I am fascinated by the U.S. Military practice of systematic debriefing. Geoff Colvin writes in Talent is Overrated:
“After any significant action, in training or in combat, soldiers and officers meet to discuss what happened. They take off their helmets – a symbolic action indicating that ‘there’s no rank in the room,’ as [Colonel Thomas] Kolditz says. ‘Comments are blunt. If the boss made a bad decision, often it’s a subordinate who points that out.’ The session isn’t about blaming; instead, it’s ‘a professional discussion,’ as an army training circular puts it. Part of its strength is that it yields very complete feedback.”
Wow. Does your organization regularly run debriefs like that? Think of the professionalism it requires. Think of the discipline it demands. Think of the trust teammates must have in one another to engage in that exercise.
Think of the results it must get.
If you don’t already, get in the habit of objectively reviewing successes and failures with your team. Regardless of outcome, it’s important to pay attention to the decision making process that led to your present situation. Remember, bad process sometimes yields good results, so unless you’re willing to debrief like the military, you may never catch your mistakes in order to fix them.
For more on this, you might be interested in Afterburner, a corporate training company led by fighter pilots that helps organizations implement the disciplines of flawless execution.
Reminders of simple, practical disciplines for leaders who strive to build great organizations.
