81 years later...what we can learn from Pearl Harbor

On December 7th 1941, the Attack on Pearl Harbor was a turning point in the history of our nation and the world.

The war that followed lasted nearly four years, and the entire nation mobilized to meet this challenge.

But ultimately it was leadership at all levels, exhibited initially on this Sunday morning in Hawaii that allowed America to be successful.

Today, is the 81st Anniversary of the attack.

Here at Diamond6 we frequently use this event as a historical case study for workshops. Sometimes in a classroom, sometimes aboard a ship, and if we're lucky, even in Hawaii.

To commemorate this important day we want to take you back in time to a blog post we wrote for the 75th anniversary, in 2016. 

Just goes to show, leadership lessons from history are enduring!

As we reflect on the courage and sacrifice of the brave servicemen on that day, what can we discern about the actions of their leaders?

And what can we learn about leadership in a complex, rapidly evolving, high-pressure environment like the one we are living and working in today?
 

While there are innumerable leadership lessons that can be drawn from this event we have three examples.

They are as follows: 

• Leaders must act in a crisis and feel empowered to act.

• Leaders must challenge assumptions particularly during changing times.

• Leaders must promote organizational resilience.

CLICK HERE to read the full blog post, including brief stories about each of these examples that further illustrate their importance. 

This meeting changes everything for Diamond6, every time.

In two weeks our team will be having one of the most important meetings of the year. 

And, we've been having this exact meeting every year since the beginning of our company. 

We call it our end-of-year debrief. (Yes, we use some pretty snazzy names around here 😂)

It is our opportunity to review the past year and all areas of the business. 

We review our finances. 

We look at our marketing and communications. 

We talk about the workshops and events we've run.

We discuss what worked and what didn't. 

We decide what to keep the same, what to change, and how we can do better next year. 

We give each person (including our interns!) the opportunity to share their perspective and give constructive feedback. 

We eat, we laugh, we agree on a lot, and we may even disagree on a few things. 
 

Hands down, THIS meeting makes our team stronger, and Diamond6 better for our clients!

This is how we do it:

1. EVERYONE IS RESPONSIBLE: Each person on our team is responsible for bringing their "bucket of stuff" to the meeting. This means, each of us writes a list of our areas of responsibility, the current status of those areas, AND any changes, if any, they think need to be made. We create a master document where each person adds their "bucket." This way everyone can see what what is planning on being discussed. This might help remind someone else of a task or item to bring for discussion. Or, start to spark some new ideas to suggest at the meeting. We're a small business, there are no secrets!
   

2. EVERYONE SHARES: We take turns giving each person an opportunity to share and discus their list and recommendations. Our most senior staff goes last. Why? Because most often our team members will cover 90% of the areas we want to discuss anyway AND (newsflash!), they are often more informed than an owner or executive. It keeps us focused on each persons area of responsibility rather than jumping around from topic to topic.
   

3. EVERYONE IS RESPECTFUL: This should go without saying....this is a respectful meeting. Sure, there may be disagreements or different perspectives on HOW to solve a particular issue or challenge. But, at the end of the day we focus on what is most important - what is best for our clients and the business. This helps us focus on problem-solving and coming up with creative solutions.
   

4. EVERYONE GETS TO WORK: During our meeting we use our master list to take notes, capture decisions we've made, changes to implement, and so on. After the meeting this document is cleaned up and then each person has their "to-do list" for their particular area of responsibility. This helps hold each of us accountable - to the list and each other. Plus, it ensures we follow through on continuously making Diamond6 the best business it can be for you, our clients!

As you can see, our end-of-year debrief is a very collaborative meeting. It is only with everyone's inputs, talents, and creativity that we can do what we do.

This is what makes us a small, but VERY mighty team.

And, it is the best way to get a pulse on all areas of the business, celebrate the past year, and feel motivated for the next year.

Do you have an end-of-year debrief at your organization? Why or why not? What is it like and do you find it helpful?