Debra Howard Consulting

Leadership Team Tune-Up

Team of Rivals

Whether they're called leadership teams, executive teams, or management teams, bringing a group of highly experienced, hard-driving leaders into a room together does not automatically turn them into a team. Yes, they all work for the same organization and report to the same person, but most executives feel more loyalty to the teams they manage then they do to their colleagues. This is exacerbated when budgets are shrinking, and when team members have different styles, perspectives, and backgrounds (something for which organizations are striving, for so many good reasons, but diversity doesn't make it any easier for leadership teams to gel).

Turning a group of competitive direct reports into a true team of collaborators takes intention, skill, and time. Getting people to work together, instead of complaining about each other and how they're not taking responsibility and being accountable, is fortunately something leaders can learn, and teach to the teams below them.

What we do:

  • interview the leader and each member of the team confidentially to determine what's working, what's not, and why
  • observe the team in meetings, share immediate observations and suggestions, and debrief with the leader to discuss ideas for improvement
  • coach the leader on how to guide the team to be more cohesive and effective
  • provide short training sessions and presentations, such as our provocative presentation on triangulation in the workplace
  • design and facilitate team retreats to improve trust, communication, and alignment
  • facilitate a half-day executive team workshop using the FIRO-B assessment, a no-nonsense way to understand team dynamics

DOWNLOAD: Debra_Howard_FIROB_Workshop.pdf