| In Part 1 of this article, I discussed the impact | | | | good enough to just get people working on the |
| that senior leadership teams have on employee | | | | right things (alignment). Team members have to |
| engagement, productivity, and retention. And, I | | | | work on the right things...together. |
| made it very clear that the behaviors that | | | | In order to do that, people must be able to |
| originate at the executive team level ripple | | | | appreciate and value the differences that |
| through the organization. Just like a wave that | | | | everyone brings to the team. General George S. |
| gets larger as it nears the shore, those behaviors | | | | Patton once said, "If everyone is thinking alike, |
| get magnified and repeated - regardless of | | | | then no one is thinking at all." But, in order to |
| whether they have a positive or negative impact. | | | | value those differences, the team culture has to |
| I also discussed the first "Costly Mistake" that | | | | be based on respect and trust. Without respect, |
| senior leadership teams make - The Lack of | | | | you can't have trust. And without trust, you can't |
| Focus. The challenge in many organizations is that | | | | effectively work on things together. |
| senior leadership teams get so busy spending | | | | So essentially, respect and trust become the |
| time IN the business, instead of ON the business. | | | | cornerstone for efficiency. |
| And when senior leadership teams aren't focused, | | | | How do you build a senior leadership team culture |
| it often results in communication breakdowns that | | | | based on respect and trust? Here are the keys. |
| perpetuate barriers between individuals and | | | | |
| departments, leading to the second mistake | | | | 1. Get clear on organizational values and model |
| of...Protecting and Hoarding Resources. | | | | those values. This drives alignment down to the |
| Costly Mistake #2: Protecting and Hoarding | | | | behavioral level. |
| Resources | | | | 2. Create a climate of open communication, where |
| One of the challenges that leads to this costly | | | | people can share differences of opinion, engage in |
| mistake is a dynamic that is often found only on | | | | constructive conflict, and get involved in problem |
| senior leadership teams. This dynamic stems from | | | | solving and decision making. (Nothing can be more |
| the fact that senior leaders are often rewarded | | | | important on an executive team) |
| based on the performance of the functional | | | | 3. Create team norms and ground rules. These |
| teams they lead and not on the shared goals of | | | | provide guidelines on how the team will engage in |
| the leadership team itself. Additionally, the only | | | | conflict, what their team time will look like, how |
| way for senior leaders to move their career "up" | | | | decisions will be made, and other behaviors that |
| is by replacing the CEO or leaving to take on a | | | | will drive team success. The best teams review |
| more senior role in another organization. | | | | their ground rules prior to starting regularly |
| These two factors often result in competition | | | | scheduled meetings, and team members hold |
| among senior leadership team members instead | | | | each other accountable to the ground rules. |
| of collaboration. It encourages individuals to focus | | | | 4. Learn about personality styles to build |
| on their own agenda, egos, and careers instead of | | | | vulnerability based trust. This takes trust to a |
| team goals. And this eventually ripples through | | | | whole new level. Patrick Lencioni talks a lot about |
| departments, resulting in the inevitable silos, politics | | | | this in his book "The Five Dysfunctions of a |
| and dropped hand-offs that are so costly and | | | | Team". |
| wasteful. | | | | All of these suggestions have to do with |
| Here are some symptoms you might see in your | | | | "behaviors" that drive collaboration on a senior |
| organization if hoarding and protecting resources is | | | | leadership team. Remember, the behaviors that |
| an issue. | | | | originate with the CEO and senior leaders will ripple |
| - Sales blames Operations for late delivery in | | | | through the organization - and be repeated and |
| front of customers. | | | | magnified. |
| - People fight over resources without | | | | Change your behaviors. Change your organization. |
| consideration for the larger goals. | | | | It's as simple as that. |
| - Meetings are boring because people are too | | | | Stay tuned for Part 3 of this article where we'll |
| afraid to share differences of opinions and ideas. | | | | discuss the third costly mistake senior leadership |
| People-First™ Factor #2: Collaboration | | | | teams make. This one's a biggy, because it |
| To overcome this second costly mistake, senior | | | | impacts team member commitment. |
| leadership teams have to recognize that it is not | | | | |