One Document Can Change the Conversation

I was working with a business owner recently, and one of the clear outcomes he named was simple: 

“We need to get on the same page.”

A few minutes later, he said it again. He and one of his key leaders had gotten off track, and they needed more alignment. 

So I asked him, “When you say you need to get on the same page, have you actually gotten on the same page? Literally?”

The answer was no.

So we pulled up a Google Doc and started writing things down.

Not a fancy tool. Not a complicated system. Just a document where we could get the thoughts out of everyone’s head and onto paper.

At first, there were 15 or 20 things floating around. But once we could actually see them, we were able to group them into a handful of areas and start creating clarity:

• Where are we stuck?

• What needs to move forward?

• What does success need to look like?

• Who needs to own what?

That one document changed the conversation.

The next leadership meetings were better because both people knew what needed to be discussed. The issues were not just living in someone’s head anymore.

Your team does not have the same context you have as the owner.  They do not see everything the way you see it.

That is why getting things out of your head and onto paper is such an important part of moving from Rainmaker to Architect.

So here is the thinking time question for this week:

Where do you need to get on the same page with someone on your team?