We’re hearing it everywhere: low employee engagement scores. What does that mean? Usually, it’s some combination of low motivation, low morale, or disappointed expectations; these result in lackluster performance and a culture that hasn’t quite figured out how to ignite the passion of their teams–leaving big potential results on the table. Solving these challenges requires everyone on your executive team to figure them out. Before looking to fixes like perks and fun outings meetings, or even blame it on a few employees who frustrate you, look to yourselves first. How do your company’s flat engagement scores reflect the elephants in the room on your executive team? What are the conversations you’re not having that you need to be?
While blaming low engagement numbers on unconscious, selfish employees or remote work may be tempting, these shallow analyses form an incomplete picture. The qualitative signs of disengagement and disconnect are obvious: meetings are inefficient, task execution takes too long, teams are out of sync or missing deadlines, higher stress teetering on burnout, and other clear signs that a company can improve its productivity. The culprits may not be so easy to find.
It’s critical to look for the cause of the problem, not just treat the symptoms. Leaders must reframe their thinking; oftentimes, it’s not a “more processes and procedures” approach that improves productivity and engagement. Instead, executives, look to your own team first. Observe the cultural interactions among the executive team members that radiate outward, impacting those directors, managers, and employees orbiting each executive member’s sphere of influence.
The Executive Team Informs the Culture
There is a tendency to think that if something is “culture” related, it’s solely in the domain of the HR person. However, we know the tensions on an executive team are due to departments not working congruently with one another and vice versa.
Executive team members are the glue that makes or breaks an organization’s culture. If the CMO is in competition with the CTO, our data consistently finds that their two departments will usually be the most siloed, unable to work well together. The tensions and conflicts on the executive team can inadvertently sabotage cross-functional silos and those struggles, felt by their respective misaligned teams, are voiced back to the top in an endless cycle. Every action taken by an executive team member is distributed to and amplified by members outside the core team, causing potentially damaging ripple effects between their departments and the rest of the organization. Lost creativity, innovation, motivation, and productivity turn into serious losses over time.
Simply, if the executive team is slightly misaligned, the company’s orbit destabilizes because the company’s culture reflects the executive team’s culture. This is why the CEO cannot outsource culture, although human resource or people development teams are very important and necessary partners. By modeling their values, encouraging their senior leadership, being transparent in their decision-making, and constantly reinforcing an unwavering commitment to their mission, CEOs and Executive leaders create and solidify an organization’s culture.
When leaders employ a “rules for thee but not for me” attitude or noticeably go against company values, resentment grows, and its effects radiate to all levels of the organization. If leaders are constantly late to meetings, employees will start showing up late. If executives speak unkindly to people or talk behind each others’ backs, gossip will run rampant. This is a slippery slope. It is imperative that leaders are constantly aware of how their actions will be perceived and internalized by peers and employees.
The Perils of a Misaligned Executive Team
We have consistently assessed, across multiple industries, that many cross-functional breakdowns and communication issues stem from a lack of alignment between department leaders and the executive team. Imagine all executive team members are arrows pointing in the same general direction toward the company’s goals. If they are slightly off-center from each other, though, eventually, each arrow is going to grow further and further away from the others. Early communication gaps and misunderstandings get bigger and bigger as time goes on. This occurs when executive team conversations aren’t rigorous enough, and members don’t possess the same level of shared understanding and commitment from the beginning.
To regain alignment and clarify communication breakdowns resulting from this misalignment, there is no easy solution; the executive team must be willing to ask the tough questions and give honest feedback. Leaders must engage in open communication by exercising patience, developing strong listening skills, and hold multifaceted perspectives at once without dissolving into negativity biases, in- and out-grouping, or petty arguments.
If an executive team is struggling to collaborate or communicate efficiently, focus on the current state of affairs: What is going well inside of the company? What could be improved upon? What are our blind spots, the big issues we are unwilling to admit?
Radically open conversations allow the executive team to identify anything that could be hindering the organization’s growth, analyze its cultural impact on senior management, and form more trusting bonds with one another. This deep cross-functional leadership development is essential for building a strong leadership culture and will inevitably ripple out to the rest of the organization.
Alignment in an executive team is much more than just hitting quarterly goals. True alignment is about having a deep understanding of the goals, high trust, and psychological safety to voice differing points of view, as well as providing a united front or offering critique when necessary.
Address the Elephants in the Room
Misalignments are exacerbated when trust is low and communication breaks down. The CMO may be competing with the CTO for resources or the CFO is harboring lingering resentments about the CEO. These changes can happen within the span of 6 months, or several years — often imperceptively. However, the ripples of conflict inevitably make waves.
Perhaps a few years ago, the executive team was energized and singularly focused. Now, the tires have gone flat. Meetings have become boring, terse, and stilted. Executives often complain about others being “too nice” or “incapable of having a real conversation.” Everyone points fingers at everyone else, of course, but often, when talking to misaligned teams, we find that every person also has valid grievances.
When this is happening, the only way through is to take an honest look together at what’s going on. It requires having Level 10 conversations with each other on a scale of 1 to 10, where “1” is nice and polite, and 10 is telling the truth about what’s really going on. Getting to Level 10 means you’ve cultivated an environment where you can talk about what needs to be talked about. With a willingness to take an honest look at things, ask What’s going well? What’s in the way? There is no holding back during these long, difficult conversations. Trust exercises and relationship-building activities are crucial as executives share their vulnerabilities, high points, and challenges.
When these are done well, the group dynamic changes immediately. The air lightens, and suddenly, everyone is full of ideas and enthusiasm. Open communication is suddenly easy, and everyone aligns with the mission yet again. The elephant in the room has been addressed, and the tension is lifted. With this foundation of trust, the work to get aligned can begin in earnest.
As trust and camaraderie build, make your tactical alignment as clear and simple as possible–the more complexity, the more chance for breakdowns and misunderstanding. Focus on your “Big 3:” what are the three clear company goals that would have the biggest impact on the company? Create 3-year, 1-year, and 90-day goals for your team and for the individuals on the team. This strategy should fit on one page, and if we were to ask anyone on your team, “What is your strategy,” everyone would have the same answer.
When teams align around clear goals that everyone can articulate, the whole of the company unites. As executives perfect their communication skills, their influence spreads into their senior teams and employees. Investing in cultivating an aligned executive team will help your company achieve a thriving company culture and breakthrough results.
