Investing in Leadership Conversations By Dr. Mark L. Vincent

Find Clarity in Leadership Conversations

But I thought that…” begins many leadership conversations.” Openings like those waste time and money if they don’t end in a common agreement about what to do next. The previous discussion wasted time and money because we needed to repeat the conversation!

Among the several reasons we might not have agreed, even though we thought we did, is that we used the exact words but with differences in meaning, however slight. When we do this, we will painfully bump into stalled processes, hurt feelings, anger, and accusations of mal-intent.

And those “but I thought that….” conversations become “but you said….” conversations, growing a lack of trust and loss of respect.

Leadership Conversations

Let’s use the phrase “leadership conversations ” from my first sentence. From your organizational perspective, what is a leadership conversation? More specifically, who would be in the room? Even more, what constitutes a conversation? Even the slightest differences of definition among the people involved result in markedly different takeaways from the interaction.

Let’s put essential matters in the mix, like continuity and succession. What do you mean when you use the words continuity and succession? Who gets to define them? Do those people share a standard definition? Does your organization separate continuity planning from succession planning, or are they inextricably linked? Are they tightly entwined within your strategic planning, or are they blind to each other?

Standard Definitions

Our efforts here bring out other words and phrases that need time to develop a standard definition.

• Future Balance Sheet
• Succession Map
• Successor
• Founder role | Predecessor role and job description
• Retirement
• Life to go to
• Estate Plan
• Executive Search
• Executive Leader Development

How much time and money are lost—in the current fiscal year and via lost opportunity in years to come—because we don’t take the time to ensure a standard definition at such a critical moment?

The Impact on the Future

The Christian Leadership Alliance partnership with Maestro-level Leaders fosters plan-full continuity and succession planning within a cohort of peers who journey together. Month by month, cohort and advisory conversations draw out robust definitions and set the course for continuity and succession planning explicitly tailored to the organizations guided by our cohort members.

Let’s be honest about this. Most of us will do this once and have not witnessed a well-performed one previously. And even if we did, what worked then will likely not work as promised next time because there are no real shortcuts for figuring out what a specific team of people means by succession planning in their specific organization with a specific mission and context.

Time and money invested in planful succession bring value and benefit.
Time and money wasted in “but I thought that….” and “but you said….” conversations are a compounding expense.

I am personally gathering the next cohort tied to the Christian Leadership Alliance partnership with Maestro-level Leaders and will be privileged to serve as its facilitator. CLA members receive an exclusive discount. I’d love to hear from you. mark@teallvincententerprises.com

Learn more here.

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ᐧDr. Mark L. Vincent is the Founder of Design Group International and the Society for Process Consulting. He hosts the Third Turn Podcast and facilitates Maestro-level leaders. Discover the Maestro-level cohort that is waiting for you! Click the banner below to learn more!