In conversation: The CEO moment

For sound decision making, esprit de corps, and superior performance, top-line goals must be clearly understood throughout the organization. Yet by their own admission, two of three companies fail to communicate these goals consistently. In a survey of eleven thousand senior executives and managers, a majority couldn’t name their company’s top prio

Test strategic alignment from the top down. Ask people at the top what the company’s vision and strategy are. Then see how far down into the organizational hierarchy those beliefs penetrate. You will learn how well the previous leader drove vision and strategy down through the organization. Test awareness of challenges and opportunities from the bo

The first: Have each person imagine that they are the CEO and ask themselves the question, “What are the most important issues (maximum three) for me to solve in the next ninety days?” Allowing people to put themselves in the CEO role gives them permission to think like an owner. The second: Just as people’s fullest thoughts about someone can be dr

you need to establish new communication channels to stay connected with what is happening where the action is. You might maintain regular, direct contact with select customers, for instance, or meet regularly with groups of frontline employees, all without undermining the integrity of the chain of command.