The Power of Locking Arms

Lately I have been finding myself saying...

We Need to Lock Arms

I'm not really sure how I settled on this phrase or if it is even applicable or "a thing".

What I Mean By That Is...

We need to be transparent and realistic about what can be done in what timeframe to deliver on what we say we will deliver. Once we agree...we need to lock arms and not let anything divide us or keep us from achieving our shared goal(s). That doesn't mean we won't run into challenges or obstacles. It means we face them together and operate as ONE TEAM.

Listen Hard and Clarify

Locking arms and agreeing on the shared goals as well as what constitutes progress or achievement is particularly important. Over the course of my career, experience has taught me to listen hard to what people are saying and to not be afraid to clarify so there are no misinterpretations of what we are locking arms on.

This can be tough depending on the forum and who is "in the meeting". What you are looking out for is when people speak in generalities. It goes by fast and if you are distracted you can miss the nuances in the general statements. What you need to do is try and SLOW things down and ask clarifying questions. This isn't to grandstand or embarrass anyone it is truly make sure everyone is on the same page.

Here are a few generalities to listen for to get you started...

• SOMEONE should follow up on this

• The team is really stretched and they will TRY to get to it

• We SHOULD have a resolution in a couple of weeks

• I'm JUST calling out a few things that may impact us

I am sure YOU can come up with others...but you get the gist. Ask clarifying questions to the general statements...for example..."the few things that may impact us" - what are they and do we need to factor that into our plan? How can these be mitigated?

So...What's the Solution?

I don't have all the answers and depending on your corporate culture...your teams...the type of work...different things may work for different circumstances. Here are a few suggestions to get you started...

Make time to Build Trusted Relationships. As Patrick Lencioni outlines in "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" trust is at the base of everything we do. Without it...teams are doomed to fail. If you build trust over time...in small and big ways... this forms a key element to the ability to "lock arms" on common goals and shared success

Don't be Afraid to be "Rachel Realism". In today's world I don't know when speaking the truth got conflated with being negative. Regardless...we all have to find a way to speak authentically...and realistically about what can be achieved...all the while communicating optimism about the path ahead. We owe it to ourselves and our audience to not let realism convey a message of negativity and come with solutions to obstacles... all the while not backing down or being afraid to speak the truth.

Communicate Kindly...Yet Firmly. As you are working to lock arms with other groups how YOU communicate is critical. Keep things factual...unemotional...and be cognizant of the human elements. Having said that...kindness in communication and not making things personal does not imply that you should NOT be firm...straight forward and clear on what is needed or expected.

Hold Each Other Accountable. Back to listening and clarifying...once you clarify what you have agreed to...write it down...share the notes/actions...give the teams a chance to change...add or clarify so there is NO ambiguity about what you have locked arms on. Think about how many meetings YOU have walked away from where everyone "talk talk talked" and YOU thought there was agreement...only to find out later that everyone heard something different.

In Closing...

Maybe YOU have a different saying...maybe YOU have a better saying...the point is...teams have to lock arms and subscribe to "United we stand...Divided we Fall". In today's world with budget and resource constraints as well as the need to move faster...there is no time to fool around on semantics. We have to say what we mean and mean what we say. Once that is achieved and we can set accurate expectations with each other and our "clients" we can begin a virtuous circle of success which will follow us every where we go.

Agree?

Leadership Questions of the Week for YOU:

• What do YOU think of the term "lock arms"? What saying do YOU use to convey a similar sentiment?

• Has YOUR experience taught YOU to listen hard and clarify? What story or examples do YOU have to share with others?

• What do YOU think of the suggested solutions? Do YOU have a favorite? Do you have others you would add to the list? Do you disagree with any of them?

Thanks for reading….and remember…YOU make a difference!

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