SPRING, 2010 NEWSLETTER

About this issue

It’s been a tough economic climate but the recession is finally starting to loosen its grip. It’s an important time for leaders to align their strategies and re-gain lost momentum. That’s why this newsletter is focused on how executive teams can achieve alignment to set the direction for others to follow.

Teams at the Top:  How to Achieve Executive Team Alignment
By Roz Turner   

If you are a member of a “team at the top” of your organization, then you are charged with setting the strategies that put your company on course for its success.  Nothing is worse than when a decision-making team gets bogged down and finds that it has difficulty moving forward.  A “team at the top” sets the pace and direction for others to follow.  It can send a bad message to the rest of the organization when the Executive Leadership team gets mired in ineffective operating behaviors that slow down the action. More

The Leadership Coach:  Ask Us a Question

In this column, we answer a question that has recently surfaced by a client. We would also like to hear from you. If you have an issue, topic or question that we can address in this space in a future issue, please contact us at roz@rozturner.com

Question:
I’m a member of an executive team and when we meet we get bogged down in minutia instead of really working on the important strategic decisions we need to make. Then some of us, “go it alone” and make decisions that impact the rest of the organization without input from the others. We’re experienced leaders and sometimes I am embarrassed by our behavior as a team. What do you suggest?

Our response:
This is a complicated question but here’s a start: Communicate your observations and engage your team members in a conversation about how you can all operate more effectively. Create new ground rules which will be the foundation for a set of agreed upon leadership behaviors. Then be rigorous in holding each other accountable. Use the article in this newsletter, to help you learn how to achieve executive alignment.
 

Recommended Reading

The Transformational Power of Executive Team Alignment
by Miles Kierson

This slim little book is big on sharing what’s possible for organizations when the senior leadership is truly aligned around the same compelling vision and takes actions consistent with that vision. This book can help you to create a culture of execution, where conscious, focused communication and action becomes second nature.

You can order this book directly from our web-site, www.rozturner.com
 

About Roz Turner & Associates

For over 25 years, Roz Turner & Associates, a management and leadership consulting firm, has assisted a wide variety of businesses and non profits in the areas of leadership/management development, organizational development, executive and high performance team alignment, strategic business planning and coaching.