GreenLine Conversations

"It typically takes multiple iterations and pivots to find product/market fit - the match between what you're building and who will buy it." Steve Blank

Software development has moved away from waterfall development to an iterative one.

With waterfall development, teams operated like rows of individuals working along an assembly line.

Each team had their say and passed it down the line to the next team, where it eventually ended up with a design team and a development team.

Each team worked in isolation, but they also worked in isolation from the end user.

Development processes stand a better chance of success when there are regular course corrections.

Why?

When you continually course correct you can ensure the product is fit for purpose, but also you build in accountability on a regular basis rather than by looking in a rear view mirror.

The same iterative, agile process can be applied to performance conversations. Regular course-corrects and recognising when people do good work encourages more good work and accountability.

GreenLine Conversations is a common language that Global companies adopt to ensure everyone is on the same page and pointed in the same direction.

The last week has brought some unique challenges to businesses across the world that nearly all industries are feeling the effects of. While health risks are of course the most important factor to consider, it’s inevitable that productivity and business performance is also impacted.

Recent studies from the Harvard Business Review among others have shown how remote working can be a viable part of a high-performance culture, but these circumstances certainly add some pressure and force that change more abruptly than many of us are used to.

Even with a disciplined approach to remain effective outside of an office environment, there’s a bigger picture to consider. It’s important to reflect back on the way you communicate and collaborate with your team.

“To effectively communicate, we must realise that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” – Tony Robbins

Consider a Relay team. (Successful) Relay teams are similar to successful organisations. While some businesses divisions operate in separate lanes, forward-thinking businesses understand success comes from synchronising teams and removing divisions.

One of the keys to organisational (and life) success is effective communication. One of the areas we often fall down is believing we got our message across. We may have sent a message, but was that message received.

Just as a key component to relay races is passing the baton skilfully, so too must we ensure our message is received effectively. We judge ourselves by our intentions, but others judge us by our impact. The intention is the message we send, but the impact is the message received.

Mastering communication is key to mastering effective relationships. Make sure to keep this front of mind over the next few weeks to ensure your team or organisation and still perform at your best.

"Talking more than is necessary is a barrier to effective communication and effective listening." Clodagh Swanson, Time To Shine