How do leaders on-board the next generation of high-growth opportunities while managing daily operations? part #1

I had been called in to figure out why one key department was constantly not functioning well. There was urgency to the situation because a major acquisition was coming. To be understand the situation, I visited with the CEO, COO, SVP, HRO, and the department head over the course of one day.

That night, over dinner, the HRO said to me, “the more people talk about this problem department, the more I am confused.”

“I agree”, I replied, and thought to myself the following quote by Konrad Adenauer: “We all live under the same sky, but we do not all have the same horizon.”

The problem in this situation was that all involved were zooming in to fix “the problem” rather than zooming out to gain perspective. My starting place was to ask a series of big picture questions:

- What is the purpose of this department?

- What are the goals of this department?

- What are the KPI’s of this department?

- What are the expectations related to performance within this department?

You could have heard a pin drop at the table that evening as I shared the answers I had gleaned. Not a single individual was on the same page.

When we step back and look at the bigger picture right, we realize that we are living in a period of “profound disruption”, a new Margaret Wheatley phrase. We are seeing the deification of numbers and data, and yet are not seeing clarity about the difference between data and useful information. We also are seeing communication without connections and the rise of polarization. In the midst of all of this, exhausted professionals want to make a difference but are stymied by factors beyond their control or impact. The outcome of this reality is that now, more than ever, many people are considering and others are walking away from the leadership table. As they report to me, it’s just too much work.

Meanwhile, everyone is wanting to grow their organization. They want to serve more people, do more good work, and make a difference in the lives of those who are serving. Few leaders understand that with growth, distractions and complications multiply.

At the same time, the challenge of on-boarding new ideas, which would generate this desired growth, is that people want to solve all the problems and standardize all the processes before action. This is just not possible. We forget that solving problems creates more problems

Finally, operational management is trumping strategic execution. Introducing change or a new strategic plan has become an event rather than a process. Introducing change into a world of dysfunctional teams also does not make them functional; it actually increases their dysfunctional nature. 

And last, but not least, we have to recognize that managers are not leaders; both are important, but we need leaders! We especially need leaders who can unite us and create clarity.

This week, step back from the big pictures challenges and complexities and focus on the following questions:

- What is the purpose of this company or department?

- What are the goals of this company or department?

- What are the KPI’s of this company or department?

- What are the expectations related to performance within this company or department?

Finding the answers to these questions will create alignment and better choices when it comes to taking the next steps into the future.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257