This Slideshare presentation is a partial preview of the full business document. To view and download the full document, please go here: http://flevy.com/browse/business-document/contract-and-govern-for-success-2792 BENEFITS OF DOCUMENT 1. Increase the odds that assigned tasks will be completed successfully. 2. Identify and head off the five most common reasons that tasks are not successfully completed. DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION One of a leader's most important jobs is to get and stay clear about what it is that s/he is counting on from each team member. Once the leader is clear, the message must be communicated to each team member. Often, leaders fail to engage in a rich communication along these lines, apparently because they assume that team members are somehow supposed to figure out for themselves exactly what is expected. The steps presented in these slides make explicit a conversation that otherwise plays-out inside of the heads of those involved. When the conversation is explicit the leader and team member get on the same page and dramatically increase the odds of high-performance and fulfilled expectations. The leader first gets clear about what is needed from each person on the team. For each team member, the leader sets up a one-on-one conversation to relate what the team is counting on from her/him. The leader should be certain that what is said is really what is meant and that s/he thinks the person is able to do what it is the group requires; and then ask the person to repeat back what they were told to be sure s/he has it right; and then ask to verify s/he really does want to do it and that s/he believes s/he has the ability do it. Once there is agreement between the leader and the team member on what, want, and ability, then there is essentially a verbal contract for the team member to do what is asked. The leader then must ensure that the team member has the resources (such as: time, training, people, money, texts, and advisers) needed for success. Finally, the leader must make it worth the team members while to succeed such as by providing praise, a bonus, a promotion, or a trip upon successful completion. Leaders should set regular (e.g., weekly, bi-weekly) time to talk one-on-one with each direct report. Schedule in a time-slot that is easy to keep; e.g., 7:30 am every other Monday. Keep the time more often than not. Reschedule if necessary but commit to it. It is OK if takes less time than scheduled. Any savings will be much welcome found-time. Have no other agenda and do not meet over lunch; though lunches together are good to have. The team member prepares and presents to the leader in up to one hour: Failure to follow the governing steps above is a recipe for calamity!

2. Contract
• Get clear.
• Provide resources.
• Provide incentive.
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3. Manager tells team member what s/he counts on
her/him to do.
• Note: “You dramatically improve the odds of getting what you want
when you are clear about what you want.”
• It is hard for a Manager to get clear about what s/he wants from each
team member.
• It is far easier to not be clear and then to complain when team
members are not successful.
• Ask for a lot so as not be afraid of getting only what was asked.
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4. Manager tells team member s/he is confident
that team member can (i.e., is able to) do what is
asked and verifies team member thinks so too.
• Note: “If you think you can or if you think you can’t … you’re probably
right!” Henry Ford
• The above applies to both the team member and to the manager; i.e.,:
• Manager must make explicit her/his belief, that the team member can successfully
complete the assignment. It may take more than just saying it.
• Manager must also get team member to declare that s/he believes that s/he can
successfully complete the assignment.
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5. Complete the contract by putting it in writing.
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• Manager writes:
– What s/he wants team member to do ny when.
– What will be tracked to monitor progress and to know when what is
asked for is done.
• Team Member reviews and co-signs.
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6. Step 3: Provide Incentive
• Know what would be appreciated; calibrate to the value of what is to
be done.
• Be creative; it can be surprisingly modest and easy to provide
sufficient incentive (e.g., dinner with the boss, pizza party).
• Regularly refer to the prize for success.
• Be careful about setting precedent because the largest the prize for
success the more will be expected in the future.
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7. Contracting Tips for Team Members
• Make sure you understand what the Manager wants done:
– Repeat assignment back to Manager to ensure there is clear direction.
– Iterate to be sure there is full understanding.
– It is “ok” to ask what may seem to be “dumb questions”.
– Write down the final understanding, sign it and ask the Manager to
countersign.
• Check-in regularly to ensure everything is on track to success.
• Seek assistance and/or advice from those who have previously
done what is expected of you; including from the Manager.
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8. Case: The Dashboard Demo Manager
• You are the Client Lead for ABC Waterworks which is a strategic account.
Your responsibility is to secure $1M in new business in 2012. The
customer has expressed interest in an Executive Dashboard and you see
this as an opportunity for a quick win.
• Based on previous experience, you are convinced that a demonstration of
a tailored version of a dashboard created for a different client is
necessary to make the sale. You have arranged a meeting to present the
demo on July 15th.
• Your team member is a highly capable (and very busy) developer who
has delivered the dashboard for other clients and is the best person for
the assignment, has a great attitude and always comes through.
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9. Contracting Breakout Debrief
• Take 15-minutes to work in-role to arrive at a contract to complete
the assignment.
• Debrief:
– What happened?
– What did we learn?
– How do we go forward?
– How are we going to use what we have learned?
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10. One-on-One Check-ins
• Manager sets a regular time to talk one-on-one with each team member.
– In the day and week at a time that is easy to keep; e.g., 7:30 a.m. Mondays
– Keep the time more often than not. Move if necessary. Get committed to it.
– No other agenda and not over lunch (though lunches are also good).
• Team member:
– Prepares ahead (i.e., NOT off-the-cuff) to review progress and answer: How is
it going? and How do you know?
– Sends materials to Manager a day or so ahead of meeting.
• In the meeting Manager:
– Asks: What are you trying to do and how is it going?
– Is supportive, “on her/his team” and helps (i.e.: with resources, training, head-
start, SMEs, etc.).
– Agrees on top items, next steps, and what she/he will do to help.
• Manager also shares:
– Update on big-picture, overall priorities, status, etc.
– Relevant nuances to task at hand.
• Review items for next one-on-one meeting.
• Recap and wrap-up.
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11. Governance Tips for Managers
• Management is about delegation…not abdication.
• Look for high-stakes opportunities to personally show what you want done
to produce important results and to allow future leaders to learn from you.
• Routinely debrief to consolidate and highlight:
– What works.
– What does not work.
– What you want done next time.
• Record insights, action items, and decisions in review sessions.
• Review prior session record beforehand.
• Use Evernote, or equivalent, between meetings to store points to cover.
• Lean-into discomfort. Talk about the hard stuff. Unlike fine wine…stuff that
is hard to talk about will not get better with age!
• Make status and progress public.
• Keep the monkey off your back.
• All problems belong to the team.
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12. Wrap Up
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13. See Also
• General
– Way to organize and memorialize what happens in a meeting to increase its efficiency
and value.
– Manage to lead: Seven leadership truths to change the world
• Contract & Govern
– How to contract and govern for success with each team member
– How to line up what a worker is good at and likes doing with what s/he wants to
do
– An action plan for executive transition into a new lead role
– How to make sure every member of your top group gets at least one thing done
right
– How to connect the top-of-the-house to the front-line
– Never do anything because I said so
– How to keep good Meeting Records
– Leadership Support structure
25
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14. More Great Leadership Texts
Situation Leadership<http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_44.htm>. Ken Blanchard and Paul Hersey, a timeless classic.
2. Servant Leadership<http://www.greenleaf.org/whatissl/>. A philosophy and practice of leadership developed by Robert K. Greenleaf. The
underlying premise here is that it’s less about you as a leader and all about taking care of those around you. It’s a noble and honorable way to lead and
conduct your life.
3. Blake and Mouton’s Leadership Grid<http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_73.htm>. Simple 2x2 grid, it’s all about balancing your
concern for people and your concerns for getting things done (tasks). You gotta love those 4x4 grids!
4. Emotional Intelligence. While Daniel Goleman’s book popularized EQ, his HBR article “What Makes a
Leader<http://bizedgegroup.com/Articles/040507%20What%20makes%20a%20Leader.pdf>?” does a great job explaining why the “soft stuff” is so
essential to be an effective leader.
5. Kouzes and Posner’s Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership<http://www.leadershipchallenge.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-131055.html>. Five
practices: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart.
6. Jim’s Collin’s Level Five Leadership<http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/level-5-leadership.htm>. First published in a 2001 Harvard Business
Review article, and then in the book, "From Good to Great, Collin’s leadership model describes kind of a hierarchy of leadership capabilities, with
level 5 being a mix of humility and will.
7. The Diamond Model of Leadership<http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2011/09/four-wheel-drive-diamond-in-rough.html>. Describes four
elements of leadership: yourself, others, task, and organization.
8. Six Leadership Passages<http://www.ram-charan.com/leadership_pipeline_excerpt.htm>.
9. Authentic Leadership<http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2012/06/authentic-leadership-development-your.html>. You’re best off figuring out
who you are and what’s important to you, and leading in a way that’s true to yourself.
10. The GROW model<http://learn2develop.blogspot.com/2008/12/more-line-manger-tips-grow-model-for.html>.
GROW stands for goal, reality, obstacles, options, and way, will, or what’s next. More of a coaching model than a leadership model.
11. Leading at the Edge; Perkins <http://www.syncreticsgroup.com/book.html>; Leadership traits that matter most when survival is at stake using
Shakelton’s South Pole exhibition as a model.
27
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15. 29
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16. 1
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