I had a manager whose Rule #1 was: No Surprises. While simple and seemingly straightforward, don’t take this the wrong way. This was never intended as a warning against making mistakes, messing up or failing at something.
The point was this: if you see a risk, flag it. If you’re facing a problem, surface it. If you see an opportunity, talk about it. Because if the risk became an issue, the problem became a blocker, the opportunity came knocking – that may be a surprise that nobody is ready to deal with.
Back then, the intention was to communicate with that manager – that manager didn’t want to be surprised. But since then, I’ve learned that it is much more efficient and effective to communicate not just up the chain but out to the team as well.
If you see a risk, flag it.
Sometimes we feel that calling out a risk means we’re being negative or pessimistic about the future. But it isn’t about the possible failure but rather wanting to ensure the best possible chance for success. If your team is aware of the risk, you can all work to mitigate it in your own way, within your role and expertise. That risk will be covered from so many angles, it gives the team the best chance of managing and perhaps even avoiding that risk. The awareness makes success more possible.
If you are facing a problem, surface it.
We often think that we need to wrestle with our problems alone, in isolation. We probably have to wrestle with our problems ourselves, but that doesn’t mean alone or in isolation. Surfacing a problem that you’re facing, you can tap into the wisdom of your team. Maybe someone has encountered this before, or someone may have an idea that you can try. And even if nobody has any idea how they might help solve the problem, they might at least be able to give you the space and time to work through the problem. You are not alone, you are not isolated.
If you see an opportunity, talk about it.
Sharing information about an opportunity means you can harness the collective creativity of the team. Everyone will have a slightly different view of the opportunity, some may even think it isn’t an opportunity. But differing opinions is not a problem, it’s a cornucopia of thoughts and ideas that can lead to the team being able to take full advantage of the opportunity.
No surprises. Keep leadership and your team in the loop. Shared information, good or bad, allows the team to work together towards the success of their common goal.
