The Messy Middle

“The middle is messy, but it’s also where all the magic happens.”  ~ Brene Brown

I was recently discussing a team project and explaining the process and clarifying expectations. The team consisted of three members from the cabinet level of leadership and six members from general leadership roles. Nine people working to clarify and come to agreement on six highly important concepts that would propel our work forward. On this particular project, while pairs of members had each worked on one of the concepts - our next meeting would be presenting each team's concept in deep definition and in alignment with the organization's mission. Once a pair is presented, then the entire team would work together in real time to understand, clarify, add value and come to a finished concept. Nine people ….. Adding value and coming to consensus. This is the definition of messy!

Maybe you’ve had to facilitate something in a similar fashion - where the stakes are high, ego’s are involved, outcomes and consensus are critical? As the leader, how do you set this type of exercise up for success? First, you must start with over-communicating both the expectations and the process. Secondly, you’ve got to make sure everyone understands the importance of the process and how it leads to powerful synergy, deep connection and significant ownership.Thirdly, you must model setting your own ego aside in the process and allowing all members of the team to participate openly and without your predetermined viewpoint. Lastly, as the leader, you must hold the temperature of the group and the work in such a way as to encourage openness, and ensure respectful and constructive dialogue and disagreement when necessary.

It’s messy and unscripted and it’s not simple or easy. Personalities, ego’s and positions can come to bear within the group if you are not paying close attention. One of the most difficult things for a leader is that ….

YOU.MUST.ULTIMATELY.LET.GO.OF.THE.OUTCOME.

It’s no longer ‘yours’…. It’s the team’s. I know that for me in my early years of leadership - this was SO HARD! I had an overdeveloped sense that I knew more/had better answers etc. OOOF! So not true. The very best thing that I was ever a part of creating was within the synergy of a messy middle team process. How about you?

“Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and glorious in the end." ~ Robin Sharma