I was speaking with a client recently and she mentioned how she had used a tool I gave her to help one of her managers make more decisions without coming to her all the time. The tool is Choose a Path, Evaluate and Re-Calibrate.
image courtesy of Pixabay.com https://pixabay.com/en/service/license/
This came from a conversation a few weeks earlier, where we were exploring a variety of options and all of the options were valid. They looked good and were sound in reasoning. We talked about how she could choose the one that felt most likely to succeed. Then as she started moving down the path, she could evaluate the response and, if necessary, re-calibrate her path. (The current buzzword is pivot).
Here is how you can use this tool.
Choose a path. One of my clients wanted his sales team to get on board and deliver more contacts, better documentation, and obviously more sales. He started by having regularly scheduled conversations where he reviewed activity and results with the team. He was still a bit frustrated because they were all providing the information in slightly different formats and context. So, the manager was not getting clarity on the picture.
As he evaluated his frustration, he realized that they were all working from their point of view and that as the leader he could provide them with his point of view.
He re-calibrated and created a template that they all used and then that went into the bigger picture where everyone’s performance was visible with clarity. The information was uniform, the context was shared, and they were all on the same page.
The result? Within short order the team was performing and hitting their quota.
Another example might be wanting to run a 10K when you have never run before. So, you choose to start running. At the two-mile mark you run out of gas. Here is where you can evaluate. For me it was the thought “I need to train to do this”. What is a schedule I could try? I re calibrated, I plotted it in a spreadsheet, and tracked results.
- 1.0 miles
- Then walk
- 1.0 miles
- Then walk
- 1.75 miles
- And so on
Pretty soon it was three miles, then four, and then five miles. Still chasing the 10K. But am continuing this because I was able to make the decision. I evaluated my initial results and then I re calibrated by creating a training schedule.
I am reading the Book the Dichotomy of Leadership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. In it one of the stories was about watching a team get pinned down. The platoon leader did not move while they were trying to figure things out. The authors remind us that the general rule is to flank or be flanked just don’t be stagnant. For you and me in business this means it is better to make a decision, evaluate the decision, and then if necessary, recalibrate. Sitting still and not doing anything can cost you.
Evaluate your options as they may all look good, (or bad). Based on the information you have the choose a path. As you move forward and learn, evaluate. Then if necessary, recalibrate to bring you closer to your target.
If you wonder if you or your team can benefit from better communication skills for accountability, engagement, and performance, schedule a call with John to explore the possibilities. CALENDAR
