Human Resources Issues for Senior Management
Issue link: https://digital.hrreporter.com/i/343811
21 sponsibility of the CEO. Every member of the executive team needs to master the art. Experts like Beverly Behan, who study the effectiveness of boards, generally agree it's no longer sufficient for directors to be the only ones to: fully understand and actively engage in an organization's operation; have clearly defined roles; and be in agreement and align- ment with the organization's vision, mission, strategies and opera- tional plans. Senior executives share those same responsibilities. e recent Strategic Capability Network panel moderated by Behan highlighted a number of common mistakes leaders make that marginalize their ability to engage and influence directors. Some of those frequent mistakes included: presenting too much in- formation while presenting; reading slide material verbatim; being too vague about desired results; inability to present a compelling case; insuf- ficient evidence on key issues; little interaction with the directors; and being less than succinct or clear with the message. e question we need to ask is this: If these are common mistakes at the board level, then what's the like- lihood the same mistakes are happening between leaders and their own teams? Since the panel's objective was to provide insights about how lead- ers can maximize their effectiveness with boards, I'm curious about the lessons leaders were le with. How many leaders le thinking about what they could do with this feedback to improve the level of influence for themselves and other leaders? What current practices would need to be changed, where would they start and who should be included? One thought that came to mind for me was a great twist on an old saying from the "continuous improvement" era: "If you keep doing what you always did, you will get what you always got." For leaders, that idea might be worthy of some further thought. I am even more curious as to whether these shortcomings and mistakes indicate a larger challenge. How systemic might these prac- tices be within corporate Canada? If senior leaders find it challenging to present or communicate effective, compelling strategies and information to the board, how is that affecting their leadership within their own organizations? Might this be hindering progressive decision-making? How might it unintentionally send ambiguous or mistaken messages? Is it conceivable that such ineffectiveness is fostering greater inde- cisiveness and lacklustre execution from managers and their teams? Trish Maguire is a commentator for SCNetwork on leadership in action and founding principal of Synergyx Solutions in Nobleton, Ont., focused on high-potential leadership development coaching. She has held senior leadership roles in HR and OD in education, manufacturing and entrepreneurial firms. She can be reached at synergyx@sympatico.ca. "If you keep doIng what you always dId, you wIll get what you always got." Invest in your professional development by joining the Strategic Capability Network. Since we are a non-profi t association, we offer a low annual membership of $225 which gives you access to monthly events with infl uential thought leaders, company presidents, academics and authors around our core themes of strategic capability, organization effectiveness and leadership. Better yet - you now have the option of attending the events live at the National Club, remotely from one of our televised hubs, or from the comfort of your own home or offi ce. Not only that - membership also includes a host of other free professional resources through our affi liate association with HRPS. Join a vibrant professional community of senior leaders across the public and private sector, representing a broad range of industries. SCN_ESD_Spring_13.indd 1 13-05-23 3:55 PM