Being a Debate Maker vs only a Decision Maker
"It is better to debate a decision without settling it than settling a decision without debating it.” - Joseph Joubert
Making decisions is a critical part of successful leadership. How you effectively help your team solve problems, and provide clarity on the path forward has a profound impact on your team, their growth, and the overall culture. But decision-making is an art more than a science.
This week on Learning to Lead live we continued to explore the concepts within the book “Multipliers” by Liz Wiseman discussing how becoming a Debate Maker can make you a more successful leader and decision maker.
There are key differences between Decision Makers and Debate Makers:
Decision Makers (Diminishers)
Profess an open-door policy, but spend a lot of time in closed door meetings or with 1 or 2 highly influential advisers
Patronize people by asking for their opinions, but then make decisions privately without sharing
When the stakes are at their highest, they rely on their own knowledge or an inner circle of people to make the decision
Debate Makers (Multipliers)
Approach decisions by bringing people together to discover what they know
Challenge and stretch what people know and their thinking through collective dialogue and debate
Lead rigorous debate for decisions that are of consequence that prosecutes the issues with hard facts and depersonalizes the decision
What are the practices you can use to become a Debate Maker?
Frame the Issue: The secret to a great decision is what the leader does before the debate starts. Mulitpliers love debate, but debate for a purpose. They know what they want out of the debate and what they want out of the people involved. The are not just debaters - they are debate makers.
How to frame the debate:
Clearly define the problem/issue to be addressed
Form an important, provocative question
Pull in the right team members
Frame the discussion in a way that everyone can contribute and will know where to focus
Avoid debating the topic rather than the questions (going outside the scope of the debate)
Asks for everyones best thinking and to prepare their points of view prior to the debate so they can debate with facts and evidence
Resist the urge to jump in, but focus on the dynamic of the conversation, and support removing emotion from the debate
Helpful questions when framing a debate:
The What (Question): What is the decision to be made and what are we choosing between?
The Why: Why is this an important question to answer? Why does it warrant collective debate? What happens if it is not addressed?
The Who: Who will be involved in making the decision? Who will give input?
The How: How will the final decision be made? By consensus? Will the leader make the final decision with input and recommendations?
Spark the Debate: After framing the issue, the Multiplier sparks the debate. There are four elements of a great debate:
Engaging: The question is compelling and important to everyone involved
Comprehensive: The right information is shared to generate a collective understanding of the issues at hand
Fact Based: The debate is deeply rooted in fact, not opinion
Educational: People leave the debate more focused on what they learned rather than on who won or lost
The way a Multiplier leads a debate is through two key elements (Yin & Yang):
Drive a Sound Decision: After a successful debate it’s important that the decision-making process is reclarified, the ideas are summarized, and there is a clear path forward.
Ensure alignment and understanding by asking questions such as:
Are we making the decision now or want more info?
Is it a team decision or will the leader make the final call?
If a team decision, how will we resolve differing views?
Has anything that has surfaced in the debate, altered the decision-making process?
Create a sense of closure so the team are assured that their effort won’t be wasted and assure they are likely to engage in debates in the future.
Pay attention to how the DIminsher may show up in the decision-making process so you are self-aware of when it’s happening for you and others:
Brings issues to people without framing for decisions
Focus on the “what” rather than the “how” or “why: of a decision
Dominates the Discussion focusing on their own ideas or perspectives not creating or prompting debate
Makes decisions based on their opinions
Shortcuts debates by driving to closure rapidly focusing on efficient or fast decisions
Leaves people in the dark not understanding the decision or the facts promoting the decision
Does not seek a full complement of talent, intelligence and information available to them
Here are a few challenges you can try in the week ahead:
Notice how other leaders make decisions
Observe team members (are they engaged and invested in the decision-making process impacting them or the org)?
Reflect on how and when you engage others in decision-making
Take Aways:
As a leader, you can have very strong opinions but also facilitate debates that create room for other people’s views. Data is the key!
Debate makers are equally comfortable being the decision maker in the end and are not only consensus-driven leaders
Rigorous debates don’t break down a team; it builds the team and makes them stronger
“Success can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations we are willing to have, and by the number of uncomfortable actions we are willing to take.” - Tim Ferriss
Listen to the Full Replay
The next Learning to Lead Live event will be on Saturday, July 30 @ 9:30 am PT. The topic will be shared on Wednesday (July 27) so be sure to subscribe for updates and reminders!
Resources
Multipliers by Liz Wiseman: The book we are digging into for the next few weeks, packed with so many amazing leadership lessons
The Multiplier Effect: The first session in our series
The Talent Magnet: The second discussion in our series
The Tyrant 🚫 vs The Liberator 🙌🏻: The third discussion in our series
The Know-it-All 🥸 vs. The Challenger 🫵🏻: The fourth discussion in our series
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