Strive to provide advice in this 450-word format (three minutes). It is powerful, it conserves management time, and, coupled
with the discipline of suggesting three action options, it will get
you invited back to the table again and again. Anyone who can
spontaneously provide three decision options on the spot, every
time, as opposed to whining and griping, is extraordinarily valuable. Keep this up, and you could become the boss’s first call
when it matters.
The Options
My preference is to talk about doing nothing before anyone
else does. My experience is that when the lawyers talk about
doing nothing, the discussion sometimes ends right at that point.
The discussion only resumes when some catastrophic development or unexpected adverse situation occurs. My sense is that
I’m often in the best position to discuss the impacts and costs of
doing nothing better than any other staff function. This is a valid
strategy option and needs to
be discussed and debated.
The option to do something
is crucial. Most problems,
although benefiting from
some initial lack of action, do
require some input of energy,
resources, talent, and deci-
sion making if they are to be
resolved. Having an action rec-
ommendation assists the boss in
that crucial area called “what to do
next.”
Doing something more is the
notion that resolving problems,
especially those that are disturbing,
stressful, or destructive to an orga-
nization, may require more than a
minimally adequate response. Doing
something more means going beyond
meeting the letter of the law or the mini-
mum, taking additional steps that will fur-
ther enhance the organization’s reputation,
assist those adversely affected, or repair a
previous mistake. This approach is often the
difference between a leader’s solution and a
manager’s solution. Managers address only
the known visible elements of a given situa-
tion. The leader’s vision is to look more glob-
ally at the benefits of a larger effort or response
concept.
Sometimes I’m asked, “What if there is only one appropriate
action for the boss to take? Everyone knows it, even the boss
knows it, but there’s resistance. Would it be possible to use this
technique so that after you discuss doing nothing, you offer something you know the boss should do, and then something so ridiculous that the boss’s choice is clearly obvious?” My experience has
been that the more outlandish the suggestion you make, the more
likely it is that the boss will select it. And, of course, because you
suggested it, you’ll be put in charge of making it work.
Special Pullout Section Inside To Give Directly To Decision-Makers
That is a very risky strategy. Let the process of executive decision making play out. Offer options that are useful, sensible, and
appropriate, options you can ethically and professionally execute.
Help the process of decision making move ahead through your
remaining analysis and suggestions.
It’s the boss’s watch and the boss’s career. That leaves the
decision ultimately up to the boss. Whatever the boss chooses,
you’ll be there to help and advise.
Providing three doable options every time you offer advice
will draw people to you for counsel. Anyone who can come up
with three constructive approaches (remember that doing nothing can be constructive) to any given situation, on the spot, is a
person of great value. This is one of the key ingredients of being
a trusted strategic advisor.
Providing a range of possible courses of action also helps
defeat another powerful force that operates in management: the
desire to kill anything new or different and keep things
just as they are. This is the area where intuitive thinkers fail frequently. They focus on
the silver bullet, the big idea. If you have
only one recommendation and there are
even a couple of questions about it, the
idea will die, and you’ll be out of the
discussion from that point.
The concept of options is power-
ful, because it can withstand death
by question. You may be shot down
on one part of your idea, perhaps
even a good part of the second
concept, but it’s rare that even
a large group can shoot down
three suggestions. Some frag-
ment of your thinking is going
to remain on the table. This
means you will undoubtedly
be there through the entire
discussion
Keep in mind that the
ultimate decision may
hardly resemble any-
thing that you proposed,
but as a trusted strate-
gic advisor, you’re still
there, you’re still in the game, prob-
ably inside the inner circle. You’re still ready to
offer additional options beyond the first set. This is one of
the crucial values the trusted strategic advisor provides: a useful,
restrained, but productive attitude that fosters ideas for tomorrow
and helps move whole issues and circumstances to new levels of
understanding and resolution.
v
James E. Lukaszewski is a veteran, trusted strategic crisis advisor whose
clients include some of North America’s largest companies, organizations,
and government agencies. He is author of the book “The Three-Minute
Drill: Why Should The Boss Listen To You, The Seven Disciplines of the
Trusted Strategic Advisor” (Jossey Bass 2008).Visit his Web site at www.
e911.com; e-mail: jel@e911.com; Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslukaszewski;
blog: http://www.e911.com/crisisgurublog.html; Twitter: http://twitter.com/jimlukaszewski.
