We all know why we're here...

These six words can trigger all the hair on the back of my neck to stand up on end because the only times I’ve ever witnessed them being used is when a Big Important Leader – who we’ll call ‘Bil’ - isn’t interested in the expectations or readiness of the folks they're talking to, instead they just want to get things done, their way. NOW!

And it’s such a shame.

Of course, in emergency situations taking rapid action very quickly is important. But interestingly when we watch medical teams, firefighters and relief workers we find their approach centers on getting constant updates about the expectations, observations and readiness of their team in order to provide the very best care. Patients, fires and natural disasters have unpredictability in common, conditions change in seconds and without everyone paying attention to those factors, crisis ensues.

Organizations are also unpredictable but there are some simple practices we can adopt to ensure we don’t become a ‘Bil’ but instead start being a Brilliant, Effective Visionary - a ‘Bev’.

Bev knows that constant reiteration of purpose and direction are crucial to team effectiveness. Right at the beginning of working with a new team, or indeed with any important relationship, Bev takes time to ‘Design the Alliance’.

Designing the alliance is a conversation made up of just five questions that enable each team member to state their expectations of and commitments to each other and then listen while everyone else does the same. This conversation sets the scene for successful interactions which are a precursor to increased trust and effectiveness.

The second thing Bev does is to clarify purpose on a macro and micro scale. At a macro level she works to clarify the purpose of the organization so everyone knows why they (and we) are here. Then, she clarifies the purpose of teams within the organization ESPECIALLY her leadership team; because everyone knows there is nothing more annoying than a team of highly motivated leaders all charging off in different directions to bring an organization’s productivity to a virtual standstill!

The last thing Bev does is to ensure that each person on her team knows what’s expected of them. According to our friends at The Gallup Organization this is the primary question every team member needs to be able to answer positively before they can unleash their genius towards greater purposes; so spending regular time with people to ensure they can say a wholehearted ‘yes’ to that question is imperative.

Of course, Bil has NO TIME for the things above, “I’m paying these people a lot of money, they should know what to do” and with this intentional blindness and deafness he sows the seeds of confusion, ambiguity and distrust and reaps a harvest of ineffectiveness and low productivity.

Oh dear.

To the extent you have any choice in the matter be a Bev not a Bil.