I was in my mid 20's working as a part-time ropes course facilitator at a non-profit that had a handful of full-time office staff.   We landed a contract to do a large offsite backcountry event for an influential restaurant chain.  It was going to be one of those famous "all hands on deck" kind of programs where you go the 2nd, 3rd, 4th mile to get it right.  The decision was made for all seven office staff to take a weeklong trip out west to scout and prepare logistics.  Due to the size and scope of the event, this trip was vital.  The office team would be unable to communicate by phone or email for the majority of the week.

This left a burning question for those left behind. "Now, who is in charge?"

Full disclosure, I don't recall the details of the instructions we were given before the office staff left.  What I remember was in the vein of "just don't burn the place down while we are gone." Now I know how to keep heat sources away from flammable materials…I got this!

A few days pass and our team of part-time facilitators made sure our regular tasks were done.  We were successful; no literal or metaphorical fires were started.   With our work complete and no formal authority to report to, there was a vacuum.   And what do young, creative (mischievous) people do when they are bored?  Prank the office! 

The idea started to take shape when Dave asked the question, "what would happen if everyone got back and they found out they weren't in charge anymore?"

The humorous hypothetical triggered a vigorously engaging brainstorming session in the conference room.  The first item of business was to draw a completely new org chart.  Each facilitator decided what their new title would be.  I called dibs on Executive Director (... shouldn't be a big surprise).  Lana elected herself the program manager.  Shelby, our tech guru, became the new marketing manager.  Dave was manager of international relations, and so on.   My favorite position was "senior manager of reading rock climbing and backpacking magazines" (a not-so-subtle jab at the real Backcountry Manager).  The previous office staff was given amusing new roles as interns and entry-level positions in our new structure.

The next step was to claim our offices.   Everyone picked a desk, replaced the personal effects, and made paper name-plates.  We made dramatically posed pictures of "serious phone call" and "relaxing with feet on the desk" or "brainstorming meeting."

We laughed and laughed and laughed, drunk on our new power.

The final step in the transition of power was to write an email to the office staff letting them know about the coup, new roles, etc. Here is an excerpt:

"Dear (Former) Director and Team,

We hope you had a wonderful scouting trip out west.  We are pleased to inform you that our organization has undergone a significant restructuring while you were gone. In recognition of you and your team's years of service, we were able to find new roles for every staff that was displaced. Below you will see the names and responsibilities of the new Leadership Team.

We look forward to continuing our ministry in this bold new era…(and so on)

Sincerely

Mark Suroviec, (New) Executive Director

 

You may be thinking that a more accurate title for this blog would be "how to get yourself fired." But that was not the reaction our coup received.  The director and her team thought it was HILARIOUS.   They congratulated us on our new roles and expressed their passionate desire to continue as our interns in the new regime.  They were honored we pranked them and could not stop laughing (in a good way). 

Are you surprised by this reaction?  Why was this prank was received so well, and what does that tell us about a healthy culture? 

• This coup was intended as a humorous farce, and it was received that way.  No one among the office staff believed we were critiquing their leadership.  Our teammates and leaders were not, as Jim Collins puts it, "in the wrong seats on the bus." We loved our leaders and trusted them greatly.  And in turn, they respected and valued our contribution to the organization despite our low positional rank.  The organization was so well run that this prank rising out of bitterness or resentment felt laughable.

• Our leaders were secure and confident in their leadership ability.  If they were not, these actions would be easily misinterpreted.  Could you imagine if this prank was tried in a dysfunctional team or with insecure leaders?  Heads would roll!

• We knew that our team had a fun and playful culture, and office pranks were a part of that environment.  As an organization that values community, creativity, and spending quality time together, what we were doing was in line with our core values.  If our office was an efficiently first assembly line, this prank would be a terrible disaster. 

• Our leaders realized that in a temporary vacuum of direction, people will figure things out for themselves.  And good leaders still own those results.  If your people lack guidance on spending their time, the problem is usually on the leader's end, not the follower’s. 

• This coup was one of my fondest memories and brought our team much closer together than any zipline ever did.   I love teambuilding events, but some of the best bonding happens through organically shared experiences.

• Years later, many of the original members of the coup progressed in their careers and now have roles similar (or exceeding) their made-up jobs.  Even tomfoolery is an opportunity to learn more about someone's hopes and dreams for the future. 

In closing, should other teams follow this example and stage a coup d’état?  Probably not.  Our coup was a perfect storm of healthy culture colliding with a  temporary absence of formal authority structure, and creative people with too much time on their hands. 

Instead, our challenge is to lead such healthy organizations that the idea of a real coup occurring is just laughable.

 

Reflection and Action for Leaders:

• If I did not give my team or direct reports instructions for a week, what would happen? 

  • What does this tell me about my leadership?

  • How can I set up my team for success the next time I am on vacation?

• How do I react when I have not communicated clear expectations?

• How well do I know my team?

  • With what lens do I view the behaviors of my direct reports?

Reflection and Action for Individual Contributors:

• How well can I predict my manager's behavior?

• What does our team, department, organization actually value?

• How do I know if the values on the company website are the "real" values I need to live by?