Follow the Action

Huddles and Forward Forecasting

The Great Game needs active players, not bench sitters. We need to empower our people to take an active role; they need to be ready to learn, ready to participate, ready to take responsibility, and ready to stretch for the goal. People get involved when they see themselves in the big picture. The best approach to doing this is to show them frequently how they are all invested in The Game—from the long-term financial success of the company to their personal Stake in the Outcome. We do all this in a Huddle.

Develop a communication rhythm, and hold
each other accountable for results.

"Our Huddles are the focal point for everything we do—our Huddles directly reflect how well we are playing, week in, week out. This is where we put into practice all of the principles of The Game and reinforce our culture, regenerate the pride and the sense of ownership, how we create mutual trust and respect, build credibility, light the fire in people’s eyes."
—Jack Stack, The Great Game of Business

What is a Huddle?

Great Game Huddles provide a communication rhythm where everyone is kept informed, involved, and engaged in the progress of The Game.

The Huddle is the convergence of the entire Great Game process. This is where it all comes together. This is where all the principles and practices of The Game come to life by exchanging information up, down, and across the organization. The Huddle is our weekly ritual of forecasting the score. It’s where we learn how we are progressing toward our Critical Number and how we are tracking to a bonus payout. This is where we share our wins and losses and celebrate our latest MiniGame. This is where we share the numbers, teach each other the business, and see the results of our education.

This is where we see if all our actions and decisions are making a difference. “Are we making money? If not, what’s the next play?” It’s where The Game becomes real.

Most people we meet think our Huddles consist of one big “all team” Huddle where financial information is gathered and shared. However, it’s what happens before and after the main Huddle that really makes the difference. Done well, the Huddle process is all-inclusive. It involves the janitor you hired last week to the chief executive officer. In a Great Game Huddle, employees frequently track progress, commit to results, and continually think about how they could improve those results. Great Huddles should draw people into the action. In the Great Game, people aren’t just handed the numbers. They help produce the numbers by tracking and reporting their workgroup or department performance. Because they have a common goal (bottom-line financial results) and are working from a common scoreboard, they easily collaborate between departments, focusing their energies on the critical issues of the business. And because they openly discuss wins and losses, they keep learning and getting better. We do all this through a Huddle Cycle.

The Workplace Huddle Cycle

Who Attends

Pre-Huddle
Functional departments or cross-departmental teams. Every person in your company should be attending at least one Pre-Huddle.

Main Huddle
Every person in your company should be attending the Main Huddle whenever possible.

Post-Huddle
Functional departments or cross-departmental teams. Every person in your company should be attending a Post-Huddle.
(Note: Small organizations often have a two-stage Huddle Cycle—the Pre-Huddle and the Main Huddle. In other words, individuals prepare their line items for the Main Huddle, and then, while building the financials together, they can also make their commitments for how they will change the score in the coming week—all in the context of the Main Huddle.)