A recent client engagement provided a great case study on how organizations can benefit from deviants instead of being derailed by them.
Challenge - Alignment Session in Jeopardy
We conducted an extensive off-site planning and alignment session for a rapidly growing company that operates 24/7 protecting the networks of large industrial and government entities from cyber intrusions. Because of their mission and the ability for their employees to test, use and create the very latest “cool” technology, they attract the crème-de-la-crème of highly skilled and creative technical professionals who occupy the world beyond the curve of innovation. Not surprisingly, organizational deviants were well represented at the off-site.
Although our client, the CEO, was delighted with the results of the session, getting to a successful outcome was in doubt in the early stages. Initially the session was punctuated with disagreements that to an outsider would have sounded like arguments!
The voices were often those of some very bright, knowledgeable, opinionated organizational deviants. Their comments frequently triggered the organizational immune system, which consisted of lots of cross-talking over the people who were speaking, and frequent interruptions when people were attempting to express an idea. Thus, the possibility of any insights or innovations contained in their comments, which could be used to inform the subsequent critical decisions, was diminished.
Solution
Recognizing that we would not be successful unless people could express their ideas – a blinding flash of the obvious! - we conducted a brief “mini-clinic” sourced from a process we have used in similar situations as a way to help groups encourage and include the input from organizational deviants.
We were able to get the participants to agree to a number of specific communication behaviors that would allow for all to be heard, as well as for the valuable discussions to continue.
5 Communication Guidelines for Encouraging Innovation and Contribution
1. Listen. Expressing ideas effectively is only one half of communication. The other half is listening and understanding. Listening requires patience.
2. Understand. Restate or paraphrase your understanding. Ask questions for clarification to be sure you understand the other person’s idea before you express yours.
3. Count to 10. Effectively communicating with others is not a contest. It is the way we learn. Waiting to respond can allow ideas to develop.
4. Summarize the Decision. Write decisions made for all present to see on a flipchart or whiteboard. Review next steps, including who will do what, by when.
5. Outline Intended and Unintended Consequences. Decisions in a complex system can create unanticipated and/or undesirable outcomes. Discussing positive and negative potential outcomes will improve our results.
Result
At the off-site wrap-up, all agreed that following the simple communications guidelines above resulted in everyone’s full participation – including the many organizational deviants present. And most importantly, paved the way for achieving the key objectives of the session and moving the organization forward.
Introducing the communications guidelines was so effective that leaders have made them part of the organization’s “Operating Guidelines,” and they are now standard operating procedure for all internal and external discussions.