Jack Mencini and Adam Sonnhalter business coaches with Maximum Value Partners and hosts of the WINT Radio Show, Dirty Secrets of Small Business debunk the myth that teamwork is about building consensus.
Adam explains the worse thing in the world to do is trying to get everyone’s input to make them happy. The idea of getting and sharing ideas are great but making sure everyone is happy for consensus is more about what it is to do the right thing for the small business. Teamwork is not necessarily about building consensus.
Jack says teamwork is important for the individual team members to contribute individual skills to provide good ideas and the team should explore those ideas and sell each other on those concepts to push those forward. Yet, someone has to set the goals and as the leader, the business owner, he or she might have to divert from the consensus and do what’s right for the business and the entire organization.
From the leadership standpoint, the leader is to focus on the why. Why are we making this change? Why are we doing something differently? If people understand the perspective even if they don’t like it, they will have the back story on why the alternate decision was made.
No one likes cut backs or layoffs, but if changes aren’t made, everyone will lose their jobs. The harder and the more emotional the decision is, the more difficult it is to have everyone be on the same page. As a leader, you have to make the right decision to drive the team as a benevolent dictator to do the make the necessary changes and chart direction that will benefit the organization over time. Tune into all the podcasts on www.DirtySecretsofSmallBusiness.com