Forbes, in February 2023, reported that:
“With remote and distributed teams becoming more common, CEOs face challenges in maintaining effective communication and collaboration within their teams. They need to find innovative ways to foster engagement, teamwork, and knowledge sharing in virtual settings.”¹
I couldn’t agree more. In collaborating with team leads worldwide, one activity that successfully fosters virtual engagement, teamwork, and knowledge sharing is debriefing.
Tamara, a CEO in Philadelphia, debriefs by phone weekly with Joe, her direct report and Program Director in Tracy CA. Tamara’s weekly 8 questions allow them to quickly summarize the past wee. k, {the good, the bad, and the ugly}, plan for the coming week, and address their work unit’s annual goals as well. Sometimes Tamara needs, or only has the time, to ask just one of these questions to enhance her collaboration with Joe. Below is a summary of Tamara’s questions and how it works.
1. What are the FACTS? Joe tells Tamara the facts as he knows them. Tamara sometimes responds with additional information.
2. What are the KEY ACCOMPLISHEMENTS? Here, Joe and Tamara talk about the little things have also been achieved. This is where Tamara can further ask: • What is in it for our customers, our company and us and our team?
3. WHAT WORKED OR IS WORKING? Tamara asks about the other factors that worked here.
4. WHAT DID NOT WORK / ISN’T WORKING? This gives both Joe and Tamara the chance to identify the things that need to be fixed.
5. WHAT IS MISSING? This question lets them get to the root cause of what isn’t working. Tamara can ask this question over and over again to drill down to the true cause.
6. What are the OPPORTUNITIES? If time allows, this is where Joe and Tamara can brainstorm their hearts out! They can further ask each other:
- What can we do differently going forward?
- What do other people need from us?
- What do we need from other people?
7. What are our NEXT STEPS? Here Joe and Tamara can discuss actions to take that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time Specific (or SMART).
8. WHAT ARE YOUR TOP THREE INSIGHTS FROM THE DEBRIEF? Finally, this is where Joe and Tamara can shine. They can bond over their brief engagement, teamwork, and knowledge sharing.
QUESTION
How might you use even just one of these questions to expand engagement, teamwork, and knowledge sharing with your direct reports?
References
¹Forbes, “16 Common Concerns CEOs Have In 2023 (And How To Address Them), Expert Panel®, Forbes Coaches Council, Feb 9, 2023
Chuck Scharenberg is the Founder of More Profit More Freedom, a consultancy that asks new millennial CEOs and their top team members, laser-focused questions, to quickly reveal to them what’s blocking them from getting what they want.