In our daily lives, both professionally and personally, how many times do we hear the phrase “I’m all in”? The inference here is that one is fully committed, in total agreement, has unwavering support. It that what we really see as a result?
Or, do we perhaps see ‘backpedaling’ if that position or decision isn’t the popular view, or proves to be less than perfect. Do we hear, “well, that was the team’s decision, but it wasn’t what I really supported”?
In our experience, the full engagement and alignment that comes with “all in” are necessary for trust, with trust being absolutely primary and foundational to a team’s success. But how do we get there?
Part of Jeff’s journey professionally included working at a company where “70% comfortable, 100% committed” was a value and cultural norm, reinforced by the company’s written mission, philosophy and values. This company believed that all employees (known as team members) wanted to be involved in the decisions that affected them, and as such, had a responsibility to offer their insights, knowledge and perspective in the discussions which ultimately shaped direction or decisions. As team members, we expected a thoughtful, thorough consideration and discussion where the end product was the collective best that we all had to offer. As leaders, we leveraged the knowledge, experience and diverse perspectives of our team members to develop strong, well-founded courses of action.
Even in the highest performing, best aligned teams, reaching this kind of agreement is not easy. It requires a mindset of reaching a point of ‘comfortable enough’ to fully support, and if not quite there, continuing to actively contribute in the discussion until you are “70% comfortable”. This is the ‘gut feel’ point at which you may still be somewhat uncertain, but trust that the team’s decision is fully informed and one you can fully support.
The real challenge is achieving the “100% committed” part. Think of any high performing team you have ever been a part of, whether in business, in sports, or in the military. Your success as a team lies in everyone being on the same page, with the same focus and effort, confident that this course of action embodies the best of all the collective wisdom and experience that the team had to offer.
Imagine how any loss of this full engagement and alignment could affect a team. The higher the stakes, the greater the importance of this concept.
This was Adam’s experience on a SEAL platoon. Many times, the why behind the mission was providing something of strategic value for the government and / or intelligence community, but the details of the why could not be fully explained or the importance entirely understood. Regardless, it was still the responsibility of the Team to plan and execute the mission successfully.
Typical mission protocol calls for the platoon leadership to present a few conceptual options to their Commanding Officer. It’s the Commanding Officer who ultimately chooses which course of action the platoon then builds a detailed plan for. While senior leaders identify the why and what - - the Team develops the how. All Team members contribute to the details of the plan, dividing and matching different aspects of it suited to their unique skills and experience. Snipers develop the patrol route. Radio specialists develop the communications plan. The Corpsman works the medical plan. You get the idea. While some may dislike the route, and others may bemoan the comms plan, all of that is white noise against a SEAL Team culture of total commitment to mission success. In other words, what is the true priority - - understanding the why, doing it your way, or mission success? As it says in the SEAL Creed, “my loyalty to Country and Team is beyond reproach”.
While some of the specifics of the military example may differ from those in business or sports, the relevant parallel is appreciating the necessity to adopt a mindset that’s all-in despite some uneasiness along the way. 70% comfortable, 100% committed.
Our lessons learned:
• Develop and support all team members for full engagement
• Nurture an environment for candid discussion, including dissenting views
• Facilitate contributions by each team member, driving towards 70% comfortable
• Summarize for full understanding by all
• Confirm expectation - - 100% committed!
• Execute with confidence
• Assess team performance, review lessons learned, and coach accordingly
The engagement, alignment and the trust that high performing teams consistently exhibit is within reach. Put the principles of “70% comfortable, 100% committed” in place with your team and take the next step forward in the ‘power of team’.
Authored By : Jeff Boyer & Adam Weiner
