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Executive Events

There are a number of building blocks for building a successful organisation.

The first two of these are:

(1) A good leader and

(2) A high-performing Executive Team or, to use our language, Corporate Brain.

There are plenty of pitfalls along the way.

It is not unknown for organisations to recruit a group of highly talented individuals to Director roles but then fail to get the individuals to work well together as a collective. Another common scenario is overdependence on one or two key individuals – the team can crash if these people leave.

It is well established that the best way to develop a high-performing team is to put people in a room together and give them something they have in common to work on. An Executive Event lifts this idea up to an organisational and strategic level.

The purpose of an Executive Event is to proactively create a high-performing Executive Team, develop the Corporate Brain of an organisation and, in doing so, remove the above risks.

Typical aims

  • Hear from the leader
  • Reflect on progress and achievements
  • Look to the future
  • Provide an opportunity for quality thinking time
  • Identify and plan for future challenges
  • Do Real Work
  • Create alignment and momentum

Typical contents

Individual Perspectives

Leader Speaks

Strategy Review

Real Work

Getting to know each other better

Who, when and where

Usually the CEO/MD and their Direct Reports

2 days, usually bi-annually

Off-site (we work with you to find the best venue)

Developing the Corporate Brain

One of the ultimate aims of an Executive Event is to develop the Corporate Brain of an organisation. The signs of an effective Corporate Brain are that it:

(1)                Takes direction from the leader

(2)                Is able to debate issues of organisational importance with balanced participation and input from each member then come to a jointly accepted, sensible and strategic conclusion

(3)                Thinks strategically and doesn’t get bogged down in detail

(4)                Focuses on the customer

(5)                Is able to do Real Work quickly and efficiently, i.e. dissect something of organisational importance, identify issues, evaluate options and decide a way forward

(6)                Prefers data over anecdote and opinion

(7)                Knows how to convert good intentions into decisions and actions, and then make what has been agreed happen

(8)                Each Director participates in the running of the whole organisation, not just their department

(9)                Talks with one voice throughout the organisation

(10)              Has behaviours and meeting habits that are ‘straight out of the manual’

(11)              Speaks the language of improvement, e.g. “Pareto”, “Vital Few/Useful Many”, “Project-by-Project”, “process, not people”

(12)              No individual is perfect but there is collective compensation for each other’s strengths, weaknesses and foibles

(13)              Is able to deal with changes in team composition without losing pace and performance

(14)              Directors can move between each other’s roles – thus gaining experience and flexibility

(15)              Is able to take crises in its stride

(16)              The individuals in it are united by the Mission and Vision of the organisation

 

Running regular Executive Events will contribute to the development of all the above.

Want to know more?

Get in touch or download our Briefing Note for further detail.

Get in touch