The following check list of questions helps you through the four levels of collusion and improves the chances of collusions breaking down into real performance.
Level 1 – Avoid false niceness/Go for total honesty
Is there anything anyone is avoiding saying that needs to be heard?
Have you avoided exploring the emotional extremes – passion and enthusiasm
AND criticism and concerns?
Have you said what you think but not what you feel or what you REALLY want?
Have you properly and deeply analysed the history that has led to the need
for this project/problem/idea/issue NOW?
Have any taboos been avoided? What might go wrong?
How do you FEEL about the idea? Does it fire your passion?
Level 2 – Avoid fake revelation/just talking honest and not doing honest/Go for talk into action
You now have the issues and ideas out on the table. What are your PRACTICAL
plans for SPECIFICALLY putting them into action?
What will be done with the output from today? How will you ensure the ideas
do not die at this conference?
Is what you have produced what people REALLY wanted to say? Has anything
been missed out, exaggerated or distorted?
Where and how do you need to get full sign-off to see the idea into action?
What tangible measures of success are there for this idea or proposal?
Level 3 – Avoid diluting or watering the idea down/Go for full realisation
Has the idea been diluted at any point?
Does the final version of the idea represent an unnecessary compromise?
How will you ensure that the idea or proposal is not diluted (watered down)
after this discussion?
What REAL milestones and measures have you put in place to ensure the idea
or proposal actually happens?
Who is the champion(S) to ensure the idea or proposal isn’t diluted?
Have you considered what or who could dilute this idea further down the
line, and do you have strategies to prevent that?
Level 4 – Avoid letting it all revert back to the way it was/Go for full implementation
What are the consequences (formal and informal) of this idea or proposal, once accepted, NOT being delivered or implemented?
What do you plan to do to stop the idea failing in action, and the situation fading back to the status quo?
Who is the champion(s) with the influence to see this into action?
How will you get stakeholder commitment to real implementation?
Have you considered what or who could block/kill off this idea further down the line, and do you have strategies to prevent that?
Paul Levy 