This "Jane Doe the CEO" runs a small web marketing company with 22 employees. She begins 2010 with a bold goal of doing more with less while not stretching and stressing her existing employees. The quintessential and predictable first question she asks is, "HOW?"
JANE: With all the downsizing we did I'm really worried about everyone's wellbeing. I'm worried they'll get so stressed out they'll quit.
VOICE: What's the worrying tell you?
JANE: It tells me that our financial goals might be preposterous given our staffing structure and the big bad economy.
VOICE: What are you really committed to?
JANE: We've already voiced our commitments. We've put it in writing. We're committed to doubling last year's revenues.
VOICE: Is that preposterous or bold?
JANE: Perhaps a little of both.
VOICE: Are you committed to your commitment?
JANE: I have to be. I can't retract our year-end planning. Everyone was so fired up. I just don't know how we're going to pull it off.
VOICE: So what's in between your commitment and the worry about "how"?
JANE: That I'll blow it. I'll put air in their sails without a rudder. That I actually don't have all the answers. It's new territory. We're reinventing, making use of new technology to deliver our work.
VOICE: Your beliefs are showing again.
JANE: Geez, they're like barnacles.
VOICE: Yes. What's your biggest deep down fear here?
JANE: That I'm an imposter. A fraud. And everyone will find out. But I always feel this way before I begin something difficult.
VOICE: You might add "difficult" to your list of beliefs.
JANE: Yes, I do think this change is going to be difficult.
VOICE: If you were to act on your beliefs that you're a fraud and it's difficult, what do you think your results will look like?
JANE: Pretty predictable. Grey. Average. Ho hum. Could even break us. But this is all just a game of semantics. Figments of my imagination.
VOICE: Right. And your "figments" cause you to take actions on their behalf. Pretty powerful figments you have. So you create a financial goal, one you say could break you. Are you committed to that?
JANE: NO! Of course not.
VOICE: But you must be. It's what you're speaking into being here.
JANE: I'm not committed to flat, grey, boring and broken. Not for a minute.
VOICE: Okay. So let's go back unwind this a bit and go back to the HOW question. If you didn't know how to drive, but you were committed to learning by Friday, what would you do?
JANE: Oh this is kind of silly, but I'll go with it. I'd take a class. No. That's too slow. I'd ask my friend Andy to take me out to an empty lot somewhere and give me a few lessons. I'd study the handbook a bit. I'd probably have to take driving lessons. Take the test. Stuff like that.
VOICE: Did you need to know HOW before you committed to learning to drive?
JANE: No. But this is different. People are depending on me.
VOICE: I know. I get your dilemma. But when you explained how you'd learn to drive, did you notice how many other people were involved in the process?
JANE: Yes, Andy, and the driving instructor. And the people who administer the test. I get where you're going. They all had an expertise. Experience. Authority.
VOICE: So...if you extrapolate that to your company...
JANE: Yes. I actually do know some of the things we need to do. What I don't know how to do is re-organize the talent we have. Caitlin is dynamite brainstorming buzz and special promotions, but she's our project coordinator. Sam is a fabulous business manager, but he's really a closet copywriter and so talented. Angela sucks at writing press releases, but she loathes delegating it to someone who isn't vested in the client relationship.
VOICE: I'm assuming your assessments match your staff's self assessments?
JAN E: Good point.
VOICE: What would you want your boss to do if you were the employee in this situation?
JANE: I'd want her to ask me for my ideas and stay at the table with me until we're exhausted. I'd want her to ask me what I loved to do, what I'm really dying to do, and let me do that.
VOICE: Wow.
JANE: Yeah, wow.
VOICE: So what are you really committed to?
JANE: Oh, yes. Okay, I'm committed to reorganizing my company according to everyone's strengths. Then we'll take a look at where the holes are and figure it out from there. I can't believe I just said that.
VOICE: Believe? Would you rather run with the "reorganization" belief or the "I'm breaking it" belief?
JANE: I see it. I see it.
VOICE: Phenomenal. What kind of impact do you think your new commitment will have on your annual revenue?
JANE: It has to be good. But really, even if we stayed level or heaven forbid, went backwards, it would be an amazing adventure.
VOICE: You just got committed to something bigger. Bigger than yourself certainly. What do you make of that?
JANE: I'm thinking that getting stuck on HOW limits vision. It also limits very both practical and creative solutions.
VOICE: Very nice. What else?
JANE: I'm thinking that a fraud doesn't show up as a leader, or an example for other companies to emulate.
VOICE: Wow. That's brilliant. Your commitment just got even bigger.
JANE: Yeah. I'm committed to being the kind of company people want to emulate...even in a recession.
VOICE: Beautiful. Thanks for doing all the heavy lifting.
JANE: Thank you, but I'm hardly finished.
VOICE: What's your first step?
JANE: Well...let's see. I think I'd like to work with Sam on a rough restaffing plan. Then meet with everyone individually.
VOICE: What if you reversed the order? Go into the meetings open minded, not knowing the precise HOW, and willing to be surprised?
JANE: That's scary. Hmmm. Scary good, I think.
VOICE: Sounds like a plan.
JANE: Yes. And I just got something. I HAVE been the one doing all the heavy lifting. But more importantly, I've been leaving the people I value most out of the process. That's definitely not who I am.
VOICE: And who are you?
JANE: I'm a collaborator. Top core value, hands down.
VOICE: Nice. Now go get (un) busy.
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What's your relationship to commitment when you don't know the HOW?
Lisa
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