Hello there, Fans of Plans! If you’re a sports fan, and following this year’s men’s Ashes series, you’ll know there has been a lot of talk around playing fair. There are just some unwritten rules that you need to abide by to be seen as a gracious winner, or indeed a magnanimous loser. 

So, ‘how is this related to working well?’ you may ask. Well, in an organisation we are all on the same team but we still need to make sure that we are playing fair with our colleagues. 

To work well as an organisation, all our sub-teams (finance, marketing, operations etc.) all need to act as one well-oiled machine. The better a company is at doing this, the more success the company will be. 

How can we make sure we are playing fair?

As with so much I write about in these Working Well blogs, communication is key. Letting your colleagues know what is going on and what is expected of them is definitely one of the first rules in fair play. You can ask yourself these questions when working on a project:

-        Is there trust enough in the team(s) that we can progress with the project?

-        Do we respect each other to do our roles and allow our specialisms to shine?

-        Are we honest with each to speak up if we feel there is something not right? 

-        Are we each accountable for our various areas of the project? 

Managing expectations is something that needs to be considered on a regular basis. As part of a team, you need to let your stakeholders know about deadlines – it is also up to your team to flag up if there is anything that might interfere with achieving the deadlines. 

Regular catch-ups and being receptive to feedback is certainly in the fair play playbook, as is adaptability and being proactive. 

Some of the best project plans are not just about what needs to be done and by whom, but also what contingencies might need to be built in if not everything goes according to plan. Always consider your plan B, C or even D. Communicate at the earliest opportunity if the plan needs to change, bearing in mind who these changes may affect. 

So, play fair, work well, and prosper!