Here Are 5 Ways to Build an Effective Executive Team

How does an executive successfully lead an effective team that gets the job done? Leigh Thompson, a professor with the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, has come up with five tips to follow.

Thompson ‘s argument is detailed in a recent Kellogg School blog posting entitled “Five Strategies for Leading a High-Impact Team.” Her advice is designed to clear up team-building misconceptions, but she also wants to develop a team that has a huge impact on an organization, gets the job done quickly, and is also creative.

Here’s a quick summary of her tips.

1. Don’t make the team too big and homogenous. Make the team fluid, as well, so experts can come in and contribute only when needed and focus on other tasks.

2. It is possible to give your team creative freedom but also set ground rules. A written charter can help, something that establishes goals, rules and responsibilities.

3. Touting accomplishments at team gatherings isn’t necessarily as effective as sharing vulnerabilities. Team members that acknowledge mistakes and vulnerabilities can be more productive at generating ideas during brainstorming sessions.

4. Short meetings can be productive. Just use tools such as having a facilitator that solicit contributions to the agenda before a meeting – items that can serve as an efficient starting point for discussion.

5. Celebrate disagreement. Executives can manage disagreement, and should, in order to avoid “groupthink” and generate contrary ideas that could help improve an organization.

For the full Kellogg School blog posting, click here.

Source: Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University