Day two of our consulting project began with a check-in regarding the prior-day’s activities. The consensus from the floor was that the process held great value for John’s team and they were grateful to have the opportunity to share their thoughts in a non-threatening environment. Also included were introductions of new participants representing HR, Operations, MarCom, Public Relations, and Financial Planning and Analysis. Since John’s team could not operate in a vacuum, these relationships are key to the success of the team. They were included to ensure that they understood the Department’s objectives, the needs to execute those objectives, and generally, to make them a part of the team. Additionally, their feedback and suggestions during the process proved to be valuable.
After the check-in, Stan provided the set-up to finalizing the team identity. Stan introduced the concept of building a numeric value for the objective into their Logo and tagline. Our experience has been that doing so would help keep their focus on the primary objective. Then the small groups went back to work.
When the time was up, each team leader presented their work. The results were impressive. Their thoughts were much more focused and relevant. It was evident that there was a lot of talent and creativity in the room. By the end of the presentations it was clear that they were close to a consensus. It was time to turn their work over to the professionals and to move on to the next phase of the program, developing the plan.
Stan’s setup up for the Department’s final assignment included six buckets for consideration: Staffing/Resources; Leadership and Strategy; Culture; Tools and Processes; Opportunities; and Results. Each group was responsible for brainstorming each of those buckets, listing each idea on a single 3” by 5” Post-it ™ note. When the allotted time had expired, group leaders placed their ideas in the corresponding buckets, (flip charts placed around the room). Stan spoke to each bucket list, putting emphasis on the number of common thoughts in each category. The results were striking. It was revealing to note the high volume of thoughts around Staffing/Resources, Leadership & Strategy, and Culture, all three categories being closely related. Tools & Processes, Opportunities, and Results had less than half the volume of Post-it ™ notes. My takeaway was that the group was sending a clear message that John’s leadership was vital. They seemed to believe that the Department’s objectives were realistic and attainable so long as they had a Champion leading the way. I am certain that John viewed this as very favorable.
To wrap up the meeting, Stan recapped the process and talked about next steps. John summarized his take-away to ensure that the Department knew that he “got it.” He made a commitment to immediately address some of the more pressing issues and to factor remaining issues into the plan. As a side note, the next week John gave Stan additional work that included facilitating the Quarterly follow-up meetings, and a few coaching assignments.
The result of this assignment was a win-win-win. For a new Executive it is wise to bring in an objective third-party to facilitate team alignment as we come without biases that could taint the results. Additionally, it is more realistic for the Department personnel to speak freely in front of outsiders who are not in a position to influence their careers. If you are looking to develop alignment and buy-in, a non-threatening environment is a good place to start.
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Jim Weber, President
New Century Dynamics Executive Search
www.newcenturydynamics.com