Executive teamwork
Does it seem that everyone's
telling you, you need more teamwork in your organization? Do personal
agendas and politics rule the day? Is the only competition folks worry
about from other departments? When something goes wrong do you have
blame-storming sessions?
Where's the teamwork? Where's the
trust? Where are the results?
Everyone is frustrated - what
gives?
Shared values, purpose, mission,
strategy, goals, and objectives.
First there can be no teamwork
unless the entire executive team understands and shares the same core
values, core purpose and envisioned future.
Shared values and purpose are the
organization's gyroscope that keeps everyone heading in the the same
direction. This core ideology is particularly important during
periods of rapid change. Many times resistance to change -
another lack of teamwork - derives from a fear that we are going to
lose what is really important in the organization.
Trust is the lubricant of
teamwork.
Second, there can be no teamwork
unless the team members trust each other. Trust is based on a mutual
perception of team member's character and competence.
Lacking hard data, people form
perceptions based on assumptions of motivation - essentially based on
hearsay, rumor, and innuendo.
Sometimes organizations have
members who feed the lack of trust. Playing politics requires
telling different stories - always in confidence - to different
people. Ascribing motivations to others - again in the strictest
confidence - fosters this us vs. them mentality. These folks want to
keep groups isolated since there is no way to play the political game
if you are forced to open up and discuss your positions openly and
thoroughly with all members of the team at the same time.
How do you build executive
teamwork?
There are many programs designed
specifically to enhance teamwork. Ropes courses are offered by
multiple organizations and there is the world-renowned Outward Bound®
. To my thinking there are two limitations to these approaches:
- They are events rather than a ongoing process. Team members have
to return to the real world after getting out of the day-to-day
flow, playing some games, and experiencing new roles.
- They are not dealing directly with the core issues of the
organization. Working with toy problems doesn't demand the same
commitment and carry the same accountability as dealing with
strategic issues of a company.
True executive teamwork flows
from:
- Reaching broad understanding and agreement on the organization's
long-term vision, mission, and strategy.
- Reaching consensus on strategic goals. Because these goals
change the status quo, they require teamwork to implement.
By definition they can't be accomplished by a single heroic effort
or by one department working in isolation.
- Converting strategic goals into specific objectives to be
accomplished within the next twelve months - the attention span of
an organization.
- Having to work together day in and day out on accomplishing
these objectives.
Teamwork is strengthened by
working day-to-day on achieving specific goals that represent the
consensus of the team and require the entire team's support and action
for success.
Teamwork building in the
strategic planning meeting
A well facilitated strategic
planning meeting enhances teamwork. It forces every executive team
member to discuss their views on every major issue. Through the
interactive discussions, each team member can judge the character and
competence of every other member. They also gain a better
understanding by blending and synthesizing each team member's view of
each issue. With the entire team together and engaged during an
intense two days they:
- Discuss and prioritize every major issue at a single time and
place.
- Thoroughly discuss issues, enriching each team member's
understanding of the true and perceived reality.
- Tell and hear the same story at one time and place -
making it impossible to play politics.
- Define, clarify, verify and reach mutual consensus.
- Redefine and re-clarify specific goals and objectives.
Once the team is in broad
agreement on the organization's long-term vision, mission and strategy
it can effectively work together on short-term objections and action
steps.
Implementing the strategic
plan requires and builds teamwork
Team members leave the strategic
planning meeting with a specific implementation plan with immediate
action steps that reinforce and continue to build on their enthusiasm
and enhanced sense of teamwork.
Why wait? Myrna Associates can guarantee you will have a
strategic plan in less than two weeks - and all it takes you and your
team is two intensive days! Check out our premier
strategic planning service today.
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