Team cohesion leads to high performance because cohesive teams are consistently characterized by three specific things. They make faster, better decisions. They affect more seamless execution, and they are more nimble to change.
The concept of Cascading Communications isn’t complicated. It is a simple, efficient tool for leaders to communicate messages from the leadership team to the teams they lead, and to ensure that important messages flow from the top of the organization to the next level and beyond.
In this “Thoughts from the Field” (Feb 2022) my colleague Bob Bernatz (Newport CA) highlights a critical mindset every leader must adopt – I need others to protect me. It’s a bold bit of humility! CEOs become CEOs typically because of some mix of hard work, intelligence, creativity, and relationship building. To reach this apex humble enough to recognize one’s limitations is essential for success in the role. They key is to recognize that this protection team must be given permission to protect! Their job is to develop character as much as strategy. In my line of work – the person who typically learns the most is the leader, not the team. Enjoy!
As we help teams master the 5 Behaviors of Cohesive Teams (Vulnerability-based Trust | Healthy Conflict | Shared Commitment | Peer-to-Peer Accountability | Collective Results), we introduce a concept called the Conflict Continuum. There are two unhealthy extremes on this continuum: not holding back (potential mean-spirited, personal attacks) and holding back (artificial harmony).