BURST THE BUBBLE

Most #leaders find this surprising. We tend to think that when #accountability is at its highest, the pressure makes morale go down. The reality is the opposite: Narrowing your focus increases both accountability and the #engagement of your #team.

When a team moves from having a dozen “we-really-hope” goals to one or two “no-matter-what” goals, the effect on morale is dramatic. It’s as though a switch exists in every team member’s head called “Game on!” If you can throw that switch, you have laid the foundation for extraordinary execution.

Can you remember what it’s like to be part of a team when the game-on switch is activated? It’s a remarkable experience. Even though you still have to deal with the whirlwind and its myriad demands, you also have a finish line, something clear and important at which you can win. Even more meaningful, it’s something whereby every member of the team can see that his or her contribution makes a difference. Everyone wants to feel that they are winning and that they are contributing to something meaningful. And, when times are tough, they want it even more.

Think of it this way: Above your head is a thought bubble, and inside that bubble are all the various things for which you’re responsible for, as well as opportunities you wish you were pursuing, new ideas and concepts, problems you know you need to fix, and a lot of “whats” and “hows” to get it all done. Your bubble is complicated and chaotic. It’s also completely different from the bubbles above every other leader.

This is why you need to translate your #strategy from concepts to targets, from a vague strategic intent to a set of specific finish lines.