Effective Commanding: What do you really want?

When you do everything right and… everything is wrong

One of the easiest and most effective things you can learn today is effective commanding, which always results with faster execution, decision making and innovation.

But before we begin, ask yourself two questions:

1. Did you ever rigorously follow instructions, step by step, but in the end the result was disappointing?
2. Or were you frustrated because you explain everything instructions to people, step by step, and they still managed to fu*k up?

If your answer is no, then congratulations, you are perfect. Or just unemployed 🙂 

The root of the screw ups is misalignment

Every person has their own perspective, belief system, and way of doing things. Different perspectives and ideas are making humanity innovative, but it can also turn an organization into Dante’s Inferno or in modern terms, shitshow.

Some failures are caused from incompetence but majority of them from unclear communication. If you don’t clearly define what needs to be achieved, how can you expect precise results? When you sit in a taxi, do you expect that driver will somehow guess where you want to go? Or do you clearly tell him where to go? 

What can you do?

Clearly define intent, constraints and do back briefing.

Intent: What do you really, really want?

The solution is simple, just ask yourself the question: What do you really, really want? Answer to this question is Intent or definition of What is the true goal you want to achieve.

Be strict on intent, it must be short and simple otherwise people will not understand it. And people who do not understand the goal you can bet that it will not be achieved. Also, if the decision maker cannot tell you intent in a short, clean way you can be pretty sure they also don’t have a clear picture.

At this point we would have to warn you to not fall in a common trap, never tell people how to do their jobs, just define what needs to be accomplished. In a clear and simple way and trust they will do the job.

Why is this so important? Who usually has more operational knowledge? People from upper management or people who actually do the operational steps? In the vast majority of cases, people from the operational level, therefore, tell them what to do and they will know better than you how to do it. With this approach you don’t only avoid micromanagement but also embrace innovation, creativity and build motivation.

Intent is what needs to be done and not how

Clear intent definition: Organize team building

Unclear intent definition: Plan some kind of team-building activity that everyone will enjoy. Make it fun but also useful for work. 

Constraints: What I can do and what I cannot do?

Once intent is clear, the next step is giving people with the most operational knowledge the freedom to decide how to achieve it. Giving freedom to the people means they will be obligated to take decisions on their own and this can become major obstacle for two reasons:

1. People will be too brave and take unreasonable decisions
   1. Example: Spend unreasonable amount of money
2. People will be afraid and will not take decisions
   1. Example:  Will be afraid to spend money and therefore progress will be stopped

For those two reasons it is vital to clearly explain what people can do by themself and what they can’t – Defining clear constraints. 

Constraints are just borders inside which people can freely operate in order to reach intent. Without constraints people simply don’t know what they are allowed to do and not allowed to do. Finding the right balance in constraints takes practice, but it improves with time

Clear constraints definitions: Maximum allowed budget is 2000€, maximum driving distance 50 km in one way and it should not be rafting, kayaking or any other similar water sports

Unclear constraints definitions: Try to make it not too expensive, but it should still be exciting. Maybe something outdoors? Or indoors if the weather is bad. Just make sure it brings the team together.

Back Briefing: Was I understood? 

Briefing tells people what needs to be accomplished, but how can you be sure they actually understand? Simple but effective method is to, immediately after briefing, just ask Just to be sure, can you explain how you understood it? This simple but vital mechanism is called back briefing. If a person really understands you then he will be able to clearly explain intent and constraints.

Summary

This simple mechanism changes leaders’ focus on intent and empowers people with operational knowledge to take their own decision within defined constraints. This will not only drastically increase organisational performance but it will also increase innovation and boost motivation.

Therefore, we encourage you to try it next time you need to give instructions and we are certain that you will be positively surprised with the results.

Guide:

1. Define intent
   1. Clearly, short and simple
   2. What we want to accomplish and not how to do it
2. Define constraints
   1. What people can do and what cannot do
3. Do Back Briefing
   1. Everyone must have same understanding

Example:

1. Intent
   1. Organize team building
2. Constraints
   1. Maximum allowed budget is 2000€
   2. Maximum driving distance is 50 km in one way
   3. It should not be rafting, kayaking or any other similar water sports
3. Back Briefing
   1. Please, explain how you understood it?
      • I will organize team building, under 2000€, we will not drive more than 50 km in one way and it will not be rafting, kayaking or any other activity in water