[Learning] Getting It Done: How to lead when you’re not in charge? by Roger Fisher & Alan Sharp

#Who is recommended to read this article?

If you are…

• looking for suggestions to improve your leadership.
• facing a lot of inefficient meetings/discussions.
• having difficulties making goals for your team.

#What was my question before reading?

• How can I lead a team easier?
• Would it be possible that I can deepen a coach mindset instead of a manager?

#What is my motivation to read this book?

• Passion to leadership, enjoy seeing change at work.
• Keep learning to be a better leader so that I may be able to build a growth team culture.

Resource: Amazon

#What have I actually learned from this book?

1. To change,

• Invite everyone to make a plan together.
  → Please see point no.3 for further detail.
• Ask questions/feedback & explain why you ask beforehand.
  → Your attitude is more like a curious friend, not a manager.
• Encourage your team members to question your idea.
• Lead by action. Make yourself a good example.
• If something went wrong, review the strategy/method itself, not people. E.g. It seems that plan A didn’t work, shall we change to plan B…

2. Four steps from vague situation to clear action plan

• Step 1. Collect information(questions): Invite related members to join a meeting, discuss about the current situation/difficulties to get their attention about the topic.
• Step 2. Analyze(possible reasons):
  Guide your members to think about the possible reasons behind the situation/difficulties. (THINK first, don’t react to the situation/difficulties immediately.)
  Analyze their feedback, which one is aligned with the FACT the most?
  After the discussion, is everyone still on the same page? Clarify the topic again if there’s any misunderstanding.
• Step 3. Direction(possible solutions): ask your team — How do we make a clear plan? What are the results that other people may expect to see in one month?
  → Really like this smart question!
• Step 4. Call Action(next Step): work division.
  → My suggestion: have someone(or yourself) make a to-do list including — item, name of person in charge, due date.

3. How do leaders guide and incentivize your teammates to make a plan?

• Invite everyone to make a plan together.
• Before the meeting start, make an assumption in advance: your team were a small consulting firm, you were the client, and your team members were the consultants, so you need to explain the topic of the project to them first.
• If any of the consultants(aka your teammates) can not think of an idea, encourage he/she to ask one of the colleagues to help him/her. But eventually, he/she has to make the decision by himself/herself. (This one is my idea, which may help for quiet or shy people. XD)

4. How do leaders give feedback to people appropriately?

• Separate the appreciation, advice, and comment.
• Show appreciation immediately and specifically.
• Ask people if they are available and willing to listen to our advice before we start talking so that we may avoid that they mistake the following sentences as a criticism.

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