A nod to Organizational Development – before launching into further strategic preparations, it will be extremely helpful to ensure the Leadership Team has the right people in the right seats. These people are the strategic decision makers for major “thematic” work at the organization, and one or more of them will likely be designated as Accountable to any initiative the group prioritizes. If the “top” leader (CEO, President, Principal, Owner) feels that there are misfits in this group, refer to our OD process to ensure the right people are assembled before you get started.
Given that the ideal state is to have the right people in the right seats on the Leadership Team before moving forward, it may not be practical to take the time to complete a Job Description refresher, and get started on Development Plans to close any gaps people have in skills or experiences to fit the roles they are in. Also, as your organization grows and changes, expectations of various Leadership Team roles will also grow and change. If you cannot complete the full process, at least review what it is and discuss how the team can remain open to sharing openly in quarterly and/or annual strategic sessions whether they are truly in the right place. This is not personal, it is practical and in the best interest of the business! And the Owner/Leader/CEO of the business needs to lead by example – highlighting areas in which s/he may need support or development to continue as the right person in her/his role as well.
Working Genius Note – Align the Right People in the Right Seats
Discernment Working Genius team members will be very helpful in cutting to the chase of whether team members are currently in the right roles, and/or what development or support they will need to excel in those roles. However, just as it is challenging for an Inventor to Discern her/his own invention even if s/he has both the “I” and “D” geniuses, it will be challenging for the Discernment Working Genius team members to discern their own roles. Also, often the Discernment genius can be off-putting to others – especially “Invention” types – who can get frustrated if Discernment feels more like “bubble-bursting” than “refinement.” If that type of dynamic exists in your organization, the best way to get around it is to retain an objective 3rd party facilitator to keep the discussion focused on the topics and mitigate any personal or emotional rat-holing that may prevent the team from discussing the true strengths and weaknesses of the various team members.
Read the previous article in our AJC Playbook Series: How to Define a Company’s Core Values?
Read the next article in our AJC Playbook Series: What kind of growth do you want?
Link back to AJC Playbook: Sharing our Methodology (and Running Table of Contents)