Connecting Top Managers

Foreword ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction A Pack of Top Dogs 1

Who This Book Is For 3

Who We Are 3

How the Book Is Organized 4

Time Is Precious 4

Endnotes 5

Chapter 1 Executive Team Execution 7

Definitions of Success 11

Measures of Success 14

Section 1: Business Results 20

Financial Performance 20

Customer Retention and Satisfaction 21

Strategic Implementation 22

Section 2: Daily Team Effectiveness 23

Decision-making Success 24

Relationship Building 25

The Team's Reputation Within the Organization 27

Section 3: Talent Development 29

Bench Strength and Succession Planning 30

Management Team Capacity 32

Leadership Team Growth 33

Section 4: The Workplace 34

Organizational Culture 34

Employee Engagement and Retention 35

Organizational Agility 37

Which Indicators Should You Measure? 38

Endnotes 39

Chapter 2 The Clash of Titans: Executive Teaming 41

What Is Executive Teaming? 41

Dysfunction Reverberates 42

Holding Yourself to a High Standard 43

Two Executive Teaming Skills 44

Ensure Differences Don't Lead to Clashes 46

Practice Partnership at All Times 51

The Traits of Leadership Team Partnership 53

Shared Purpose 53

Shared Ownership 53

Mutual Trust 54

Critical Thinking 54

Shared Success and Failure 55

Effective Inclusion and Communication 55

Partnership Techniques 56

Don't Try to Control Peers 56

Spend Time Together 56

Resolve Relationship Problems 56

Represent Each Other Well 57

Never Bad Mouth 57

Own Problems and Challenges 58

Be Humble 58

Know Their Needs 59

Working on Your Teaming Skills 60

Endnotes 61

Chapter 3 Meetings Are Money 63

The Cost of Meetings Index 64

Value of Meetings Hurdle 65

Why Are You Meeting? 78

Endnotes 81

Chapter 4 Culture Is the Context and Often the Answer 83

What Is an Organization's Culture? 85

How Are Organizational Cultures Formed and Changed? 89

Improving the Organization's Culture 91

Define the Desired Culture 93

Define the Current Culture 104

Assess Capacity for Change (C4C) 106

Create Plan for Cultural Improvement 108

Be the Culture 111

Endnotes 117

Chapter 5 They Are All Moments of Truth 119

Be Fast or Fail 120

Successful Moments of Truth 123

How to Quickly Make a Positive Impact and Build Relationships 129

Trust 130

Credibility 130

Familiarity 131

Connection to You and the Team 131

Connection to the Organization 131

Interest, Passion, and Enrollment 132

Clarity, Commitment, and Focus 132

Make a Splash! 132

All for One, One for All 135

Endnotes 138

Chapter 6 Getting Better Together 139

Leadership Team Member Capabilities 142

More Than Competencies 147

Intra-Team Talent Reviews 150

Peer Coaching 152

Team Assignments 157

Team Development Events 158

Endnotes 160

Chapter 7 Creating an Agile Organization 161

A Primer on Organizational Agility 162

What Is Organizational Agility? 162

Model of Organizational Agility 165

Focus 166

Resources 166

Performance 167

Five Benefits of Organizational Agility 168

Organizational Agility: Two Scenarios 170

Assessment: How Agile Is Your Organization? 172

Individual and Leadership Team Agility 180

Endnotes 188

Chapter 8 Leadership Team Strategies for Remaining Union-Free 189

10 Early Warning Signs 190

10 Reasons Employees Organize 194

12 Issues Targeted by Unions 196

12 Reasons for Union-Organizing Success 199

Be Visible and Known and Build Relationships at All Levels 203

Measure and Improve Your Organization's Connectivity Index 207

Ensure Role Clarity for Management Positions 211

Shore Up Management Fundamentals from Top to Bottom 212

Endnotes 215

Conclusion A Manifesto About Love and Leadership 217

Will You Go for the Gold? 220

Executive Team Execution 220

The Clash of Titans: Executive Teaming 221

Meetings Are Money 222

Culture Is the Context and Often the Answer 223

They Are All Moments of Truth 224

Getting Better Together 225

Creating an Agile Organization 226

Leadership Team Strategies for Remaining Union-Free 227

Endnotes 229

Appendix The Leadership Team Excellence Assessment 231

The Leadership Team Survey 231

Part 1: How We Measure Success 232

Part 2: How We Spend Time Together 233

Part 3: How We Impact Organizational Excellence 236

The Leadership Team Survey with Discussion Notes 237

Part 1: How We Measure Success 237

Part 2: How We Spend Time Together 238

Part 3: How We Impact Organizational Excellence 240

The Leadership Team Survey as a Tool for Development 241

References 243

About the Authors 249

Index 253