Leading through Intent
Striking the optimal balance between autonomy and alignment
The concept of friction
In an ideal world, executing strategy is easy: First, you decide what outcomes are important. Then, you plan how to achieve those outcomes. And finally, you execute the plan by taking actions.
Easy, right?
Wrong!
A range of factors makes strategy execution difficult:
As human beings, we have all sorts of biases and personal interests that influence our actions. Furthermore, when we operate within complex circumstances, emotions and stress contribute to the unpredictability of our behavior.
If we also operate in complex environments where shared references are lacking, misunderstandings are likely to affect both our conversations and decisions.
When we add to this the challenge of operating in a changing environment, strategy execution becomes even more formidable.
The typical challenges of strategy execution
The gaps of strategy execution
The factors mentioned above manifest themselves as three critical gaps:
- The knowledge gap: The difference between what we would like to know and what we actually know.
- The alignment gap: The difference between what we want other people to do and what they actually do.
- The effects gap: The difference between what we expect our actions to achieve and what they actually achieve.
The traps of strategy execution
If we fail to address these gaps, we will increasingly find ourselves frustrated and susceptible to falling into one or more of these traps:
- Trap 1: Seeking excessive detail.
In response to the knowledge gap, we tend to seek additional information. However, since perfect information is rarely available, this often results in unnecessary delays. - Trap 2: Overloading with detailed instructions.
In response to the alignment gap, we often burden tasks with overly detailed instructions. However, this approach can discourage independent thinking and creativity, which is rarely our intention. - Trap 3: Impose more detailed controls.
When faced with the effects gap and the failure to achieve desired outcomes, we tend to tighten control processes and potentially introduce more Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). This can divert people's attention towards navigating reviews rather than focusing on customer needs and working towards achieving meaningful outcomes.
- The knowledge gap: The difference between what we would like to know and what we actually know.
The Leading through Intent approach
Leading through Intent is based on a well proven fact: Most people want to make a positive difference in their work and are willing to invest all their skills and efforts if they get the opportunity.
Sadly, in most organizations, a lot of this human potential is wasted. Either because our processes have grown too complex and hard to relate to, or because people do not really feel psychologically safe and empowered.
Leading through Intent is designed to get more people involved in making decisions close to their work. The approach offers true empowerment by moving the responsibility to the people who do the work.
Working with the dynamics of autonomy and alignment
Autonomy and alignment are usually seen as opposites that we must choose between: Either we choose high alignment, or we choose high autonomy.
But there is a better way of addressing this. Under the right circumstances, we can have high alignment and high autonomy at the same time. If this is achieved, everyone is working towards the same outcomes, while using the freedom their autonomy gives them to make independent decisions. This is what Leading through Intent is all about.
If all team members fully understand the intent (the what and the why), we can loosen up operational control, allowing team members to take responsibility for how things get done.
Leader responsibilities when Leading through Intent
Keep everyone focused on the intent
It is the leaders’ responsibility to be crisp and specific about the intent: What is the essence of what we (the team or project) want to achieve? Why is this important?
The leaders are accountable for ensuring that the intent is aligned with the overall strategy.
Some of the most essential qualities of leaders who are strong at driving intent are:
- Acting with clear priorities
- Communicating effectively
- Demonstrating passion for our shared vision
- Making clear what is most important
- Being forward-thinking
- Always acting in the best interest of the entire business
Support the team to grow and thrive
The leaders are responsible for developing a diverse team of people with the relevant competencies and the will to make decisions.
Furthermore, the leaders are in charge of maintaining an inclusive and healthy environment based on trust and psychological safety.
Some of the most essential qualities of leaders who can create a supportive environment are:
- Being authentic
- Being constructive even when the way forward is not clear
- Contributing to a healthy atmosphere
- Seeking to understand the thoughts and feelings of others
- Being supportive
- Being available when needed
Create a strong playfield
The leader´s effort on intent and support aim at one goal: Creating a strong playfield. The playfield is a metaphor for where the work gets done.
On a strong playfield, boundaries for the work are set, with clear processes and defined roles and responsibilities. The team members are self-organized with very little need for day-to-day management from the leader and absolutely no micro-management.
