“Clarity needed at the top (team)”

PROBLEM

The senior leadership team for a young Fortune 1000 company displayed several common and challenging symptoms. At team meetings, all decisions were made collaboratively yet not everyone weighed in, trivial topics were discussed at length without purpose, promises were made with no little follow up, and members were not speaking openly. There were valid questions about one members’ progress yet the issue was raised jokingly and quickly dropped.

WHAT WE DID

We interviewed the team and key stakeholders to identify the cause of the symptoms. We put together a prioritized list of issues we would address for our CEO client. We found that the leadership team was not clear on their individual roles or the handoffs they had to each other. One way the trust was being eroded was that no one knew what the other was supposed to do – yet each had unmet and unspoken expectations. In the resulting first work session, we utilized several tools to clarify their individual roles, as well as their deliverables. We also helped the team create ground rules for meetings in addition to necessary steps for increased accountability. To demonstrate and build greater trust, we employed a risky live 360 feedback exercise.

RESULTS

The live feedback was one of the most powerful experiences for the team. It increased their candor dramatically, as well as gave them a “how to” guide for respectful feedback. The team left with a better understanding of who did what, including an action plan which they actually carried out for once. The work session was quoted as “the most effective and useful offsite they've ever attended.” – CEO/President