Football has it. Basketball has it. Baseball has it. Even hockey has it. Yes, Instant Replay is a way to make sure the umpires and referees ‘get it right.’
So I’m wondering, what might Instant Replay look like if we had it during an average workday at the office?
- With the chronically tardy employee:
- You’re late, again.
- No I’m not; Steve cornered me in the hallway to talk about his issue.”
- Again?
- Yes, again.
- Well let’s look at the replay and get it right.
- With the scope-changing boss:
- Here’s the information you asked for, Boss.
- That’s not what I wanted.
- Yes, it’s precisely what you asked for.
- You must not have been paying attention.
- Well let’s look at the replay and get it right.
- With that passive-aggressive co-worker:
- Why’d you leave me hanging like that in yesterday’s meeting?
- I never said I agreed to support your plan, I just said I’m glad you pre-briefed me on it last week.
- Actually, your words were “I’m GOOD with what you’re proposing.”
- ACTUALLY, I said, “It’s good to know what you’re proposing.”
- Well let’s look at the replay and get it right.
Sure, Instant Replay brings some Big Brother concerns to the forefront, but let’s put them aside for a moment to consider what this type of ‘verifiable transparency’ could do for things like employee engagement, camaraderie, respect and regard. Consider how it’d improve organizational teamwork, communications, productivity and goal-attainment.
Indeed, eliminating, or even just significantly reducing, the ambiguity in our interactions with others – and their interactions with us – would make it so much easier to do increasingly better work.
So, the next time you’re faced with a potential misunderstanding or obfuscation – intended or otherwise – stop for a moment and discuss what the interaction would look like if it were reviewed via Instant Replay. Work to ‘get it right’ IN the moment so they’ll be no disagreement afterwards.