Have everyone on the team play the same game

For interdisciplinary teams to act consistently, everyone must be playing the same game. But the less time team members spend together, or the more the circumstances surrounding them change, the harder it becomes to agree on what the game is. Unfortunately, when leading a team during an emergency, you are likely to face newly formed groups and rapidly changing situations.

So when leading (or working on) a multidisciplinary team, how do you make sure everyone understands the mission and starts moving in a common direction? meta conversation— that you have before you actually start working together.

This article discusses three important questions your team needs to agree on before taking action. The clearer the shared answer, the more complex the action. The lower the alignment, the more collisions.

Is this a crisis?

like I’ve been doing I wrote it beforethere is a big difference between a bad situation and a real crisis. In a crisis, normal rules often no longer apply. Teams can engage in creative and unconventional problem solving. Everyone understands the gravity of the situation. This issue must be resolved and we cannot retreat.

Imagine a small manufacturing company suddenly facing cash flow problems. If everyone understands that failing to fulfill important orders could sink the company, they can bend the rules and act creatively to succeed. But when some people don’t understand the risks, it creates obstacles.

In medicine, this question is often phrased formally. For example, in the emergency department, trauma Activation can be triggered by patient vital signs, mechanism of injury, or senior clinician judgment. Once the trauma page is published, everyone knows this is serious and emergency rules apply.

What is the scope of our mission?

The second part of the meta-conversation helps the team define the scope of the problem. Are they repairing one machine? Do you want to rebuild the line? Do you want to redesign the entire system?

When team members have different ideas about the scope and objectives of a mission, confusion and friction arise. With clarity, you can focus your energy where it matters most.

The default goal in emergency medicine is to care for the patient in front of you. That focus fosters collaborative action, but can make it difficult to address larger system problems. The same challenges emerge outside of medicine. If half of your team is solving the problem at hand and the other half is looking for the root cause, you’re both doing a good job, but you’re going in different directions.

Leaders must clarify the scope of their mission through an overview, statement of intent, or simple call to action. And if someone is in doubt, they should ask early.

What is our risk tolerance?

Risk tolerance, or how much uncertainty a team is willing to accept, is another characteristic of meta-conversations. Teams that can operate in the face of uncertainty are able to take bolder, more rewarding actions. Teams that demand certainty before acting are safer, but they take longer.

Different risk tolerances within a single team can create significant friction. One person’s bold move is another person’s reckless gamble. This question also ties into the first question. During a crisis, teams often accept higher risks than in normal business.

It’s difficult for teams to clearly define their level of risk tolerance, but a helpful mental model comes from former SWAT commander Kevin Seal. He describes risk tolerance as the difference between: 51 percent and 110 percent decision. Fifty-one percent of decisions require only moderate certainty before acting. If a course of action seems likely to be successful, go for it. 110% decisions require sums confidence— No one makes a move until the team is convinced it’s the right path. Knowing what mode you’re in keeps your team aligned.

Operationalization of meta-conversation

Reaching consensus in meta-conversations is important for teams operating in uncertain and rapidly changing environments. Before your team gets to work, take a minute to ask yourself these three questions:

• Is this a crisis?
• What is the scope of our mission?
• What is our risk tolerance?

Your answer may change as the situation unfolds, but you’re far more likely to succeed if you start on the same page. The team that takes the time to have this conversation first is the team that comes together when it matters.