In Hand...Ongoing...Yea, well the thing is, Boss

When I was in command of my warship I banned my team from using the three phrases in the title above. Why? Because I knew that if someone used them that meant they hadn’t done what they were supposed to be doing.

When I started to pick people up for using the phrases they all thought it was a bit of a joke but I persisted. I explained that using those words was lazy in the literal sense and also highlighted to me that they didn’t really care or – worst case – were actually lying to me.

I explained that if they had done anything towards completing the task they should be able to explain what that progress had been – no matter how small. Equally, that I was quite happy for them to simply tell me the truth – that they hadn’t made any progress.

Very soon I found that people were telling me the truth and that by doing so communication up and down the management chain started to improve. Soon, all levels of the crew were tuned in to not using those phrases (and wow, how they pulled me up when I used the word ‘ongoing’ one day!).

The real power of this little exercise was demonstrated to me about two years later. I was now head of a shore training school and one of the Chief Petty Officers who had served with me at sea was now on the training team. One day, as he walked past my office, I asked how he was getting on with the new training plan that he had been asked to do the previous week.

Automatically he started to give the typical response when someone is asked such a question - “it’s in han…..”. He then stopped himself and said “Actually, sir, I haven’t done anything about it yet. Give me an hour”. Forty five minutes later he stepped into my office with the completed plan.

Open communication in a company can make a real difference to performance of the team and, ultimately, the business. People are more open, potential problems are signposted sooner and the workflow within and between departments gets easier as trust builds. You’ll be surprised at the difference it makes.

Ok, so here’s the homework:

What is communication like in your business? Is it open and honest? Do people feel they can be truthful in their responses without being criticised or scolded?

What do you think would happen if you banned these phrases in your business (because I bet people are using them…!)? Try it and see then report back your findings.

If you’re a member of a team think about how often you use these phrases to cover your lack of progress; then ask yourself why you haven’t progressed tasks. Is it a time management issue? Is it a lack of information required to do the work? Or is it simply procrastination?