View, Voice, Vote
Does your team understand what is going on in the team and in the company?
In a meeting with a leader from a local organization, I asked how he organized and ran his staff meetings.
He began to outline his team’s structure and how often they met. As I pressed further into his process, I asked how he used those teams to make strategic decisions. He responded quickly with these three words: View, Voice, Vote.
He went on to explain:
everyone on the team needs some View of the activities, projects, and planning for the organization. That view may be revealed at different levels for various staff. Some may see the events on a calendar, some may see the details of events and some may see how that event made the calendar.
others will get a Voice into the process of events and projects. When staff is invited to voice their thoughts, it is made clear that it is just what it is a voice. The leaders want to hear their ideas, push back, or affirmation, but people with a voice in a matter don't always get a vote.
those with a Vote are the ones who get the input, make the evaluation and Vote on how to proceed.
Many times I have been in organizations where the lines between View, Voice, and Vote were clouded. It really goes back to making meetings as productive as possible and getting the right people around the table.
As I lead a team, I want everyone to have a big-picture view of what is taking place, whether that is an upcoming project or a change in strategy.
Then there are sometimes I want specific people, even though they might not have a vote, to get a voice. It will show the leadership and organization values their opinion.
Finally, everyone needs a vote sometimes, but not everyone needs a vote all the time, not even the leader of the organization.
The View, Voice, and Vote approach can work but it is up to the leader to communicate the ‘why.’
Have you been or are you in an organization that uses a similar meeting/communication strategy?
