Senior Team Alignment
When you work in a senior team, you need to perform at peak levels, with a strong vision, deep collaboration, respect for the skills of each member and alignment across all key business goals.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Does the vision for your company make your team members feel genuine pride?
- Does each of your senior team leaders feel appreciated for what they contribute?
- Do your leaders trust you for what you bring to the table? Do you trust them for what they bring?
- Is there alignment across all of your business areas with strong collaboration among your directors?
Consulting Story
A major automotive company was having terrible problems with their quality; they had both major and minor defects on most cars. I spent an entire year facilitating senior executives from all the major departments and headed by an Executive Director. The executives together studied the Toyota Production System and presented their report to the CEO and Chairman of the Board. As a result of the study, this automotive company began work on lean manufacturing, a team-based supervisory structure and gave the hourly workers the ability to stop the process for quality inspections. Gradually, quality improved and cars had less defects.
Senior Team Alignment Process:
- Data Gathering and Evaluation - Evaluate current strengths and areas of growth as a basis for the alignment goals
- Team Assessment - Use team leadership tools to evaluate the way the team works together
- Involvement in Planning - Each senior team leader becomes involved developing solutions to the priority issues
- Tenative Solutions - The team continues to involve everyone until everyone has spoken his or her piece
- Final Solutions - The final solution(s) must have the full buy-in of all
