Building the Executive Team

By John A. Haas
Management Strategies Group

Every CEO knows the value of having a senior management team whose members are in sync with the organization's mission. The goal is for these executives to all be "on the same page" individually and as a group. But it doesn't always happen as planned!

Blocking Forces

Executives obviously don't consciously sabotage good teamwork. They usually want to be on the same page with one another, the CEO and customer expectations, but creating this coordinated and integrated effort can be difficult and frustrating. Here are some reasons why:

  • New executives promote and try to implement comfortable approaches that worked well in their former career experiences
  • The "mission and vision" aren't as clear as they should be (perhaps even to the CEO)
  • Emphasis on protecting turf (budget, head count)
  • Mistakes are hidden from other team members
  • Distrust of individual "agendas"
  • The political climate keeps certain subjects "out of bounds"
  • Executives don't understand or trust CEO decisions or reasons behind them
  • There are no or few consequences for failing to follow through

Team Dysfunctions

In his recent book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni presents his model by way of a fable in a most entertaining and compelling way. He describes a company who hired a new CEO to deal with their declining competitive position. She finds that the company has strong executive talent, more cash and stronger technology than their competitors, yet is falling behind in revenue and customer growth. The book describes how she leads the management team to understanding and overcoming five elements and consequences in their dysfunctional behavior, which are:

Dysfunction  Consequence
Absence of Trust  Invulnerability
Fear of Conflict Artificial Harmony
Lack of Commitment Ambiguity
Avoidance of Accountability Low Standards
Inattention to Results Status and Ego

To summarize, Lencioni suggests that in effective teams members learn to trust one another by admitting weaknesses and asking for help; confront conflict quickly and honestly; assure clear direction and priorities; hold members accountable for commitments they've made; and stay focused on team goals.

I recommend the book, published by Jossey-Bass in 2002.

Summer 2003 -Volume 13, Number 3

 

 

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