The leaders of companies running on EOS® learn to look at their business through the lens of the Six Key Components™ (as illustrated by the EOS Model™). This is important because the root cause of a company’s issues is weakness in the Vision, People, Data, Issues, Process or Traction Component™. Solving issues at the root (rather than treating symptoms) makes them go away forever.
I have a client with two brothers on the leadership team, who disagreed about how to handle employee-challenge situations. The company has three locations with multiple shifts. Frustrations among midlevel managers were brewing when one of the leaders came across as harsh and cold over something that others considered to be a small issue. The trouble was that the leader didn’t have an awareness of how his actions affected the midlevel managers. They were frustrated, hurt, and demotivated by this repetitive behavior.
You need team conflict to have a healthy team. Yes, you read that right. (Actually, you need conflict for any relationship to be healthy.) As psychologist Michael Batshaw says, “Engaging in conflict isn’t going to end the relationship, it’s avoiding the conflict that might.”
A few weeks ago, during a two-day annual planning session, I witnessed a truly poignant moment. The leadership team was participating in the “One Thing” exercise, designed to improve trust and team health. It requires each leader to provide every other team-member with two pieces of feedback – one positive and one constructive.
When business leadership teams can be open and honest in the moment, the impact is tremendous. But being honest in the moment is where many teams struggle most.
When I was 10 years old, I went on my first sleepover to my Irish Catholic friend’s house. Approaching the carport, I heard a commotion and was shocked to see the whole family of ten gathered, watching their two youngest kids in an all-out fist fight, and Mom and Dad making bets with the others on the outcome!
