Informed decisions are a key attribute of MECC. Unlike other management philosophies which prioritize human communication flows (e.g. cascading) in order to inform individuals, MECC creates a systems-level framework that empowers each individual to become informed and contribute to the informing data set(s).
This scales more appropriately across time zones, functions, levels, human personalities, and consumption preferences.
Below are the tenets of Informed Decisions within MECC.
Conventional management philosophies may rely on intentional information silos or a "need-to-know-basis" model. This approach restricts transparency and optimizes for a reduction in misinformation. MECC flips this notion by requiring that information be transparent by default and optimizes for maximum contribution. This includes all information which is explicitly not public, and it requires transparency across all functions of a business. The key question answered is no longer, "How does the organization get information to the right people at the right time?", but rather, "How does the organization create a system where everyone can consume information and contribute, regardless of level or function?"
In practice, an organization which implements MECC would use a project management system that allows finance, engineering, communications, design, marketing, and sales (as example departments) to view data related to all other functions. Instead of requiring that one function requests permission for access to another function's data, the system is designed wall-less by default. This means the onus of management is not to build an information sharing or request framework. Instead, the onus is to educate team members on how to add information in a systematized manner and how to search for data within the system.
Scalable leadership is effective leadership. By writing guidance down transparently — in a way that others can correct, validate, or otherwise contribute — leadership scales beyond an individual or team, and even beyond company tenure. A core outcome is individuals are less dependent on others for direction and guidance. This is not because those inputs are not valued, but because they are inputted to a transparent system as opposed to a silo or limited group.
Here's an example: Onboarding new hires
MECC deliberately structures data (policy, workflows, values, etc.) in a single source of truth (SSoT). It is founded on the thesis that decisions are better informed when there is no such thing as a "latest version." There is only the version.
Teams and functions may choose different mediums as the SSoT depending on the task and the nature of their work. MECC allows this type of SSoT flexibility, but requires that those who dictate the SSoT share that information transparently and crosslink where appropriate.
Here's an example: Meeting documentation
Low-context communication is marked by explicit over implicit, direct over indirect, simple over complex, and comprehensive over narrow. It is called low-context communications because individuals are not expected to have knowledge of others' history and background. In a work setting, this is common; most team members do not have preexisting relationships with their colleagues prior to joining the same team. By establishing a high bar for including as much context as is known in all information exchanges, decisions are enabled to be more informed.
Each business function may have unique expectations on low-context communication (e.g. what classifies as low-context in sales may not in engineering). MECC requires that each function exhibit qualities of low-context communication which are reasonable for the demands of that function. If decisions within a function appear to be ill-informed, audit the expectations on context first.
Here's an example: Companywide announcements
Adopting a situational leadership strategy brings an added layer of intelligence to the way leaders manage each indiviudal, project, and decision. It acknowledges that leaders should adapt the way they communicate, provide guidance, and delegate work based on a list of weighed factors and considerations. This strategy enables more informed decisions, prevents a reliance on status quo, and presents new growth opportunities for team members.
When it comes to MECC, situational leadership does not only apply to people managers. It also applies to individual contributors, as everyone is expected to be a manager of one.
Here's an example: Launching a new project
Decisions are better informed overall when they include a maximally diverse array of perspectives. In MECC, a bias for asynchronous communication fosters inclusion. By defaulting to written, asynchronous sharing, everyone contributes in the same size font. People of all backgrounds, abilities, and work styles are invited to participate in a way that serves their needs. The best idea wins, not the loudest voice in the meeting.
MECC frees contributors from the conventional bounds of time zones and meetings. This generates more informed contributions from more parties, more thoughtful conversation, and more archived context for retrospectives and evaluations.
Here's an example: Change management
Informed decisions enable Fast decisions, the second tenet of MECC.
