“Commander’s Intent”: Effectively communicating what you want done…

By Baron Lukas, Managing Director, ExecHQ

“The Commander’s Intent provides the overall purpose for accomplishing the mission. Although the situation may change, subordinates who clearly understand the purpose and act to accomplish that purpose can adapt to changing circumstances on their own without risking diffusion of effort or loss of tempo.”

-adapted from Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication (MCDP) 1-3 Tactics

Just imagine; you and your spouse are finally headed to the airport. You have been looking forward to this short but well-deserved ski vacation for months--no more endless emails and phone calls, just the two of you, the mountain, and the snow. Then, all of a sudden, it hits you, that nagging feeling that you left something undone at the office. As you make your way through rush hour traffic, you think back over the last few weeks to see if you can figure out what is bothering you. The annual inventories went better than expected, this year’s performance is certainly better than last year’s, and the three-day executive off-site strategy planning session seemed to really hit the mark this year. The plan is approved by the board and has been released to your top managers—so what’s missing? Then you remember the strange conversations you had yesterday with two of your middle managers in the bistro next door to the office. You asked both Joe and Susan how they were doing and what they thought of the direction the company was going, and neither of them really gave you a clear answer. It was almost as if they had not seen the plan for the next two years, or maybe they did not understand it. Either way, after thinking about it all through airport security and the long wait at the terminal, you realize that it has been a long time since you personally communicated with the company at large.

The unfortunate truth is that only about two in five people in the typical business say that they have any idea of their company’s strategy or senior management’s priorities. Can you imagine a marching band where only 40 percent knew the formation? Chances are that right now, at least one of your employees does not know the answers to these questions:

• What are the company’s goals?
• What is the CEO’s vision for the future?
• How are customers to be treated?
• What are the guidelines for doing my job?

If you are not confident that your team knows what “success” looks like for you and your company, we suggest that you think about disseminating a “Commander’s (read Senior Leader’s) Intent.”

As indicated in the Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication adaptation above, the term “Commander’s Intent” is taken from the U.S. Military. It is an integral part of the military planning process and should be used in your strategy development and business planning processes. The “Intent” statement is the commander’s personal view of the purpose of the mission, what effects he or she wishes to create on the battlefield, and what the desired results are. The commander (or in your case CEO/President) explains the “what” but not the “how”—the “how” being left to the initiative of the lower unit commanders. The “Intent” empowers the entire team to address unexpected circumstances. A well written “Commanders’ Intent” statement gives the commander a virtual presence on portions of the battlefield not under his direct control.

This concept has direct application to you, the CEO/President, or a business owner. You may wish to call it something else, but the challenge is communicating to the entire workforce what a successful day, month, quarter, or year looks like for you and your business. A thorough “Intent” should describe, at a minimum, what success would look like in terms of customer/client relations, employee relationships, and teamwork, the conduct of key work processes, the allocation and use of critical resources (money, time, inventory, and personnel) and finally, the desired outcome of your combined efforts—profit, market satisfaction, and a satisfied workforce. Keep it short and straightforward. Cover the three basic requirements for an effective “Intent” statement: Purpose, required effects, and desired results. Be creative, but keep it to one page.

If your “Intent” is crafted in concert with your strategic and operational plans, is clearly communicated down to the lowest levels in your organization, and is understood, you achieve the same effect that military commanders achieve: You convey your presence at every level of your company, and you empower your workforce to achieve your stated success goals. It will give your team greater confidence to deal with the day-to-day uncertainties of business, and it will give you greater faith in their ability to make the right decisions for the success of your business.

If you would like to know more about using an "Intent" statement in your business, please contact me here on LinkedIn or by email at: [email protected].

Good luck, and keep attacking.