Find Your Organization's Rhythm

In a recent post (Fighter's Stance) I discussed how important creating an effective Battle Rhythm and Synchronization Matrix was for our Special Operations elements operating in the complexities of Iraq and Afghanistan. Here, I’d like to map that to the cycles that I see in industry – as there are many corollaries we can all learn from.

For years in the military, I and other senior leaders would idealize the business world. A particularly thorny problem would arise that we hadn’t planned for, and invariably one of us would chime in: “This is a mess. If we ran like a business, this would be unacceptable!” But we’d never lived in that world, so stereotyped industry as market-driven and hyper-effective, ultimately oversimplifying the business environment.

Now that I’ve been in business for the better part of three years, I’m chuckle to hear captains of industry talk about their problems and say: “This is a mess. If we were in the military, this would never be tolerated.” The parallel is eerie. And the truth is obviously that neither the military nor business leaders have their view of the other group quite right when it comes to how effectively they deal with certain types of problems; but let me assure you, there are more similarities than differences.

In Fighter's Stance, I focused on the fact that when an organization can develop a steady, dependable internal cadence, that actually enables the organization to adapt more effectively to the changes in its environment that invariably arise. Now, our team looks for this rhythm in the organizations we partner with. I’m sure you could map out your own rhythm rather quickly – from daily and weekly all the way to annual cycles. The question is, are you effectively leveraging that rhythm and ensuring it is being effectively driven by your organization’s strategic intent?

We’re all accustomed to a weekly meeting or two; there are annual corporate events we can depend on; some type of regular quarterly reviews or senior leadership functions. But often, this pattern of meetings and reviews has evolved organically. Often times the rhythm is a collage of legacy concepts, stitched together in a pattern that may or may not align with your organization’s purpose. When new requirements emerge, maybe a reactive meeting will be held. Maybe that meeting will be codified, become a natural new part of “how things are done” – even past its point of value. Or maybe it will fall off once the environment changes, even though the problem it was meant to solve still exists beneath the surface.

Regularity alone doesn’t make a rhythm effective. You’ve got to dig into the why and how of the events that constitute your rhythm, and ensure they’re efficient, well placed, and supportive of your strategy. Adaptability only results when the Battle Rhythm is both regular and right.

So how do you get your Battle Rhythm right? First, it’s important to not to skip steps. When McChrystal Group sets out to help design an operating rhythm, we start with a company’s vision, values, and strategy. You’ve got to go that far up; if your people are trapped in endless meetings that don’t tie to strategy, problems are going to emerge down the line.

After that, perhaps the most important work an organization can do is to decide the distinct purpose behind all of its Battle Rhythm events. What sorts of things get discussed at a daily stand-up meeting? A weekly business review? A quarterly offsite? An annual strategy session? Are those events discrete enough from one another? Being intentional from the outset will create a much more nimble posture – as you know the key fundamentals are in place, and tied to a dependable process. The strategic cycle becomes deliberate...not something you stumble through by simply getting the right people together.

As you look at your own rhythm, ask yourself: does everyone in the organization see this rhythm the same way? Is my strategy clearly tied to the rhythm? What on here is legacy, and what isn’t represented? Is our rhythm efficient and clear, or a series of “meetings for meeting sake?” If you’re not satisfied with the answers, start with your vision, values and strategy – then work your way down. The results might surprise you!

When I got to the Ranger Regiment as a young captain, I was retaught all of the fundamentals of being a soldier: how to hold my weapon, how to pack my ruck, how to tie my shoes. The focus on fundamentals—doing simple things the right way—was all consuming. But there was a reason for it that went beyond just discipline. A Ranger in combat knows exactly where the medical kit is in his ruck. And he knows where it is in his buddy’s ruck, too. The fundamentals were always in place. Predictability drives adaptability. The alignment, function, and form of the events that constitute an organization’s overarching Battle Rhythm are your fundamentals. It’s important they be right.

Photo: AV1/Flickr