Getting Things Done

Well-executed plays require players who know their roles and carry out their tasks in a clear, well-defined manner. Whether dribbling, passing, screening teammates, positioning for a rebound, or shooting the ball, everyone moves with a purpose.

This is the value of having a proverbial playbook in any process improvement effort. It should provide the detailed actionable items and measurable outcomes of any change initiative. Matching the right people with the right tasks is of critical importance: if people do not have the appropriate skills, knowledge, or courage to do what is asked of them, the team will flounder. Each member of a team should know exactly what their role is, as well as the tasks that they need to perform—even if they are just "sitting on the bench." At some point, they can— and should—be involved in getting things done.

Each time a team has the ball, they have exactly 24 seconds to attempt a valid shot. Unless players are oblivious to this "shot clock," they will at least try to make a shot, even if they miss the rim of the basket altogether.

Rapid-cycle testing is the equivalent of the metaphorical "shot clock": it guards against not getting anything done. One of the most common pitfalls of change teams is the failure to set deadlines, or having a "rolling" deadline. Innovative change becomes diluted or does not materialize at all, which is why some change projects remain "in progress" a year after they began.

One of the fundamental skills in a "motion offense" is effective player movement without the ball. Since most players don't have the ball 70-80 percent of the time, that means getting free to make a shot, helping a teammate get free, creating mismatches in the defense, or positioning for a rebound. A player who just stands around is useless, and in many ways is a liability to the team.

In change teams, team members frequently wait for their colleagues to finish certain tasks. That way, they don't have to begin doing their tasks earlier than they should, and if things are running late, they don't necessarily take the blame. By showing commitment and initiative, however—helping team members complete a task, meeting deadlines earlier, or taking on additional tasks beyond expectations—teams can get things done faster, and perhaps better. Initiative and commitment can be infectious, which is why some change teams seem to do phenomenal, productive work.

Any play, no matter how complex and innovative, does not ever go smoothly when executed. Because a game is fluid and dynamic, subject to a thousand possible sources of variation, players communicate throughout the game — calling out plays, using hand and eye signals, reading each other's body movements — and adapt their strategy in response. And because there's a time element, it is important to respond quickly, or the opponent — in the organization's case, the status quo — gets the ball.

Change teams need to establish a transparent and efficient channel of communication— whether through old-fashioned meetings and memos, or phone, e-mail, instant messaging, internal weblogs, and other modes of communication. The denser the communication network is— the more direct connections that exist between individuals—the faster messages travel, and the less likely they are to be misinterpreted. Change teams should also learn to be agile enough to have impromptu meetings—like the quick 20-second timeouts that happen during real basketball games—to assess project status and perhaps change strategies.

A team's point guard arguably has the most difficult job, because he/she has to assess players' health and morale, orchestrate the appropriate plays, test the opponent's weak spots, and if necessary, take the shot himself/herself.

Good playmakers know their teammates' strengths and weaknesses, help them expand their abilities, raise their confidence, and put them in positions where they can contribute the most. They are detail-oriented and have an intimate knowledge of the playbook. They trust their teammates, are decisive on tough game situations, and always follow through.

A change leader's job is no different. The team's energy, motivation, and productivity correlate directly with the leader's. Whatever behaviors leaders exhibit, promote, or tolerate, so too will his/her teammates.