I
It was my honor recently to serve as facilitator for a day of important discussion among a group of 10 hospital and health system CEOs. Over the years, these CEOs have developed significant trust. They clearly understand the immense and enduring power of partnership, alignment, and working together for the greater success of all. They collaborate in a number of important areas at the national, regional, and local level.
The purpose of the meeting was to revisit the vision, mission, and ongoing operations of one of their formal and significant collaboratives. As one CEO put it, “We are here to build on past and current trust and to create alignment for the best, most effective mutual vision and mission for creating a successful future.”
As an ‘outside’ facilitator, I endeavored to help create an open, upbeat, and energetic atmosphere and process that made sure each and every CEO, and other appropriate participants, had many opportunities throughout the day to provide personal and organizational perspectives, suggestions, and reactions to the discussion.
Over and over throughout the day, the critical importance of 100% commitment was mentioned. One participant summarized the importance of this issue as follows:
“It was felt that if a hospital wanted to be a part of this alliance going forward, they needed to commit to the strategy 100%. It was stated that if the group as a whole decides to move in a given direction, that we were beyond the time that individual members could choose to jump in and jump out as it suited them at the moment. We are at the point in our industry that we must be all in.”
Every leader reading this article has experienced being a part of personal, professional, and organizational alliances, partnerships, and collaboratives wherein one, some, or many of the members or partners are not all in. Every leader reading this article has witnessed the weaknesses, failures, and lack of reaching full potential as a result of all participants not being all in. In the end, the full potential value of the mission is not achieved because all participants are not all in. The full potential for everyone involved is compromised and reduced, sometimes significantly, because of lack of commitment by one or more participants.
The same is true in our own organizations and in every area of our lives. Lack of all in commitment almost always inhibits full potential. Putting up with, allowing, or excusing lack of all in commitment is virtually always a recipe for reduced achievement, success, and value. In our families, our communities, our places of worship, our schools, our healthcare providers—in every area of our lives—lack of commitment and lack of being all in reduces the potential for all others who have committed.
At the end of the day and discussion, each and every CEO was specifically asked to describe the level of their commitment to the new vision and mission of this important partnership and alliance. In essence, the question was, “Are you all in or not? We all need to know exactly where each and every CEO and organization in this alliance and collaborative stands.”
At the end of a very successful and insightful day and discussion with wonderful, highly successful and committed CEOs, the answer was unanimous. Every CEO committed to being all in.
How about in the areas of your life where you have made personal, professional, or organizational commitments? Do your actions clearly indicate that you are still all in and fully committed? If not, recommit to being all in! Otherwise, it is probably best for all concerned—including you—to get out of the way and encourage the rest of the group to move forward with full speed and full commitment to reach full potential and value.
