Stellar Management Teams

Vesa Ristikangas is a Senior Leadership Coach and Partner at BoMentis, a business and management consultancy in Finland.Tapani Rinne is a Trainer, Personal Resilience Coach, and CEO and founder of Ambitio Group, Finland.

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• Table of contentsWAKE UP? PART ONE – Do you want to fly?1. Not thinking is heavyProvoke thinking with gravity factorsGravity Factor No. 1 - Emphasizing individual responsibilityGravity Factor No. 2 – Multitude of bilateral discussionGravity Factor No. 3 – Dominance of numeric indicatorsGravity Factor No. 4 - Tight schedules and overloaded agendasGravity Factor No. 5 – Fixed rolesGravity Factor No. 6 – Director-centricity prevents taking responsibilityGravity Factor No. 7 – The loud ones override the quietSlow thinking combined with fast decisionsHasty intuition takes us fast – even astrayNew thinking instead of being in a rutStop and think together2. Systems thinking – basis of new thinkingNew elements from systems thinkingThe systems dictatorshipEight systemic ideas for stellar team designersSystemic Idea 1: There are invisible forces in the management teamSystemic Idea 2: Paradoxes are compulsorySystemic Idea 3: Spontaneity creates miraclesSystemic Idea 4: Resistance belongs to systemsSystemic Idea 5: Everything affects everything in a systemSystemic Idea 6: Leadership renews itself constantlySystemic Idea 7: Control is an illusionSystemic Idea 8: Change is a constantly changing phenomenonSystems oriented management team enables SuperproductivitySuccess factors of The Stellar TeamTowards the starThe two levels: primary and secondary goalsCore of Part One: thinking, systems and guiding starPART TWO – Secondary goals are the launch pad3. The course is setA management team needs a mission of its ownThe best mission is a defined missionMake your mission aliveMake your guiding star visibleGoal heat is dangerous(1) SMART goal narrows too much!(2) Goal may weaken morality?(3) Goals may prevent learnin(4) Goals may lead to over-performing(5) Linearity of goals is rare(6) Controlling through goals is an illusionDeepening goal thinkingHow to follow your star?Strategy makes your mind focusedIndividual significance of focusFocus of the strategy4. Respect internal and external stakeholdersCustomer experience is always rightCustomer experience is redeemed at contact pointsKeep your eyes openInternal stakeholders must be taken seriouslyBoard of directors – Influential actor in the backgroundBoard of directors meets the expectations of Stellar Team5. Meeting practices in orderFine-tuning brains in the management teamFirst: The brain is a machine for creating connectionsSecond: The brain presents most decisions by intuitionThird: We have the brain of herd animalsGood decisions are induced with questioningNew energy to the meetingsBest practices of theme meetingsDeveloping standard meetingsRefreshing postures6. Success metrics in the cockpitMetrics connected to strategyPrimary and secondary success metricsPriorities regarding measurement of primary goals7. Strengthening the launch padCoincidence generates different results than controlA different kind of successChance will favour the conscious developerCoincidences as a new management team focusConstant or repeated renewal?Success focused operationHow should this be?Core of Part Two: Secondary goals as launch padPART THREE – Attraction of primary goals8. Commitment is the core of guiding starThere are two types of commitment within ourselvesTwo types of egoism – the right and the wrong one?A reward system steersIs collective responsibility a collective mistake?9. Trust creates energyTrust is worth exploringTrust in competence is easily detectedTrust in agreement means integrityCommunication styles build trustFour dimensions of behaviourOpen communication styleStraightforward communication styleReliable communication styleAccepting communication styleTrust as regards attitude is perceivableIndividual tendency to trustTo trust requires the courage to take risksCan you accelerate trust formation?1. Relation factors2. Hope and expectations3. Methods and techniquesSharing dreams is trusting10. Diversity and conflict competenceIt is useful to shy away from diversityCourt of identical membersCourt makes war against divergenceHeroes build peaceLook in the mirrorBehavioural styles in practiceManagement team is a sum of stylesInfluencing the structure of the management teamConflicts are "business as usual"Unclear goals blur the visionAttitude handicap is cripplingIncompetence frustratesChanges confuse the teamTime pressure plays on the nervesLack of leadership creates shaky groundOvercoming the fear of conflictsConflict competence is a team skillIdeas for overcoming fear of conflictsMinesweeperRefereeMeaning amplifierDevelopment is possible11. Feedback puts wings on developmentSystems offer opportunities for operationsSystems intelligent way of initiating change in a system called a teamCorrect your understandingAsking for feedback takes courageAcknowledging feedback requires consideration12. Collaboration is a choicePositive psychology supports The Stellar TeamPositive psychology in the cockpitManagement team is milking and being milkedAppreciative approach inspiresCommon reflection and three levels of learningCore of Part Three: the attraction of primary goalsPART FOUR – To the stars13. Hey, we are airborne!Right people in right placesWhat’s inside the hat of a real leader?Speed to fly from role diversityRoles are a concept of interactionRoles and counter roles are dancing togetherRole chart of a Stellar Team memberA. InfluencerB. StrategistC. DeveloperD. CoachE. Synergy BuilderCaptain of the teamA management team member can never take his hat offDisagreement poisons the systemMember of a management team between a rock and a hard placeThe chair really mattersChange of role must be recognized14. Resilience prevents motion sicknessChange management in changePaths of change in the brainThe northern neighbour of the USAMy brain is unfinished but the situation is stableI think now like this – and I change my brainNew paths of the change management teamPlanned and unexpected changeNeed to control is controllingChange causes dysfunctional behaviour – and always evokes emotionsHow does recovery from change take place?Resilience helps bouncing backCharacteristics that speed up recovery from changeStrong resilience is the sum of equally strong characteristicsSpontaneous management team learnsChange management team in urgency on a burning platform"Burning platform""Sense of urgency"Amygdala makes decisions on a burning platformElements of success: agility, competence and condition15. The journey is long when travelling aloneA thinking management teamA sensing management teamA coaching management teamCoaching leadership as philosophy and modus operandiHow to create synergy?How does synergistic collaboration produce more than the sum of its parts?Effective means of building synergyThree basic needs of a travellerCore of Part Four: roles, resilience and synergy on our journey to the starsThe journey of The Stellar Management Team continues…AcknowledgementsAPPENDICESAppendix 1 – Coaching guide for management teamsCoaching – individual co-driver on your journey to the starsTeam coaching – boost your engine on the way to the starsClarity for definitionsGoals and results of team coaching in management teamsTeam coach supports towards the guiding starAppendix 2 – Self Care Guide for Management TeamsReferences and Sources Index