EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT
When Leadership Teams are Neither
By Joseph P . Truncale , Ph . D . Contributing Editor
While they go by a variety of names , leadership teams ( those charged with developing and executing organizational strategies ) face some common challenges . Chief among them is a lack of clarity about what it is they are to accomplish in the first place and how teams can and should function .
Recently , in preparation for a quarterly strategy review with a rapidly growing client , I asked leadership team members to complete a brief questionnaire outlining the three most pressing issues ( problems , challenges , obstacles , etc .) facing the organization over the next ninety days . What I got in return , while useful , underscores a missing element in the team concept .
In each case , members offered up challenges faced by their department rather than the organization overall . In many cases , members cited other departments and / or policies and
procedures promulgated by the CEO as the root cause of these departmental challenges . In other words , “ we ’ re ok , it ’ s the rest of the organization that ’ s underperforming ”.
It is understandable that team members come to the table with a focus on their department or area of the operation . This is necessary but not sufficient . What ’ s missing is the collective emphasis on the organization as a whole . This subtle but important distinction is often lost on team members who feel they are at the table to represent the unique interests of their portion of the enterprise . When shortcomings are viewed as the responsibility ( fault ?) of other parts of the organization , it can throw cold water over the entire “ team ” process .
In his best-selling book , The Five Disfunctions of a Team , author Patrick Lencioni dials in on the key factors which impede team success : Lack of Trust , Fear of ( or inability to resolve ) Conflict , Lack of ( organizational / team ) Commitment , Avoidance of Accountability , and Inattention to Results . The order of these five is not random . They are illustrated as a pyramid with “ Trust ” shown as the foundation upon which the rest are stacked . While each can be taken separately as an item for closer examination and understanding , they are
Leadership teams should keep the goals of the entire organization in mind , rather than focusing on their individual departments
Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto / g-stockstudio interdependent in that one does not stand in isolation from the other .
Teams perform at their best when they are formed on a foundation of trust and mutual respect . Irrespective of their primary role , and reporting lines , team members “ report to ” the team leader when in that role . This must be clearly communicated and agreed to by all involved , most notably department heads . Performance management processes should include reference to the effectiveness of team leaders and members ’ performance in those roles in addition to their primary responsibilities .
How is your leadership team preforming ? Or better yet , what could your organization accomplish if your team were fully trained , prepared and equipped to function at a world class level ?
For more information on ways to improve the performance of your leadership team , contact me at joe @ ajstragegy . com .
Joseph P . Truncale , Ph . D ., CAE , is the Founder & Principal of Alexander Joseph Associates , a privately held consultancy specializing in executive business advisory services .
He is the former CEO of the Public Relations Society of America ( PRSA ), the world ’ s largest public relations organization . Prior to joining PRSA , Joe was President & CEO of NAPL , a business management association representing leading companies in the printing , graphic communications , mailing , fulfillment and marketing services industry .
Joe specializes in strategy , customer analysis and organizational effectiveness .
He is a graduate of Monmouth University and he holds a Masters ’ Degree from Rutgers University . In 2011 , he earned his Ph . D . in Media , Culture and Communications at New York University and was the recipient of the Prism Award for Academic Achievement . His dissertation was a ground-breaking study of the leadership styles of highly successful entrepreneurial business executives in the graphic communications industry .
Joe served as Co-Chair of the New York University Board of Advisors and is an adjunct faculty member at NYU teaching graduate courses in Executive Leadership , Financial Management and Analysis , Finance for Marketing Decisions , and Leadership : The C Suite Perspective . He resides in Colts Neck , NJ .
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