, and offer your opinion on any topic last.

Most important, the facilitator should guide the team to a decision. I have seen teams spend an hour in a heated debate only to end without a decision. Making a decision is difficult. Remind the decision maker that it is his or her decision to make. Ask if there are any more points to debate. And if not, gently let the decision maker know that it might be time to make a decision soon.

Create a “won’t do” list. Finally, as the team reaches agreement on initiatives for the annual plan, you might need to create a “won’t do” list. Recall that I described the importance of won’t power in part 1. If you have too many opportunities, take the time during your annual planning session to discuss, debate, and agree on the “no” decisions. When you make a no decision, record it. You’ll be recording your yes decisions as part of your annual plan. Record your no decisions and your reasoning so that if you are tempted by those same opportunities during the year, you can remind your team why you said no to them in the first place.

Gaining agreement and closure on key topics is critical to closing the communication gap. If you cannot agree at the executive-team level on the few important elements of your annual plan, you cannot hope to cascade plans and decisions to the departments and other teams. That is what closes the communication gap and builds alignment.

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