Fear of the Integrator Seat
Recently I took a new company through the Accountability Chart exercise. The Accountability Chart is the tool that gives structure to a business, allowing each member to fill the role that fits his or her Unique Ability®.
As we were going through the exercise the assumption was that the owner would go in the Integrator seat, bringing clarity and keeping the team focused on accomplishing the business plan.
As the discussion continued, everyone agreed that the owner was definitely a Visionary and belonged in the Visionary seat, and many thought he belonged in the Integrator seat as well. Then the sales leader spoke up and said, “I think Joe should go in the Integrator seat. He handles most of those roles and responsibilities now, and he’s the one that’s in every day, knows every department and how they tick.”
It was clear that he was anxious. He wanted to do the right thing for the team and the business, and he didn’t want any elephants in the room.
Are you a recovering Visionary? You know the type – lots of big ideas, always inventing something new, a little light on the focusing, heavy on the creating, worried about the company culture, and incredibly impatient. I’m a recovering Visionary, myself.
Imagine you’ve founded a service business with about 100 employees. When asked, you explain your role as being involved with everything, especially Sales and Marketing, and Operations. One day, as you arrive at your weekly meeting, your right-hand man tells you, “You’re fired.”