Create more value through your team's intelligence
None of us is as smart as all of us! You can hire the smartest people. You can use assessment companies to measure their IQ. You can decide to exclusively hire people with degrees from respected universities. But, if you are not able to unlock the collective intelligence of your teams, you’re working sub-optimal at best.
The world is far too complicated these days to expect that one person knows everything. It’s even dangerous.
Where to begin if you want to implement a journey to start to use the collective intelligence of your key leaders better?
- Start with the individual business leaders. I’ve worked with so many leaders over the years who (unconsciously) believe that they must know everything. Asking for help is considered a sign of weakness. While in fact, it’s the other way around! If you’re able to acknowledge what you don’t know, if you’re able to use input from others in areas where you know less, that’s a sign of real strength! Start to have this debate with your leaders. Be a role model when it comes to asking for help! Use an executive coach to improve your own effectiveness. When you’re hiring an executive coach for your business leaders you basically say: you need help. But if you’re not working with someone yourself, your action speaks louder than your words. Basically, you’re saying: you need help, and I don’t!
- Implement processes that kill silos in your company. Make sure that your operational leadership team meetings are not perceived as exams, where one business leader is ‘grilled’ and the others think: ‘I’m glad it’s not me today, I’m keeping my head down’. Kill silos by building the business plan together. Decide upon the strategy and business goals together. Have one business leader orchestrate the execution, monitor progress together.
- How often have I heard: 'our leadership team is not really a team'. With people in a group, it’s like any other relationship. You need to spend an amount of time together and create experiences. I find team building often to be time wasters if not done right. My top three priorities when it comes to building a team: 1. Trust, 2. Trust and 3., you’ve guessed it: Trust. If you invest, start at the basis, build or repair trust first.
- If you are the CEO, make sure that you take a team-based approach when you work with your team. Don’t fall into the trap to take an individual approach. I’ve seen leaders working with every manager more or less one on one. If you don’t feel comfortable with the team approach, learn it! This is a skill that can be taught, just like you can learn public speaking.
Markets and businesses are way too complex these days for an old school one on one approach where one person knows everything. None of us is as smart as all of us! Use it to your advantage to create more value.
Hope this inspires.
Paul Donkers
Paul P.J. Donkers is a sought-after global business coach and management consultant. More about his work and projects can be found via www.tencompany.org and via www.ikigaicoachinginstitute.com
Paul and his partners work since decades with leadership teams worldwide to help them create more value. If you want to have a confidential conversation about using your team intelligence better, just reach out to us via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
