Highlights from my book, ForwardFast Branding

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1790592313

Overcoming Obstacles to Acceleration

      In the pharmaceutical industry, drug advertisements are required to show “fair balance” – this is the fine print section of an ad that lists side effects, warnings, precautions, etc. Given that I am in the business of marketing pharmaceuticals, I thought I would include a “fair balance” section to this branding model. Anyone can use ForwardFast as a “how-to” manual, but it is more than a checklist for you to tick off as you complete your branding. As I have stressed, this is as much an art as it is a science.

     As discussed in the last chapter, one of the keys to making ForwardFast work is a focused, cross-functional team. Because of that, there are some inherent risks involved, which are related to the difficulties in engaging a full team and the in-team dysfunctions that arise. Also involved is the notion that simultaneous execution/implementation is impossible. There are also some smaller speed bumps that arise that I will discuss. And finally, there is the notion of timing and luck. These elements must all be in balance for a successful execution of this model, which is a lot to juggle.

Of primary importance is a well-functioning team. Many books and resources exist for forging effective teams, including Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team. He shares a series of pitfalls that teams typically run into. Each one builds on the next, and if you are not careful, the entire enterprise can fall apart or be so dysfunctional it might as well fall apart. I prefer to switch this around, and observe things from the opposite perspective – how each of these aspects can be applied to build a better team. Using Lencioni’s words, a team needs Trust, Conflict, Commitment, Accountability, and Attention to Results.

1.    Trust

     Trust is the ability to feel comfortable with vulnerability among team members. Innovation comes from openness, and I strive to make my people feel free to make mistakes, show weaknesses, admit to skill deficiencies and interpersonal shortcomings, and ask for help.

       What happens in a team that shares trust is that, instead of focusing on strategic defensiveness, they work together to get the job done. Time is better spent, meetings are more productive, and morale is higher. The key to making this work is a culture of trust in the workspace, and that begins with yours truly setting the tone and the example. I have to be willing to admit to mistakes in front of the team, and I cannot punish team members for exhibiting vulnerability.

2.    Conflict

   Productive conflict helps teams grow. For conflict to be productive, it must be centered around concepts and ideas rather than on personal issues. This kind of conflict helps a team work out ideas to the best result. In branding business, this should be easy – everyone on the team should know that brand tastes differ -- but often there is a tendency to focus on speaking for one’s self, instead of the customer (doctor, patient, payor, etc.). Passion and emotion play a huge role in conflict, and in the discussion of how best to proceed, I strive to make team members feel comfortable sharing their true opinions. However, just because there is emotion involved, there should not be a feeling of anger at the end of the debate. The benefit to productive conflict is that it gets the issues out on the table and solved, rather than letting them linger and crop up again and again throughout the life of a project. Again, I see it as my role to promote productive conflict – first I model the proper behavior by not avoiding conflict when it arises; then I also allow team members to work out their own conflicts among themselves. If I constantly act as peacekeeper, no one wins.

    One of the best examples of productive conflict is work with co-marketing partners. In a typical co-marketing arrangement, one big company and one small company work together on the branding effort of a major product. Sometimes these two companies will have conflicting goals. But I’ve found that creating a strong brand purpose and brand platform helps everyone work together on common strategy. With this foundation, the partners can more productively work through their differences.

3.    Commitment

Effective teams are committed to the group goals and to the customers’ benefit. In the health industry, there is an additional commitment to good health. Decisions of effective teams are made succinctly and clearly, and even those who voted against the chosen course of action go along with the decision because they know their opposition has been heard and considered. Effective teams move forward on a decision without any uncertainty that it will work because they know that the team will work together to make it happen – that is commitment to the goals. Team members act decisively and work effectively toward the goals the team sets. In order to promote commitment on my team, I encourage them to take calculated risks. Every day, I push teams to stay on target to schedules and event plans. I also strive not to place too much value on certainty or consensus.

4.    Accountability

           Accountability means the ability and willingness of team members to call their peers on their mistakes (and, going back to trust, the team members will be willing to admit their mistakes, so this should not be a problem). The key here is not about assessing blame or figuring out where “the buck stops,” but for the team members to exercise peer pressure to keep the team on target. I encourage my team to self-manage, but I also keep them accountable using data, metrics, and timelines. In addition, I am willing to point out team responsibility when the team fails. A results-focused team knows what the benchmarks are for success, and they constantly pay attention to where the team stands in relation to those benchmarks. Financial results and status need to be secondary to goal-oriented performance. Paying too much attention to the bottom line or to where the team or individual stands in the eyes of the group is a clear means to failure. Instead, team members should focus on improving the quality of the brand experience. Again, in my case, I have to set the tone, objectively evaluating teams and individuals based on results and giving out rewards based solely on performance.

           Another potential roadblock small teams bring is that simultaneous implementation may be impossible. You can’t wait until everything is perfect or even complete in this model. So you must develop a staged rollout. This creates a dangerous “running with scissors” condition. Too many components are on the edge of failure. Employees feel like they are one step away from eventual doom. It can be rough on morale if you are not careful. What it takes is planning, calm, and a great team.

          The nice thing about these factors of effective teams is that they build on each other. You can start with trust, developing that openness to being vulnerable. People who are open with their feelings are able to engage in productive conflict about issues and projects. Those teams that bring up their conflict issues are more able to be committed to outcomes, even if they disagree with the final decision. Committed team members are going to hold each other accountable for team success, and if they have trust and are comfortable with conflict, they will be able to call their peers on failures.

5.    Attention to Results

           Finally, if all of the above are in place, the team will be focused on results. Each member of the team has a stake in the outcome, and each person feels they have had a hand in the outcome. Successes can be celebrated together, and failures can be learning experiences.

Beyond the five dysfunctions that Lencioni describes, there is one is personal frustration of mine: 

The “W” word, Waiting.

It makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Wasting is more like it. I banned the use of the “W” word in my office. It is kind of a tongue-in-cheek way of clarifying the attitude I want employees to have. Waiting implies passivity. “I’m waiting for them to call me back,” “I’m waiting to get a meeting,” “I’m waiting to get approval.” It is passive. It is reactive. It is a waste of time. What I want to elicit with this word ban is an attitude of proactivity. Instead of waiting for them to call you back, plan in advance the time when they are scheduled to call you back. Instead of waiting to get a meeting, take the meeting to them. Instead of waiting for approval, schedule a review meeting. It is about controlling the action and planning for the future, rather than letting things fall where they may. No more waiting.