Gentlemen,
Great suggestions! Progress is steady for us. In addition to your advice, you have helped me reflect a bit. We are doing well as we move forward. After all, if it were easy they would not need me. haha

Emilio,

I have found if you hold each them accountable within the part of the organizational strategy they cover and make them give reasons for their deviation this collaboration will lead to a better overall dynamic. The goal is getting them to work together as a team to accomplish the company’s goals and you act as the facilitator to enable them to achieve the company’s objectives.

I have created teams with proven leaders that have added value to their last few organizations. Meaning, They have had either some sort of vision, leadership, business, IT, operational, execution or strategic value they have done previously.

I find from my experience that executives have titles but have not proven what they can accomplish or how they are going about adding value to their organizations. As can be seen from the recent economic collapse as executives move freely between companies and they were the ones devaluing company worth and profitability. If you have built a concrete plan and actually implemented them to lead organizations then I would consider to put you on a management team.

I am currently going through this. My biggest challenge is conflicting objectives and poor team work. All the team members are committed to success but I spend more time redirecting their efforts. They are quick to deviate from major areas of the plan with little or no coordination with the rest of teh team. For me it has become an almost exclusive leadership function with almost no time for strategy and tactical work beyond that related to leadership.

On one level, yes. However, even “shared destiny” is secondary to “the ability for the team to effectively work together.” As you know better than I, a strategy/vision is only as valuable as the team’s ability to execute, which I feel is principally governed by chemistry.

On a technical and practical level, achieving and maintaining perfect chemistry is effectively asymptotic (you approach, but never quite get there). As such, and because screening of such chemistry in an intuitive, and therefore, an inexact science, the business problem becomes finding the strength, courage, and foresight to remove the “bad elements,” deal with the resulting impact, and move onward.

This is simply one man’s opinion and perspective..

For chemistry – I read – shared destiny…..

Truly a critical aspect that is much easier said than done. Like Earl, I have dealt with a variety of situations, although Earl appears to have accumulated a few more years of wisdom than me. I am currently on the board of several start-up ventures, and will be adding a few more board positions very soon. I have also been part of the startup management team, so I have a few perspectives, as I am sure you both do.

In addition to the points/factors that Earl highlighted (which I agree with), I would like to suggest that the most fundamental (yet important) factor is team chemistry. In the end, and even after so many aspects were “addressed,” I have seen that to be the make-or-break factor. Secondary to that, but clearly something that is inextricably linked, is personal greed and ego.

As posted in black-and-white on my linkedin profile and resume, my “Management Philosophy” below reflects my thoughts on core principles for the formation and success of any start-up venture (or even a program/initiative within a giant corporation–same dynamic, different magnitude, risk, and costs).

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Management Philosophy
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<> Success is a function of timing, capability, focus, perseverance, follow-through, and more importantly, team chemistry. If the team does not have the chemistry, then nothing else matters.

<> Advancement is derived from actually moving forward and recognizing that mistakes will be made. Too many ventures become gridlocked as a result of waiting for the perfect moment or trying to achieve nirvana.

<> Trust your leadership team, but never ignore gut feelings. Treat everyone with respect, and check your ego in at the door. To do otherwise is a recipe for a short-term business venture.

These are big questions Earl – I have started up teams, taken over teams. reformed and refreshed teams, renewed and enhanced teams, been part of other teams etc. I could write you a book. Tell me more about the critical issues that worry you or that you think you need more input with. For me the fundamentals are quite simple: what is the goal; what capabilities do we need; what have we got; where can we access what we need; what shall we do with what we’ve got; how will requirements change as we progress; what do we do about succession; how do we manage the business critical risks; how do we test our assumptions and challenge our analysis; and what else can we do to improve throughput, optimise performance and increase impact??