Throughout my career, I've worked with numerous C-suite teams and recognize their unique role within the organization. And while such teams experience challenges like any other, their position in the company also make for some unique challenges. Some typical C-suite team challenges include:
Team Size: Many C-suite teams exceed optimal size, hindering effectiveness. Teams over 10 members often grapple with excessive process management, impeding decision-making and execution.
Cloning: Despite efforts toward diversity, C-suite teams often lack varied perspectives. Diverse backgrounds, not just demographics, are crucial for high-performing teams, especially at the senior executive level.
Alpha Paralysis: Dominant personalities at the upper echelon can stall progress, as debates over seemingly minor issues consume valuable time. Ego-driven discussions may deter CEOs from addressing critical matters, fostering a culture of superficiality.
Operating Level: C-suite teams can become overly involved in the day-to-day affairs of the business, neglecting a more strategic focus. When senior executives micromanage, it impedes staff engagement and blinds leadership to external developments, trends, and potential threats.
Artificial Harmony: Dissent is often suppressed in favor of maintaining harmony which only serves to stifle innovation and robust decision-making. Politeness and fear of “rocking the boat” often conceals underlying disagreements, undermining team effectiveness and business results.
Myopia: Limited perspectives stemming from narrow functional or regional experience hinder more holistic, enterprise-wide decision-making. Overcoming this requires leaders to prioritize the broader organizational interests over individual business unit agendas.
First Team Loyalty: Balancing loyalty between the top team and individual business units can strain team dynamics. Executive leaders must prioritize alignment and company-wide objectives over their own functional or regional interests.
It's critical that C-suite teams address such issues as it sets the tone for the rest of the organization. Sadly, the truth is that C-suite team members are 5x more likely to describe their team as “poor” or “mediocre” than high-performing.
Want to learn more about becoming a high-performing team?
Register for our FREE June High-Performing Teams Leadership Challenge: https://www.ormondassociates.com/registration. Leaders will get 4 hours of 1:1 coaching on high-performing teams over 4 days in June. This $2000 value is absolutely FREE, but spots are limited. Register today and learn how to:
- Master the 8 key elements of high-performing teams.
- Assess your team’s performance.
- Implement actionable steps for significant improvement.
Comments