Page 256 - Fearless Leadership

Aligning Emotionally and Intellectually 243

Together with the levels of alignment and decision types, the rules of
engagement provide the guidelines for how people are expected to behave.
Understanding them is one thing; applying them requires practice, rigor,
and discipline.
Only the elite master how to conduct meetings that consistently deliver
high performance results. In the sidebar, a list is provided of the rules of
engagement used by high performance teams. The team must align on
each behavior and give explicit permission to hold one another account-
able for consistently applying the rules of engagement.

The Rules of Engagement

1. Be 100% accountable for results and your impact on others.
Participate fully, and hold one another accountable for the
rules of engagement.
2. Check your ego at the door. Contribute as a full team
member, not as an individual, your role, or your title.
3. Be willing to be uncomfortable. Be emotionally honest,
surface and confront the real issues.
4. Listen for positive intention. Listen for the commitment
and contribution of others.
5. Speak only when it forwards the action. Make sure what
you say advances the conversation, or don’t say it.
6. Check your assumptions instead of reacting. Clarify what
you “think” you heard, before responding or reacting.
7. Talk straight responsibly. Be direct without blaming or
judging.

8. Eliminate all side conversations and distractions. Be
respectful and pay attention, one person speaks at a time.

9. Be willing to be rigorously coached. Generously listen to
coaching, apply it immediately, and actively coach others.
10. Eliminate oppositional speaking. Build on one another’s
ideas, and do not invalidate the viewpoints of others.