S2 E16: Podcast Wrap-Up | The Upside and Downside of a Gut Check
Apr 25, 2023
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Learn how a 'gut check' meeting helped a consumer packaged goods company navigate legal and patent issues during product development. Discover the significance and dangers of using a gut check, and the importance of holding such meetings only when necessary. Explore how gut checks can bring teams together, address issues, and prioritize tasks in strategy discussions and project meetings. This thought-provoking discussion also covers navigating changes, communication strategies, rectifying expectations, and focusing on the future.
Gut check meetings are crucial for reassessing the implications of new information, aligning teams, and providing a new direction for projects.
Gut check meetings are effective when facing new choices or roadblocks, allowing for open discussions to shape a new way forward and prioritize the direction going forward.
Deep dives
The Importance of Gut Check Meetings
Gut check meetings are crucial for reassessing the implications of new information and making decisions based on that. They help align teams, build consensus, and provide a new direction for projects. By bringing everyone together, issues can be discussed openly, and the team can collectively determine the best course of action. Gut check meetings are particularly useful in strategy discussions, marketing, and even midway through a project to realign objectives. They allow for a deeper understanding of the implications of new information and help avoid potential pitfalls.
Navigating Crossroads and Significant Trade-offs
Gut check meetings are effective when there is a crossroads or the need to make significant trade-offs. When the team faces new choices or encounters roadblocks, a gut check meeting allows for open dialogue and discussion. These meetings are not meant to dwell on past failures but rather to shape a new way forward. They require finesse, ensuring that discussions are constructive and focused on finding solutions. It's important to prioritize the direction going forward and recalibrate expectations to avoid adding unnecessary tasks to the project.
Tips for Successful Gut Check Meetings
To conduct a successful gut check meeting, it is crucial to have the right mindset, clear goals, and effective communication. The meeting should be seen as a reality check and an opportunity to explore new options. It is essential to separate it from finger-pointing or blame sessions and focus on positive discussions. By creating an environment where everyone feels heard and empowered, the team can collectively determine the best path forward. Additionally, gut check meetings should be used sparingly and intentionally, ensuring they are not overused or confused with regular status meetings. Time and space should be given to allow team members to fully engage and contribute to the dialogue.
The meeting is about helping you shape a new way or a different path. It's about letting everybody be heard. It's about discussing and having real discussions about what has worked in the past and what the new direction is.
In today's Circuit Breaker episode, Bob and Greg look at a tool they use frequently: the Gut Check. Bob recalls a consumer packaged goods company that ran into legal and patent issues while developing a product. The team had to hold a "Gut Check" meeting. Discover how this meeting proved very useful. They will explain why a Gut Check is a powerful tool, but also why it can be dangerous if not used properly.
You will understand why Gut Check meetings should not be held on a regular basis, but only when significant changes are coming and when there are tradeoffs that require input from all stakeholders, among other considerations. They'll also have an annoucnemnt to make about this season of the Circuit Breaker show.
Join Bob and Greg for this thought-provoking discussion on a "gut check" meeting.