GRGB In Action Draft

Act Transparently

1. Align on Standards and Goals
2. Find and Embrace the Red

For more details read below, for stories of this in action click here. 

Align on Standards and Goals

Have a clear sense of mission. Understand the standards and goals you or your team are working towards; pursue data (specific measures and metrics). If unsure, act transparently: seek clarity and do not assume; find stakeholders who can assist. If unable to meet the standards and goals, act transparently: report actual status with rationale. Over-communicate; for every task, ensure your people understand “the why”, and the task’s standards/goals.

What to Say

• Find the reference, read the reference, follow the reference.
• This is how I understand the standards and goals, what am I missing?
• I would like to understand the standards and goals from your position.
• Who can we talk to and better learn the standards and goals?
• How will you measure our success, what metrics or measures will we use?
• Do you understand why I am asking you to do this?
• I want you to be successful, what can I explain better to help you understand about the standards and goals

Opposite

• Assuming you know the standards and goals, then aligning effort to your own perception.
• Abruptly changing the standards or goals; or using the standards and goals as a weapon to drive subordinate performance.

Disingenuous Application of GRGB

• Reporting standard/goal achieved without understanding the standards and goals.
• Interpreting a standards and goals to meet the level or effort you applied to it. Using a lack of understanding of the standards and goals to explain a poor result.

Find And Embrace The Red

"The Red” are those areas where we are not meeting standards and goals or progressing to desired outcomes.
 
Be curious and exercise extreme ownership in identifying areas for improvement (accept this truth). Act transparently with your assessments, have the courage to shine a light on where you fall short; embrace both your obligation to speak up and the opportunity to get better. Foster an environment that inspires others to act transparently: hard, open and honest conversations that encourage everyone to get better.

What to Say

• Where do we have risk? Is it owned at the right level?
• Where are we not being fully honest to ourselves, our people, or our leadership?
• What is preventing us from excelling as individuals, teams and leaders?
• To improve our performance, we want to first create a shared understanding of our problem and the associate risk.
• I respect you and value your contribution, so I want to talk straight with you.
• Let me tell you what I’ve observed and see if you agree.
• Help me understand the situation as you see it.
• We excelled in many areas and fallen short in others, let’s discuss.

• Hiding areas of known or suspected deficiency from yourself, your subordinates, or your leadership.
• Willingly accepting “good enough”, satisfaction with the status quo, or taking no action to improve your condition, especially where there is high risk.

• Broadcasting the green but hiding or minimizing the red.
• "Embracing the Red" up the chain of command but shooting the messenger down the chain of command.
• Creating problems when none exist; giving the perception that you can never be satisfied.