Get Stuff Done
How do you get stuff done?
Every day a myriad of decisions are made and tasks assigned, from developing policy and implementing advocacy strategies, to hosting events and creating new business support programs. Delegation, teamwork and getting stuff done is no easy feat.
In the fast-paced and ever-changing world of business, the ability to execute tasks efficiently is crucial for chamber success. Yet, simply issuing orders or following a linear decision-making process doesn't always yield the desired outcomes. That's where Kim Scott’s Get Stuff Done (GSD) wheel comes into play. As author of Radical Candor – Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity, Kim Scott presents many helpful leadership rubrics. One comprehensive framework that goes beyond the conventional Listen -> Decide -> Execute model, is the GSD wheel offering a more nuanced approach to achieving objectives. For chamber of commerce leaders, understanding and implementing this wheel can be transformative in driving organizational effectiveness and productivity.
The wheel adds four important steps to the basic Listen-> Decide -> Execute. Let's delve into the seven essential steps of the GSD wheel and why each one increases the probability that you’ll get stuff done - the way you want it to be:
The Get Stuff Done Wheel (courtesy of The Get Stuff Done Podcast) contains seven steps and is outlined in Kim Scott’s book Radical Candor - Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity.
The probability of reaching or exceeding expected outcomes is enhance using this GSD wheel.
1. Listen: It should be obvious that listening to staff, volunteers, members and other stakeholders will inform decisions in a positive way. The foundation of effective communication and collaboration, listening involves actively seeking to understand others' perspectives, concerns, and insights. In the context of a chamber of commerce, listening allows leaders to gather valuable feedback from members, identify emerging challenges, and uncover innovative ideas. This could include quiet listening, where we simply take in information without much structure, or loud listening, involving provocative questions to entice the sharing of a variety of viewpoints.
Without a genuine commitment to listening, decisions risk being disconnected from the reality on the ground. Without listening, leaders may overlook crucial insights and alienate stakeholders, leading to poor decision-making and decreased morale.
2. Clarify: Once information is gathered through listening, it is essential to clarify any ambiguities or uncertainties. It was explained to me early in my career that as chamber leaders, we are expected to “lead the parade” into battle. That means overcoming challenges and capturing opportunities to support our business community and boost our community’s prosperity. If we go too fast and get too far ahead of the parade though, our troops can get confused. If we haven’t clarified the mission and get too far ahead, our troops may think we are the enemy and start shooting at us. Taking time to clarify what we’ve heard avoids this scenario.
This step ensures that everyone involved in the decision-making process has a clear understanding of the issues at hand, the objectives to be achieved, expected timelines and available resources. Clarification minimizes misunderstandings and sets the stage for informed discussions and actions.
Failure to clarify objectives or expectations can result in misaligned efforts, wasted resources, and confusion among team members, ultimately undermining productivity and eroding trust.
3. Debate: Who has time for debate? Ask yourself this, is it important to debate now and perhaps develop a superior solution – or take more time to correct mistakes from a less than optimal one? And let’s be clear chamber leaders, it’s not like we have a monopoly on wisdom. Debate brings helpful considerations to the table.
In fact, healthy debate is an engine for innovation. It encourages diverse viewpoints, challenges assumptions, and fosters critical thinking. In the chamber of commerce environment, debate allows stakeholders to weigh different options, anticipate potential pitfalls, and explore alternative strategies. Embracing constructive debate empowers teams to make well-informed decisions that are robust and resilient.
Without debate, decisions may lack thorough consideration of alternative perspectives and unintended consequences, leading to suboptimal outcomes and missed opportunities for innovation.
4. Decide: Don’t be a bottleneck. Nothing can de-motivate your team faster than dithering. After thorough deliberation, it's time to make a decision. This step involves synthesizing the insights gathered from listening, clarifying, and debating into a cohesive plan of action. Decision-making requires clarity, decisiveness, and a willingness to take calculated risks. By reaching consensus or making informed choices, leaders can steer their organizations toward their goals with confidence.
Indecisiveness or delayed decision-making can result in missed opportunities, stagnation, and loss of momentum, hindering progress and undermining leadership credibility.
5. Persuade: Why can’t we just move to execution once the approach has been decided? It’s unwise because, particularly in a multi-layer organizational structure or in the case of work-from-home or other multi-location operations, not everyone is involved in decision-making, nor can we assume that they hear or read about it in the same way or at the same time. Think of the telephone game we played as kids. Putting yourself in their shoes. Considering your teammates reality and empathizing with how they might become aware of decisions is important, or a lot of stuff can get lost in translation.
Once a decision is made, it's crucial to garner buy-in and support from key stakeholders. Persuasion involves effectively communicating the rationale behind the decision, addressing concerns, and inspiring commitment to the chosen course of action. In the chamber of commerce setting, persuasion builds trust, aligns interests, and mobilizes resources for implementation.
Skip this step at your own risk. In doing so, resistance or apathy among stakeholders can impede progress, leading to implementation delays, cost overruns, or ultimately, project failure.
6. Execute: With the groundwork laid and support secured, it's time to put plans into action. Execution involves translating decisions into tangible results through effective implementation and project management. This step requires coordination, accountability, and adaptability to navigate unforeseen challenges and capitalize on opportunities. Without robust execution, even the most well-crafted plans remain mere aspirations.
Poor execution can result in wasted resources, missed deadlines, and compromised quality, damaging reputation and eroding stakeholder confidence in the organization's ability to deliver results.
7. Learn: In a time-crunched office, it’s easy but unwise to skip this step. Post-mortems following big events, or temperature checks as various advocacy campaigns unfold is smart.
Continuous learning and improvement are essential for staying relevant and resilient in a dynamic business landscape. The final step of the GSD wheel emphasizes reflection, evaluation, and knowledge sharing. By analyzing outcomes, identifying lessons learned, and incorporating feedback, chamber of commerce leaders can refine their strategies, optimize processes, and drive ongoing innovation.
Without taking time to explore learning lessons, chambers risk repeating past mistakes, stagnating in a rapidly evolving market, and losing competitive edge, hindering long-term growth and sustainability.
It is important to note that the GSD wheel operates as a cyclical process, with each step informing and influencing the next. Skipping any of these steps can jeopardize the effectiveness and sustainability of initiatives. For chamber of commerce leaders, embracing the holistic approach of the GSD wheel can unlock new levels of productivity, collaboration, and impact.
By actively listening, clarifying objectives, fostering debate, making informed decisions, persuading stakeholders, executing plans with precision, and embracing a culture of continuous learning, chamber of commerce leaders can navigate complexities with confidence and drive meaningful progress for their organizations and communities.
Incorporating the principles of the GSD wheel into chamber of commerce operations can pave the way for a more agile, resilient, and future-ready association. As chamber leaders embrace this comprehensive approach to getting stuff done, they'll be better equipped to tackle challenges, seize opportunities, and realize their vision of prosperity and growth.
