Page 243 - Fearless Leadership

230 FEARLESS LEADERSHIP

Lesson Learned. The quickest way to disempower a group is to ask
them to make a decision that you have either already made or to give
them decision-making authority and then withdraw it. There’s noth-
ing wrong with making the decision as the leader. However, it is crit-
ical that you provide the group with clarity with regard to their
decision-making authority prior to asking them to engage in problem
solving. If you want input from a group but do not want to taint their
perspective with your own, be truthful and say, “I have a preference,
but I do not want it to influence your thinking. I want to hear what you
think before I share my thoughts.” In this way, no one is blindsided.

I watch countless teams struggle for clarity when a leader starts a discus-
sion without telling the group where he or she stands on the topic, and what
type of decision-making authority he or she is giving the group. As a result,
team members second-guess leaders, waste time, and throw their hands up
in frustration. Our consulting organization developed two tools to address
these problems: identifying decision types and identifying levels of alignment.
Let’s start with decision types. Everyone needs to understand—prior to
an alignment discussion—what type of decision they are being asked to
make. Whether you are a team member or the team leader, clarity is essen-
tial for effective problem solving. Exhibit 9-1 outlines the three decision
types. In this exhibit, the reference to “leader” refers to the decision owner:
the person who has the authority to declare a Type 1, 2, or 3 decision.
Many of our clients use our decision types during meetings and for
meeting agendas where each topic is identified as a Type 1, 2, or 3 deci-
sion. Group members always know what is being asked of them. This aids
them in preparing for meetings and eliminates guesswork about where the
leader stands and what is being requested of them. A group is much more
efficient and focused when they know what is expected of them prior to
the discussion. Let’s walk through each decision type to understand how
to use it and how alignment discussions differ with each.
If you are a group member, and not the team leader, you can take action
and get the information you need for an effective group discussion. Make
a request before the discussion begins so you and everyone else are clear
on the decision type. Your request may be as simple as “Are we being asked
to align on a Type 1, 2, or 3 decision?” Make sure you know what has or
has not been decided, and who will make the final decision.