In Right-Minded Teamwork (RMT), we say that your primary business goal is 100% Customer Satisfaction (Element #1).
But what happens when that goal is threatened?
For example, what do you do when a key customer is frustrated? Your team is faced with a defining moment. Will teammates attack and defend, or will they band together? High performance isn’t just about better products or services; it’s about how teammates choose to respond to difficult situations. It’s about the Decision-Maker (the real you; see center of model) choosing between two internal teachers: Ego or Reason.
The Accounts Payable Crisis: A Case Study
In the book, How to Apply the Right Choice Model, I share the story of an Accounts Payable (AP) team of 15 people who faced a service failure. One of their major operating divisions was in trouble. Three of the AP teammates supported that division, and the leader was frustrated because several of their most important vendors weren’t being paid on time.
The AP team leader called an emergency meeting. He decided the best way to resolve the situation was a problem-resolution session. To prepare, he printed Right Choice Cards for every teammate. As they gathered in the conference room, the leader set the tone:
“We have a difficult situation. All of us need to band together to resolve it… Even though some of you are not directly involved with this situation, we are an interdependent team. We look out for and support one another.”
Two Perspectives Prepared to Derail
Between the time the meeting was called and the time it began, two “out of their Right-Mind” personas were already preparing to react from the Lower Loop:
- The Bully’s Perception: Even though they weren’t responsible for this specific division, they saw this information as “power”—a way to gain the leader’s favor. Their internal monologue: “It’s not my fault; it’s yours. I’m the one doing it right.”
- The Martyr’s Perception: One of the teammates involved in the mistake felt completely overwhelmed and nervous. Their internal monologue: “I’m being unfairly treated. They don’t know how hard I’ve tried, but the system is broken, and nobody is listening to me.”
Leaving the Battleground for the Classroom
The team leader knew that if the Bully and the Martyr dominated the meeting, the team would stay in the Lower Loop (think Battleground). In that loop, teammates reject, attack, and defend. Solutions remain hidden because everyone is too busy protecting their “turf.”
By starting the meeting with Mindful Ally comments, the leader effectively prevented the Bully and the Martyr from complaining. He effectively used the Right Choice Model to pivot the team into the Classroom. Here’s what he did:
He asked the Accountability Question that changes the energy of the room: “How did we—as an interdependent team—create, promote, or allow this to happen?” After that, everyone:
- Acknowledged the situation as it is.
- Accepted their collective role in the service gap.
- Forgave themselves so the team can return to a Right Mind.
The Result: From Conflict to Work Agreements
By choosing to follow the leader’s “Mindful Ally” role to stay in the upper loop, the team, in just two hours, brainstormed solutions and created Work Agreements (Element #3) to streamline payments. They didn’t just “bond”—they fixed the problem. The next day, the leader and the three A/P teammates presented their work process improvement ideas to the operations leader.
All agreed that the new methods should work. The operations leader contacted the impacted five vendors and explained the new process. The vendors were appreciative and cautiously optimistic. They agreed to wait and see if the new method was effective. In the end, it worked!
The Choice is Yours
When your team hits a snag with a customer, remember: You are the Decision-Maker. You can let the Bully or the Martyr lead you into a Battleground of “Separateness,” or you can choose the path of the Ally.
100% Customer Satisfaction is the natural result of teammates who choose to stay in their Right-Mind.
Ready to apply the Right Choice Model to your team’s challenge?
The full story and the step-by-step facilitation guide are available in:
How to Apply the Right Choice Model: Create a Right-Minded Team That Works as One.
As a retired facilitator, my special function is now to support you. If you have questions about which path is right for your team, please reach out. I would love to see these methods work for you, just as they have for over 500 teams in my career.
May the Oneness be with you. 🙏
Dan Hogan, Certified Master Facilitator
