As the team left the room, Debbie had already decided she wanted to get a meeting on Jeff's calendar to get input on their list. He was really well connected, and she was confident he could make some introductions. To make their time more productive, she decided to send him an e-mail in advance.
Jeff,
Our team met today. We did some brainstorming, re: your encouragement to study the best. We've not yet finalized our choices. We're looking for input and connections. I'm going to get a short meeting on the calendar for us to talk about our next steps. To make that time more productive, here's what we're considering:
? Emergency Room Staff
? Firefighters
? Auto Racing Team
? A Local Restaurant Company
? Special Forces in the Military
? Orchestra
? A Large Church
? Broadway Play Company
I look forward to your input. We'll talk soon!
Deb
As she hit the Send key, she couldn't help but think about the options. She felt her team could learn a lot from all of these organizations. Any of them could help their teams move to the next level. She had so many questions. What would they learn? Would they hear the same things from each of these very different teams? How would the lessons learned match her experience? She sensed it was going to be an amazing journey.
Debbie was excited to find that Jeff was available for a meeting in just a few days. On the day of the meeting she went to his office, which had been her practice now for many years. There was something encouraging about the space. The unassuming décor and his welcoming spirit made it very inviting, the kind of place where collaboration and innovation were common occurrences.
“Good to see you again.” Jeff greeted Debbie at the door with a warm smile and a firm handshake.
“Yes, it's good to see you again, too.” Debbie smiled. “I know we just met last week, but I wanted to spend a few minutes to see what you think about the direction we're taking on this project.”
“Thanks for checking in. I think you're on the right track. Anything else?”
Debbie knew this was Jeff's attempt at humor. She decided to play along.
“No, that's all. Thanks.” She got up to leave.
“Wait,” Jeff said.
“There's more?” Debbie exclaimed in an exaggerated tone—but with a smile.
“Yes. Don't forget your experience with this topic.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I still stand by the idea of ‘study the best.’ However, don't think about that exclusively as an ‘outside-the-organization’ idea. We need to study our best, as well. We can't do that without learning from your success with your team in Operations. You brought a team from worst to first, and contrary to what you currently believe, you appear to be making great strides with your current team. I think you know a lot about building outstanding teams.”
“Thanks, Jeff. I feel very fortunate to have been part of a great team in the past. And … I pray that my current team can go to the next level as well. However, I don't want to bias the process by injecting my past experience.”
“I have a thought and a suggestion.”
“Please,” Debbie said, notepad in hand.
“Don't undervalue your experience. You have done what we're trying to help others do. I admire your restraint regarding ‘the answer.’ I think we agree the answer may look different for different teams.
“Here's my suggestion: Capture your thoughts on how to build a great team—based on what you learned while you were in Operations. You don't even have to share them with anyone. The visits that you and your team are about to make will be even more interesting for you if you are able to compare what you find with your own experience. I'm actually quite confident that what you're going to find are the same principles manifested in many different ways. Truth is truth. I believe the keys to building great teams are universal.”
“We'll find out. Thanks, Jeff.”
This time as Debbie headed to the door, Jeff added one more thing. “If you decide to explore the Special Forces, I know someone who would help. I'll send you an e-mail with his contact info and a brief bio.”
“Thanks! That would be very helpful.”
Debbie left feeling on track. She liked Jeff's idea of capturing the key lessons from her past experiences. She also agreed with him that she shouldn't share her answers with the team before they made their visits. She wanted to see what principles and practices they would discover without her input. She'd record her thoughts regarding what she believed to be true about creating a great team and put it in a sealed envelope. Then, she'd give it to one of her teammates to be opened when the team finished their work.
When Debbie returned to her workspace, she had already received an e-mail from Jeff. In typical form, Jeff had not only helped, but he had helped in a major way. She read the e-mail and was excited about the possibilities.
Deb,
Here's the name of someone who might be helpful:
Brigadier General Roger Grant (retired)
Special Forces Commander
35 years of distinguished service; served in Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and probably a lot of other places he can't tell you about. Roger and I have become friends. We serve on the board of a nonprofit together. If you decide you want to arrange a visit, I'll be happy to make the introduction.
Let me know how I can serve you. Thanks for your leadership on this project!
Jeff
Debbie thought, Wow! She would want the team to weigh in on this, but it was certainly an incredible lead.
At the next team meeting, they began as usual with a time of catching up. There was again a mix of business and personal information. Jo reported that her mother's health was declining rapidly.
“We're sorry to hear that,” Tom offered. “Anything we can do to help?”
“Well … I'm not sure right now, but thanks for asking.”
Javier added, “You don't need to do this all by yourself. Let us know what we can do.”
“I will. I'll keep you posted. Right now, it's mostly waiting.”
Debbie was glad the team was trying to help Jo. This was a huge sign of progress. This attitude of caring about people as people, not just coworkers, was one of the things she always tried to nurture in the team—a willingness, even an eagerness, to help one another.
Debbie looked at their agenda and said, “We've got one big topic today. Where will we go to study the best? Has anyone had any insights or found any good leads?”
The group began to share one by one what their independent research had revealed. Debbie shared the contact that Jeff had provided.
The team quickly decided not to pursue several of the remaining ideas. The list was getting shorter and more focused as the team continued to debate each of the finalists.
“I've got a great contact with the racing team. It's a NASCAR hookup,” said Sally. “My husband's company is one of the sponsors of a car. He thinks we can get access to the cars, the drivers, and the owners.”
“That sounds easy,” Javier said. “Let's do that one.”
The group agreed.
“Okay. Somebody help me with the restaurant company. That feels too different from us. Besides, what could we possibly learn from them?” Jo didn't conceal her concern regarding this option.
“Good question,” Debbie said. “Any responses?”
Tom said, “I have to confess, I felt the same way as Jo two weeks ago. However, I did some research, and I've changed my mind.”
“Why?” Jo asked.
“Three reasons: These guys are good. They've won numerous national awards for food and service. They execute with excellence—consistently. They're in a high-turnover industry, just like we are. Yet, they've figured out how to do this in thousands of locations all over the world. We have to figure that out, too. We have operations in thirty-five states and fourteen countries. We're not as big as they are, but they've figured out how to make teams work at a high level in a decentralized model.”
“That's a compelling argument, I think,” Jo said. “I'm in.” Everyone else agreed.
“So that leaves the emergency room. What do we want to do with that one?” Javier asked.
“I don't like blood,” said Steve.
“Me neither,” said Jo. “Besides, I've spent way too much time in hospitals in the last three years.”
Debbie said, “Here's my proposal: Let's go with the Special Forces, the NASCAR team, and the restaurant. If we need more information after that, we can always revisit our list. And if we choose the emergency room ….”
Steve interrupted, “I'll let someone have my seat on that trip.”
“Me, too,” Jo added.
Debbie closed the conversation. “That sounds like a plan. Let's get started.”
