Why Start With Top Management?
It’s simple. If your team’s top executives can’t reach an agreement on their roles and goals, then you’re spending your efforts trying to get your employees to accept this. In addition, the top management team is accountable for establishing business focus. The focus is the basis of team development.
Why Focus?
Business focus defines broad corporate objectives. Every other business goal stems from these corporate goals. Without a clear and concise focus on your company, the efforts you make to create more effective teamwork will be affected. If management doesn’t know exactly what it is looking for and needs, then neither do employees.
What Business Are You In?
Don’t scoff. Don’t say “everyone knows that” under your breath. You’ll be surprised. The answers like “retail hardware,” “business consulting,” “plumbing,” or “small tool engineering” are insufficient. Please be more specific. What is “retail hardware” or “small tool engineering.” The best guideline can be “the narrower the focus, the more likely the success.”
Who’s Involved?
Gather your management team. Make sure you are very strict. You should only include managers who, along with you, manage the business on a daily basis. In a small-medium-sized company, it’s likely to be less than 5-6 employees. Don’t invite anyone else in any way.
The 3 Essential Questions.
Your management group, which includes you, must address these three questions.
What are we selling?
Who exactly do we want to market the product to?
If we asked our staff similar questions, how do they think they would answer?
Technique.
Have the group note down their responses. Give the reasons why they should be specific and precise instead of vague and generic, e.g., “retail hardware” would be better described in terms of “hand tools, household hardware, and domestic gardening goods.” “Who” would be changed to “who” would become “householders, small job ‘do it yourselves, domestic gardeners.”
Make sure that everyone in the team notes their responses prior to the discussion can begin.
Expect Disagreement.
The ability to disagree is healthy. It allows you to consider diverse points of viewpoint. Arguments are unhealthy. It makes people argue for their positions or to override others’ views in order to gain an advantage. This is not good for the company. If you have a significant disagreement, don’t attempt to resolve them immediately. Set up a second meeting and ask managers to present proof to back their claims. Do not expect definitive answers or complete agreement within 30 minutes. Be patient.
The Next Two Questions.
In a separate meeting, request each manager.
Write down the things they’re accountable for.
Note down the things they think each team members are responsible for.
Like before, be sure to include yourself and avoid generalizations like “Production” or “Finance.” Discussion should begin only after every participant has completed writing. If you answer these questions correctly, it will help you establish the clarity of your role and goals.
Next Steps.
Your team’s top might already be in a state of cohesion, with you having a clear focus and understanding of roles is well-established. The exercises are positively encouraging. On the other side, there may be differences within leadership teams. The sooner they’re addressed, the better.
Conclusion.
The development of teams begins at the highest level. The top management team needs to be united. It is their responsibility to demonstrate to employees the benefits of teamwork. If you don’t have roles and goal definitions in the upper levels, you’ll see very little success in team building and development with employees.
