Intelligent Disobedience Drives Continuous Improvement

First, here is a quick overview of intelligent disobedience. In a business context, intelligent disobedience is an act performed with the intent to create a better outcome than would be achieved by following standard rules, practices, or current management direction. Intelligent disobedience means valuing outcomes over compliance with existing guidelines and processes when circumstances permit.

Managers often ask me how to embed intelligent disobedience in their organizations. It takes dedication and patience, as executing intelligent disobedience is part art and part science. The manager and team members will have differing views on a problem or how a standard business process works or doesn’t work! Guiding your team through continuous improvement while deploying intelligent disobedience is the key to success.

To ensure appropriate execution of intelligent disobedience by your teams, it’s important to recognize acts of intelligent disobedience. Even when you might have done something differently, a team member’s reasonable action and appropriate risk acceptance should be recognized and celebrated. If an adjustment to intelligent disobedience is needed, you can help your team become “more intelligent” in their disobedience by embracing their action as a learning opportunity. With that approach, you recognize your staff member’s intention while helping to fine-tune future acts of intelligent disobedience. Your tone and attitude during these discussions are crucial because the prudence of selecting the next intelligently disobedient action will depend on how you approach this conversation. (By the way, this works with yourself as well – your self-talk will have a significant impact on how you approach your next opportunity to engage in intelligent disobedience.) Here are four items to focus on to ensure intelligent disobedience is embraced and results in continuous improvement:

• What was your or your employee’s overall intent?
• Share your specific concerns about the outcome and your understanding of the evidence that led you or your team member to act with intelligent disobedience.
• How did you or your employee discuss, analyze, or consider the circumstances before taking action?
• What type of communication followed the action, and what considerations for different, unintended outcomes were examined?
• How would you adjust the thought process for the next time this type of event occurs?

Remember, the goal is to strengthen your or your team member’s sense of ownership by enhancing their intelligence toward the outcomes, constraints, opportunities, and risks that exist when considering acts of intelligent disobedience. Doing so drives continuous improvement in your organization