You are free to set some rules, to decide where the boundaries are, and what game you are playing. Actually, it is your responsibility. You should do that.
And once that is done, the next step is for you to figure out who is in and who is out, and for others to figure whether they are in or out.
You can’t be everything to everybody.
Take ownership of the process.
The reason why your value prop is full of “and”, your product is full of features, and your strategy is full of verticals and use cases (and exceptions to both), is that we are biased towards additive solutions.
We think that adding is better than subtracting when we look for solutions.
Of course, it is not.
But convincing others will always need a lot of work.
Change cannot be imposed.
You can force people to do certain things instead of others. You can persuade them to think in a certain way. You can threaten them with punishments or incentivize them with rewards. You can get compliance and meet standards. You can shout, cry, beat, chase, restrict, and silence.
Change can only start from within.
And if you want to direct change towards what is good for the community, you need to involve each and everyone in the process.
When you abuse your power and take advantage of those below you, you put your weakness on display.
When you pay someone one third of a fair salary just because they don’t know any better or they have no other choices.
When you share news that have negative impact on the receiver with a dry note.
When you ask for more despite knowing that a “no” would have negative consequences for the other.
When you point your finger towards someone who does not have it in them to counterargument.
Power is a responsibility towards those who don’t have as much.
Is your team serving a bigger purpose – the organisation and its values, the customer and their ambitions, the broader community and its needs?
Or is your team serving you?
Some questions to find out.
How often do you get pushback on your ideas?
What happens in meetings when you start talking?
How different do the solutions that get to you look like?
When is the last time you heard about a dissatisfaction?
If you don’t have time to review, are things delivered nonetheless?
Honest answers to these questions have the potential to make a huge difference.
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