It’s all in the What

written by Preston True - 2 Comments

Susan called me last week in the midst of big frustration.  She had just left a meeting in which her designers slammed the breaks on a new product launch.

“I can’t believe this team.  They’re constantly putting on the breaks with new projects; especially ones that will make the biggest difference in this company.  I don’t know what to do because this is exactly how it goes here… people come up with terrific plans for new products and the culture squashes them.”

Susan jumped into a dissertation about how she was going to develop a strategy to get her team enrolled in the project, create a timeline that fit within the current culture and hope that her design team actually aligned with the plans.  Although she mentioned it, she didn’t even dare to guess what the production team would say.

Does any of this sound familiar?  You’ve been promoted up through the ranks of your organization, adhered to the operational and cultural parameters, produced results, and have deep technical knowledge of your business.  You are a brilliant leader.

Yet, just like Susan, you find yourself stymied by “how it usually goes”.

In Susan’s example above, the next step is to figure our how to make this new product launch happen.  She knows the product development process intimately, knows just how far she can push the process, and is very knowledgeable with the literal and perceived limitations of her team and the production team.

At least this is the familiar process she finds herself in.  It’s just that the possibility this new product presents to the organization will insist the organization do things very differently.

So now what?

Susan’s fallen into the ageless trap of trying to figure out the “how we’ll get this done” part of moving projects forward.  This is where most of us live most of the time.  How will we get this done?  How will I have that conversation?  What exactly do I need to say or do to make the situation turn out another way?  All based in “how“.

Now, this isn’t all bad.  Understanding “how” to coach supports me in my business.  Knowing “how” to measure assists a carpenter in producing a fine product.

But as a leader in your organization, are you paid to “do” the work (the “how” stuff)?  Or are you paid to motivate, inspire and create?

Let’s go back to Susan.  After having a brief conversation with her, she approached her production counterpart with the following statement:

“I need your production team to assemble a machine in six months rather than the 13 it usually takes for our new packaging product.”

Within a day, she had a promise from her production counterpart that he’d be able to do eight months rather than 13.  Susan completely surprised and ecstatic.  Never had the production team made a promise like that.

Here’s the key shift:  Susan simply made a declaration combined with a request.  She did not get hung up (as she typically did) with figuring out “how” the production team would make it work.  She trusted her production counterpart and left the “how” to him.

In other words, her only focus was on the “what“.

Leadership Practices:

1. Grab a note pad, pen and clean out the ears… listen for and keep track of all the times you ask the following question (or versions of it) – “How will I do that?”
2. Make a list of all the “what’s” you want to have or to happen in your business.
3. Practice declaring these “what’s” into existence without worrying about the “how”.  I.e. “I will increase sales by 35% this quarter”, “We will hire a new technical manager by July 1, 2009″, or “I will put $750 per month into savings.”

Identify and invite at least one person who could support you in each “what” declaration.  I.e. invite your sales manager to come up with 5 ideas on “how” you’ll increase sales by 35%.

Leadership is not “doer-ship” or “how to-ship”.  It’s about leading, inspiring, making bold promises and speaking and listening from greatness and possibility.

What difference will it make in your business and life if you began giving up figuring out “how” and just made requests around the “what“?

Happy What You Want,

-Coach Preston