Some Elements of a Senior Executives Multi-Facetted Role

In a recent conversation with a senior executive he started to outline some of the things his Board expected of him. In the course of the conversation he started to list the things he in turn expected of various members of his leadership team. Over several conversations, which included his team, here is some of the list. Keeping the list in the forefront, with specific measurable outcomes to be produced in specific time periods, was a structure this team chose to help keep themselves focused – and sane. Here are a few highlights:

1. Produce specific measurable results, equal to or better than budget - and learn how to keep doing that
2. Enroll customers and prospects in new possibilities so that business relationship are strengthened and continue to grow
3. Have all our reports with clear accountabilities, development programs and continually improving their performance and sharing with all who can benefit from insights about what works and does not work
4. Surface and deal with conflict quickly – there will always be conflict: because of competing priorities, demands on finite resources – learn to use them to forward the team's objectives
5. Leave people in better shape than you found them – relationships are critical for performance, a result at the expense of a relationship is temporary and costly
6. Keep speculating about likely futures and keep inventing and creating desired futures, the tension between the two is the place to bring innovation and creativity to bear
7. Constantly watch out for waste – and don't forget wasted effort, unproductive work
8. Make decisions – even when facts are uncertain and circumstances are changing. If the decision turns out to be wrong, correct, learn and move on – and don't play the blame game
9. Know stakeholders expectations and be explicit about whether or not they will be met
10. Being in control is an illusion – organizations are complex, adaptive, intelligent human systems. Learn to live with complexity and deal with what is actually occurring not what "should be".

This team has started to make explicit, for everyone in their business, their organizing principles, their business model, the practices they have created to keep themselves on track and the behaviors that work and those that don't work in contributing to realizing the future they want for their business.