Think about questions
Are there people on your team who naturally ask the following types of questions?
1) Where are we going next? What are the latest, most relevant trends in our industry?
How are customer needs changing? How do customers describe our value? What is the strategy? How will the strategy cascade throughout the organization?
2) How will this initiative get done? What’s the timeline for getting it done? How much will this cost? Who will be affected? Who will do it?
3) How will these initiatives be communicated? How do we use these initiatives to develop our people? What are our greatest strengths? How do they differentiate us?
You’ll notice that these questions are a blend of strategy and tactics, tools and people. A well-rounded team will have people who have a natural preference for being advocates for the critical domains of your business.
What happens when you don’t have the ideal complement of team members? Look at your succession plan to identify your next generation of leaders. Find the leaders who can serve your senior leadership team by filling in the gaps. This creates an opportunity to see them grapple with both strategic and tactical organizational issues.
Ability and track record are critical for your fellow leaders. Ensuring that you have a good match for both the role of the individual and the strengths needed for your team are essential for building a high-functioning team.
Andy Kanefield is the founder of Dialect Inc. and co-author of “Uncommon Sense: One CEO’s Tale of Getting in Sync.” Dialect helps organizations improve alignment and translation of organizational identity by discovering and using the unique strengths of the organization and its people. He can be reached at (314) 863-4400 or at [email protected]
