When you want to go beyond status quo

While the origin of this phrase "The devil is in the details" might have religious connotations, I am alluding more to its usage in the context of paying attention to even the very little things that could add up to a significant whole. These are truly wise words taken in the context of professional conduct and accountability.

My little tweak to this phrase based on experience would be

“The devil is in knowing the right details”.

One of the responsibilities we have as professionals is to be aware and tight on the details that come under our scope of work. There is a place for delegation, and there is a place for ownership and must-know. I have always been in awe of people who have data and answers related to their work and projects on their fingertips. This is not to say they know everything. This is to say they know what is needed for them to perform their role effectively and impressively.

The Why

If we find a team member or ourselves commonly responding to questions with “I will get back”, or thinking “Great question; why didn’t I think of it” or always calling 4-5 people to get the answers, we might want to take a step back. Mentor the team member of the how and why of getting their hands dirty and why it was important for them to know that answer. The attitude that “someone will know” is risky. In a leadership position, a leader not knowing the answer could sometimes mean no one else also knows the answer, because none would have the experience to have thought to look into that aspect, thereby putting a particular project or strategy at risk. To ourselves, we must say - observe more, strive to know more, and most importantly, learn to get to the right level of details. It is not easy to strike this balance, however you will learn with experience. Based on your role, you might need to have broad based knowledge or know every nitty-gritty of an activity or project. The most important aspect is to identify the importance of being detail oriented and the rest will follow.

The When

Below are some scenarios that when it arises is a tell-tale sign that we need to introspect on our working style

1.      Boss asks questions along similar lines on multiple occasions and we are unable to answer

2.      We make a presentation and are unable to answer queries related to information right in the deck

3.      We have to make a critical decision, we are unable to and there is a nagging feeling that some piece of the jig saw is missing

4.      Your team member/s voice out that they are overloaded with adhoc work that you are assigning that is interfering with their KRAs (they would subtly mention it)

5.       You feel on way too many occasions that you should have caught that error or not missed that scenario

The How

To develop this skill, the best practice is to ask questions. Ask many questions. Do not let your mind play tricks that people might find it too silly, or fundamental. More often than not, they are going to be impressed that you asked the “right” question and are going to be very excited that they are partnering with a competent person.

Similarly, if you are asked about something that you are very sure is not in your scope of “knowledge” ownership; ensure you redirect them to the right person or department, based on the situation where it is asked. Invariably, a query will have a follow up and it is best the enquirer establishes connect with the right person in your team, say the technical lead or the right person in your organization who owns the process in question.

Finally, think, observe, research, prepare.

You will know you are in the right track when you are rarely found wanting for data in key meetings, when colleagues voice out after meetings that you seemed well prepared, you are sought out to be a mentor or to take on additional projects, when you experience small Eureka moments after asking something (unplanned) about a process/a capability/technology that aids in your decision making, and a general increase in confidence levels. Developing this capability is an all-win, no-lose proposition.

And finally, we will still never know it all. In such cases, a simple “I will get back on that” and following through on that commitment would suffice. After that, introspect and add it to your knowledge base.