Top team effectiveness
Senior management teams set the overall direction and ‘tone’ for the organization. Their ability to work effectively together makes a major difference in terms of key business decisions, organization culture and performance results. Real teamwork ‘at the top’ promotes the generation of creative ideas and innovative solutions, enables executives to utilize their diverse experience to solve difficult problems, and increases the commitment of senior leaders to identified courses of action.
Considerable research and practical experience suggest that top management teams often fail to achieve their potential. Many senior teams don’t engage in meaningful teamwork, frequently fail to build commitment and often make flawed errors in judgment that negatively impact the organization. We work with executive teams to enhance overall effectiveness and increase commitment. We do this through the application of leading edge assessments, guided conversations, team exercises and action planning.
We’ll Work With You To
Evaluate current team effectiveness using leading edge assessments and structured interviews designed specifically for top management teams
Clarify team values, roles, responsibilities and expectations
Facilitate open information sharing and the alignment of individual and collective interests
Leverage the dynamics of individual power and trust to enhance participation, problem solving, decision-making, and conflict resolution
Enhance interpersonal relations by strengthening the emotional intelligence of team members
Strengthen leadership capacity through targeted coaching conversations
Build critical team skills such as reflection, dialogue, advocacy and inquiry
Measure progress and impact
Some Examples Of Our Work
Senior Vice President, Resource Company – working with this senior management team, we facilitated development of a common vision for the group, conducted an assessment to provide insight into opportunities for improved team effectiveness, clarified expectations regarding team roles and responsibilities, and generated options for a more co-ordinated approach to problem solving and decision-making.
General Manager, Entertainment Facility – as a key part of the strategy development process, we worked with this executive team to better align individual behaviours with team values, conducted a culture assessment to identify improvement opportunities within the team and aligned the performance management process to better recognize team-based initiatives and results.
Vice President, Manufacturing Company – working with the members of this leadership group, our consultants identified key opportunities and challenges for improved teamwork, facilitated the development of a ‘charter’ that highlighted key values and expectations, clarified roles and responsibilities and clearly defined measures of performance. Strengthened team effectiveness proved to be essential during transition activities related to a significant merger.
Deputy Minister, Provincial Government - this recently formed leadership group wanted to ‘jump start’ their working relationships to enhance teamwork and advance the organization’s agenda. Our consultants worked with the team to clarify purpose, values, roles, and key expectations. Group norms and behaviours were identified and adjusted to strengthen team performance. Real time team-based facilitation and coaching helped resolve key issues that had proven to be barriers to effective collaboration and productive working relationships.