There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody couldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have.
~Charles Osgood
Does this resonate? I think we all have experienced group dynamics where this has occurred at the very least occasionally. Professionally and personally. The intentions are good. Execution? That’s another story. So what’s going on here?
When desire and purpose is diffused among multiple individuals, and no one takes ownership there is inevitably a lack of outcome. The situation is missing clear-cut communication and an actionable agreement. But how do some teams seem to pull it off and continually move forward with their goals?
High-performing teams don’t magically come together. They are a result of an intentional team design and process. One such process I have used routinely is called the SANE Agreement. I call it the SANE Agreement because it always reminds me of the Somebody, Anybody, Nobody, Everybody analogy, and because it keeps a team moving forward with sanity.
With the SANE Agreement, every discussion ends with a pause. Make a list of all the actions (‘jobs”) that need to happen. It is also imperative answer these three questions for each job: (1) What needs to happen? (2) Who is responsible for it? (3) By when will this action be complete? Write these answers down and then follow up at the next team meeting or at the “by when” date.
When you think of a “job” that didn’t get done, was there an agreement in place? Did the agreement include all parts – what, who and by when?
This is a process I walk a team through in detail (with all its nuances) at every culture communication camp. And it works. Every time.
Coming soon!
Part 2 – The SANE Agreement – Missing and Broken Agreements
Part 3 – The SANE Agreement – When No One Wants to Be The “Who”