Don’t do well what you shouldn’t be doing at all

One of the dangers I often see in meetings is when someone asks the question “How do we do ________?”

On the surface, it seems like a great question to ask! You are inviting input, collaboration, getting a wide variety of perspectives, etc. Rigorous, lengthy and sometimes heated debates go into searching for the “right” answer. Committees are formed, standard operating procedures are developed, new policies are created and everyone feels like they accomplished something.

So why do I see it as a danger?

The reason is most of the time, the “Bigger Question” has yet to be answered. “Is this thing that we’re proposing the best use of our limited time, attention and resources?”

That is a much more important and strategic conversation. You have to recognize you can’t say yes to everything. They say “the good is the enemy of the best.” And by saying yes to one thing, you are saying no to a host of other things.

Once you have the “Should We” question clear, then the “How Do We” question is exactly where you need go next to move the task forward towards completion.