• Commitment

    Challenges and actions

  • EXPLORATION: Is poor exploration a challenge in your team?

    You

    A number of behaviors are key to an effective exploration process that should precede any important decisions:

    • Start by questioning the problem/challenge that you are trying to address (Note: What looks as a problem on the surface, is often a symptom of an deeper underlying problem)
    • Avoid making early guesses about the expected decision (Note: Premature assumptions limits your curiosity and locks your thinking)
    • Challenge all assumptions and ideas that presents themselves as “facts” (Note: Most facts can be challenged, and new assumptions opens up for new ideas)
    • Look for untraditional answers, from untraditional sources (Note: Most great ideas already exist, but maybe in another industry or another context)
    • Be open to ideas from others (Note: Some of the best ideas sounds a little crazy and counter intuitive the first time they are shared)

    It’s a good rule of thumb to have at least 3 attractive and realistic ideas/approaches to choose between, before moving into the decision phase.

    Your team

    The list above also applies to teams – so it can be used as a checklist for an idea session in the team.

    The successful behavior in EXPLORATION is very different from DECISION, so it’s critically important that everyone understands when EXPLORATION starts and ends.

    The ideal is to involve everyone who will take part of the EXECUTION phase to play an active role in EXPLORATION – but it’s is not always possible. If some members are cut out of EXPLORATION consider to at least arrange a “sounding round”, where everyone can learn about, and comment on, the decision candidates before the decision is made.

  • DECISION PHASE: Is poor decision process a challenge in your team?

    You

    In the ideal world, decision making is a fact based and rational process but in reality it often ends up being about beliefs and trade-offs:

    • Beliefs: Do we choose to believe in perspective, philosophy or dataset A or B?
    • Trade-offs:
      • Short term vs. long term
      • High risk vs. low risk
      • “Low hanging fruit” vs. “right thing to do”

    To prepare yourself for a discussion on a specific decision, it can be useful to structure your arguments around central beliefs and trade-offs.

    Always go into such a discussion with an openness to other ideas and perspectives that you have not considered, and be prepared to re-evaluate your opinion.

    Be respectful to other views – but also meet your responsibility to bring forward your own views and opinions.

    Your team

    A common trap is to waste effort in fruitless discussions between believers in solution A against believers in solution B.

    To counter this, it can be helpful to try to agree in the team on what is “facts” and what is “beliefs” and also agree on the critical “trade-offs”. This can create a more balanced and constructive discussion.

    Often, individuals in a decision process will disagree on both facts, beliefs and how different trade-offs are weighed in – so this is a natural battleground for “Healthy conflict”. And that’s fine!

    On top of all the other perspectives, do consider that an ambitious and progressive decision is generally more motivating compared to a traditional and conservative decision, as it gives everyone a chance to experience something new. This will in most healthy teams add a lot of extra energy to the next phase (EXECUTION).

    Also note that “a decision” is often better than “no decision” as prolonged decision processes wear everyone out and delays EXECUTION.

    If you are the leader you will have a responsibility for reaching a decision. But the stronger the decision is anchored in the team, the more energy will be brought into the next phase (EXECUTION).

  • EXECUTION PHASE: Is a poor execution process a challenge in your team?

    You

    If your preferred decision did not win, you will need to come to terms with the decision made. This can take some effort but it must be done. If you, in an extreme case, cannot support an important decision the guiding principle is “Eat it or beat it”.

    Good questions to ask yourself to support execution is:

    • Does the decision impact any of my current tasks or responsibilities? (if yes: What will I do differently?)
    • Can I do anything new to support the execution? (if yes: What – and how can this get priority?)

    Your team

    Where questions and disagreements are welcome in EXPLORATION and DECISION, they can be very problematic during EXECUTION. Therefore, it is important to make certain that everyone understand the shift. Do communicate this clearly so no one can be in doubt.

    Quite often, a new decision needs attention and hard work before it impacts actual behavior. Depending on scope and importance, it can be relevant to treat EXECUTION as a project with planning meetings, milestones, deadlines, roles & responsibilities etc.

    In a fast changing world, some decisions can soon prove less successful.

    In strong commitment cultures, it’s accepted that anyone can challenge a taken decision at any given time. But for this to work it’s critical that the execution work does not slow down just because of a question. So, until a new decision is taken, everyone should keep focusing on EXECUTION.

  • Inherited decisions: Is inherited decisions a challenge in your team?

    You

    Inherited decisions comes with no, or very little involvement, in neither the EXPLORATION or the DECISION process. And still, everyone have to follow them – even if they are conflicting with your own, or your teams decisions. This situation is likely frustrating, but can be unavoidable.

    Most often, you will need to come to terms with the inherited decision. This can take a little effort but it must be done. If you, in an extreme case, cannot support an important inherited decision the guiding principle is “Eat it or beat it”.

    Once you get your head around the inherited decision, good questions to ask yourself to support execution is:

    • Does the decision impact any of current my tasks or responsibilities? (if yes: What will I do differently?)
    • Can I do anything new to support the execution? (if yes: What – and how can this get priority?)

    Your team

    Inherited decisions will often cause frustration in the team as the EXPLORATION and the DECISION was skipped, and as the team needs to EXECUTE on someone else’s decision.

    Still, it is very important to make certain that everyone understands and accepts the inherited decision.

    The leader of the team must communicate it clearly so no one can be in doubt. But: If it’s a controversial decision that conflicts with team goals and objectives, it’s worth spending time to process the inherited decision as a team so everyone can come to terms with the changes it implies.

    Good questions to discuss for an unpopular inherited decision:

    • What could be the reason behind the decisions?
    • Who will benefit from this decision?
    • How can we turn this decision into something positive for our team?

    Depending on scope and importance, it can be relevant to treat inherited decisions as a project with planning meetings, milestones, deadlines, roles & responsibilities etc.

  • Changing decisions: Is the process of changing decisions a challenge in your team?

    You

    In a fast changing world, some decisions can soon prove less successful and in need of re-evaluation.

    If you sense a that the basis for a previous decision has fallen away, it’s your responsibility to qualify your concern and bring it to the attention of the team.

    Though, as such concerns easily conflict with the force of EXECUTION, you should not call out every time you get a hunch or a feeling of doubt. Collect data, discuss it with others, but without spending too much time and causing unnecessary concern. But if the concern seems to be supported, build your case and bring it to your team or to the leader of your team.

    Your team

    In mature decision cultures, it’s accepted that anyone can challenge a taken decision at any given time. But for this to work it’s critical that execution work does not slow down only because of a question. So, until a new decision is taken, everyone should keep focus on EXECUTION.

    In fast changing environments it’s recommended to routinely do a “decision-reality-check” where all key assumptions and decisions are openly and routinely questioned – assuming that any past assumption or belief likely has changed.