Act Transparently

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

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.

Act on What Matters Most

1. Use Proven Problem-Solving Methods
2. Fix or Elevate Barriers

Use Proven Problem-Solving Methods

Take time to understand what problem you are trying to solve and apply Navy Performance Improvement tools. Visit the location of the problem. Collaborate with other stakeholders. Get to the problem’s root cause and move beyond symptoms. Focus on what matters most in fixing your problem. Take pride in finding ways to generate efficiency; not just working harder. Put solutions in place that will last beyond your tenure. Ask your subordinates where they are using these tools to focus on what matters most.

What to Say

• What problems do we keep having again and again?
• Where do we need to pause and do deliberate problem solving?
• What problem are we trying to solve?
• What is really causing this? What is the root cause? How do we know?
• What does the data show? Who else do we need to work with?
• What is the one thing we can make better that will have the maximum impact on our performance?
• If we can’t fix it, then who can and what do they need to know (fix or elevate)?

• Continuously reacting to problem symptoms; “Putting out fires”.
• Watching the same problem occur over and over again and expecting a different result.

• Jumping to solutions without determining the root cause.
• Not understanding the standards and goals (data) in developing a solution.
• One and done: not measuring and adjusting the solution over time. 

Fix or Elevate Barriers

• What are the most important barriers to our performance?
• Do we understand our baseline performance compared to the standard/goal? Have we conducted problem solving to maximize our performance? Can a peer help solve the problem?
• This is how our performance compares to the standard/goal, if (this person) conducts (this action), our performance will change (by this amount, in this timeframe)

• Keeping known barriers inside the command (not telling anyone). Not elevating subordinate barriers to next higher level.

• Fixing problems internally in a way that creates unacceptable risk to mission or unnecessarily exhausts their people. Elevating barriers without understanding the root cause of the problem or maximizing the efficiency of internal processes.

If Senior Leader

• What (or who) is getting in the way of your mission success? Is it me? Let me explain what I will do to remove your barrier and when I will get back to you, or
• Let me explain why I cannot, or will not, take action
• Do we need to elevate this barrier further up the chain?

• Shooting the messenger. Viewing the discussion of barriers as weakness, or a performance deficiency.

• Listening to barrier, but not taking action, or communicating planned action or status.

Build Learning Teams

For more details read below, for stories of this in action click below links:

1. Encourage learning through Trust and Respect
2. Specify Ownership

Encourage Learning Through Trust and Respect

Model humility; be authentic; show empathy; demonstrate respect for each person. Be a learn-it-all, vice know-it-all. Seek-out and consider both an opposing view and previous lessons learned. Build Learning Teams by encouraging others to speak up and share their ideas; then act on these ideas. Assess the level of trust given to you and that you give to others. Ensure every micro-climate within your command reflects these values.
 
What to Say

• Thank You.
• Acknowledge daily work when done exceptionally well.
• Do you feel connected to our team and mission?
• What do you think?
• What did we do wrong? How can we get better? What did we learn?
• Where do you feel micro-managed or stifled?
• Do you trust your leadership to do the right thing? Do you trust them to act on your and the command’s best interests?

• Driving performance for a season (instead of creating teams that endure).
• Stifling innovation and creativity.

• Showing respect for some (those who can do something for them), but not for all (those who cannot do something for them).
• Identifying learning opportunities but not changing processes or behavior to support.
• Soliciting feedback but not acting on it.

Specify Ownership

• Are we experiencing “leadership by committee”?
• Who is the owner of this problem? Are they aware of their ownership? Do they understand the standards or measures being used?
• Do I have to make this decision, or should someone else?
• Have we delegated this down to the right level?
• How often should we revisit the performance of standards and goals?
• Who is removing this barrier on our behalf? What is the status?

• Assuming someone is working the problem or barrier.
• Being reactive to lack of ownership, vice proactive in specifying ownership.

• Acknowledging ownership by another but does not provide full support.
• Delegating without trust or aligning on clear standards and goals.

Stay Connected

The Get Real Get Better (GRGB) team is here to support you in fostering a culture of excellence and adaptability. Whether you’re seeking guidance to tackle challenges, improve team performance, or implement innovative solutions, we’re ready to help. By working together, we can identify opportunities for growth, remove barriers, and empower your team to achieve exceptional results. Don’t hesitate to reach out—let us partner with you to drive success and ensure your team is prepared to excel in any mission.

Contact the GRGB team today and take the first step toward unlocking your full potential!