Is Debate Derailing Your Decisions? Four Keys to Stay On-Track

Deja vu.  I am leading a team meeting that starts off as an energetic brainstorming session. It evolves into a practical discussion around strategy. Then it devolves into a debate over execution. How can I keep the debate from derailing what has been, so far, a productive team session?

As a leader, it's my job to solve a problem.  I've called my best and brightest to help.  Now, how do I manage a passionate conversation to a practical outcome?  I've ridden this train before and I can still smell the fumes from the wreckage. So now a little wiser and with some help from my friends, here are four keys that keep me, and my team, on track.

Key #1: Maintain focus. Often times we get side-railed once a debate begins.  Whether it's bubbling up from a personality clash, burgeoning egos or a philosophical difference in tackling the issue, the bottom line is that there is an impersonal but very real business problem you are trying to solve.  Keep the focus of your team on the best possible outcome for the business - and acknowledge that there may be more than one path to getting there.  If you can keep a difference of opinion from escalating into more personal or emotional zones, you increase your chance of coming to a mutually agreed upon resolution.

Key #2: Establish evaluation criteria. Agreeing upon which elements are important when selecting a course of action is critical for the team to be able to come to consensus.  Your criteria might include the basics of budget, location, revenue generation, new market opportunity... it might also be "never been done before".

Key #3: Drive decision-making, not approval.  The difference here is driven by Keys #1 and #2. By maintaining focus on the desired business outcomes, you can keep everyone focused on making decisions that achieve those goals. The mission of the team isn't to nod their approval for every good idea. If you have a smart, motivated team, you're going to have a plethora of smart, executable ideas.  The goal is to drive to a smart decision that achieves your desired outcomes, aligned to your established criteria.

Key #4: Be willing to call a time-out. Just because we are all big boys and girls doesn't mean we don't occasionally require a time-out.  If a team member loses her temper, storms out of a meeting, or starts injecting outside issues into the conversation, it may just be time for a break. Acknowledge you're at this point and walk away.  But schedule a session to regroup within the next few days and before you re-start, review the focus and criteria for your meeting. Bring everyone back to the real purpose.

Differences of opinion are often great fodder for getting beyond our comfort zones.  A very smart person recently said to me, "There are probably 26 ways to solve every problem."  When we can acknowledge that as a leader, we are then more open to the depth our team brings to every situation and can encourage smarter, more original problem-solving approaches.  It enriches our experience, our leadership capabilities and our teams.