In a previous video, I talked about developing the habit of triading, having three people in a conversation instead of two, as a way to grow your business and make everything easier and more stable.
Let me share a story. John King, one of the authors of Tribal Leadership, told me that if I could get triading into my bones and make it a habit, everything would change for the better.
Well, I liked the sound of that. So, a few weeks later I tried it out when life dropped an opportunity into my path.
After my presentation at a conference, one of the participants came up to me and said he was a new leader in his organization, had a sizeable team, and thought some of the ideas I presented could be helpful. As he talked, I started thinking that this could be a significant opportunity, too big for just me and maybe too big for the two of us.
So, with a triading mindset, I asked him, “Who else needs to be in the conversation?”
“Oh”, he said, “my boss, Pete. He’s here. Hang on, I’ll call him.”
Two minutes later, Pete rounded the corner and the three of us talked about their situation.
Fast forward, the opportunity turned into whale sized deal, all because the right people were in the same conversation at the same time from the beginning, and because the conversation involved more than just the two of us.
The three of us quickly built on each others ideas. We got each other excited about the possibilities. They brought more people into the conversation, which created alignment and urgency.
During the program, we experimented with the concept of triading with our group of 18.
Each week, the triads got together to talk about and practice the program concepts. They loved their weekly triad conversations. They said their work became more interesting, more collaborative, and easier.
Their team culture improved as they became more connected to each other. Every quarter, we’d mix up the triads so they could get into deeper relationships with more team members.
Their business started to soar. Other departments noticed the magic going on in this team, and the program spread. This was 10 years ago. Because of their continued skill with triading, their business consistently grows and the organization is now less siloed and more cross pollinated, which prevents bottlenecks.
I have seen versions of this story play out again and again and again.
Never underestimate the power of a small group.
Consider where you can triad as you walk through your day.
Why not have two customers in a sales conversation instead of just one? Just ask your customer, “Who else needs to be in the conversation?” They will invariably know.
Or why not have two people from your organization in conversation with the prospect?
You will grow opportunities faster and speed up your sales cycle.
Another idea. During team meetings, talk about an issue in triads and then bring back suggestions to the entire group. You will get more participation and better ideas.
Don’t take my word for it. Try triading and see what happens. Be creative. Make it a habit.
And let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear your experiences.