Half the Learning Came From the Conversation!

"Half the learning came from the conversation."

That is what one of the members of a leadership team said at the end of a full day implementing Results On Purpose and doing some strategic planning. Really, it was a day during which some very important and specific questions were asked of the leadership team leading to excellent discussion and open debate. Furthermore, focus was maintained and tangents were not a factor.

In the end, they made decisions and planned action for the next 90 days. They'll stay focused and won't need to redo the conversation in a month, next quarter, or next year. In 90 days, we'll do it again.

The lesson is this. The best leadership teams (even if it is just two people) regularly schedule time together to step away from the daily routine in order to make sure they are on the same page regarding both the short and long-term direction of the business and what it will look like when they get there. This should happen at least quarterly and should focus on clarifying the short-term objectives, who is accountable for the results, and what are the issues that must be dealt with to achieve those results.

Leadership teams may get the results they want without following a system that includes the quarterly meeting discipline, but they will work a lot harder than they need. It will take longer. And they won't have as much fun.