Problems often begin when this issue comes up for discussion—which is mainly because there are stakeholders involved, so it becomes an argument. It’s human nature for the owner of this area of operations to feel protective.
“We’ve got an issue to work out.” Hearing that statement or any variation of it can send shivers down our spine. We tend to think that issues are bad, and we want to avoid them. The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) maintains that a company’s leadership team sets itself up for optimal success when it welcomes issues and tackles them as they start to form rather than react to them after they’re fully developed.
Problem-solving is a key skill for every member of your leadership team. The EOS component of Issues is meant to dissolve the negativity surrounding obstacles and challenges throughout an organization, so they can be resolved without the emotion that usually surrounds this area of operations. One of the most productive approaches I’ve found was to remove the bad rep from the word “argument,” and then learning to argue correctly. When your leadership team follows this, the best ideas will win.
It gets ugly
An issue is a problem. If you approach business leadership with the EOS method, areas of operation are owned by a specific member of the leadership team, and he or she is expected to be able to report on this area using objective data. It’s a by-the-numbers view that’s supposed to remove interpretation or second-guessing.
Problems often begin when this issue comes up for discussion—which is mainly because there are stakeholders involved, so it becomes an argument. It’s human nature for the owner of this area of operations to feel protective.
The sad truth about these types of discussions within most leadership teams is that the best solution to the issue seldom wins. It’s usually the loudest idea, which is championed by the person who has the biggest emotional attachment to the issue—the owner of this area of operations.
We’ve already learned from our closer study of the EOS concept of data that the productivity and success level of your leadership team is greatly enhanced when you’re able to remove the subjective element from what’s measured. This same concept must be applied to working through issues the team uncovers.
Otherwise, issues become arguments. The arguments create hard feelings. Leadership team members lose their cohesiveness, and your team devolves into a group of individuals who are not working together.
Change the way you think about arguments
What if I told you that all this negativity and dissolution can be completely avoided if you simply changed your definition of the word “argument”?
We’ve come to expect that engaging in an argument with someone means there are a winner and a loser. How is that possible if those participating in what you’re calling an argument are on the same team and working for a shared outcome?
Author Daniel Coyle says it best. “The problem is, it’s really hard to argue well. Like any collision, every argument brings risk — will it damage our relationships? Hurt our status? As a result, many of us tend to avoid arguments, or (worse) engage half-heartedly, surrendering our position at the first sign of pushback.”
I recommend his book The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups, as a way to understand how to transform the way your leadership team resolves operational issues. In it, Coyle writes that the key is to change the way you think about arguments.
Our default response to them is to view arguments as negative. They create tension. Coyle’s research has shown him that strong leadership teams flip this upside-down. They instead view argument as a welcome process. What’s more, they don’t look at it as an occasional negative bump in the road. It’s a continual exercise which becomes part of obtaining feedback, locating the objective data, and using it to get better.
The right way to argue about issues
It can be downright refreshing to argue when you decouple the unnecessary negative baggage attached to the concept. Wouldn’t you rather come together with your leadership team and discuss points of view? Wouldn’t it be better if the best idea, rather than the most emotionally charged and loudest idea, is applied as the solution?
Coyle offers some tips he collected after observing groups.
- Keep it open. Coyle suggests holding arguments—and yes, he still calls them that—in public places. Why? It becomes a normal occurrence, getting back to his idea of being a continual exercise.
- Keep it civil. It’s fine to argue with energy or passion. It’s inappropriate to inject sarcasm or personal attacks. Neither are qualities of a member of your leadership team.
- Keep it focused on the issue. Ever notice how many arguments end up becoming a bridge to other subjects? “While we’re on this subject, let’s talk about…” Be vigilant and stay on point.
- Affirm the connection. Successful leadership teams are confident in their relationships, but some things still need to be said. They are truthful when they end an argument by expressing their gratitude.
I’ve learned in working with my leadership team that we are failing if there are a winner and a loser in the discussion we have about an issue impacting our operations. Only individuals can lose in an argument. My team has learned that the only objective that matters in an argument is getting their point across—and the point they present is in service to the solution.
You may have noticed that I didn’t go into depth about issues. They are the obstacles to your operational success, but I’ve learned that the obstacles themselves are hardly ever the problem. It’s how the people responsible or knocking them down to approach them.
Empower your Leadership Team and improve efficiency, increase value, and foster collaboration to get better results. A professional Facilitator can ensure that all of your members are on the same page, so you can kick your business up a notch. Connect with The Profit Recipe to Achieve Traction.