He was so close.
This was a client who already knew, liked and trusted him. He knew their concerns and the challenges this company was facing. Not only from a growth perspective, but from a leadership perspective.
He had several conversations with the CEO about the Stages of Growth X-Ray and with each conversation the CEO found greater relevance in terms of how the program could help with their growth challenges.
The CEO was for the the idea, but at the same time was hesitant and wasn’t sure. Would she just include her leadership team? Some of them were new. Could it be done in one day instead of two? She had a strategic planning session planned for later that year and wasn’t sure they could do both.
In a conversation with the GCS, we talked about her concerns. He shared with me their history, and he and I talked about different options.
My take was this.
The CEO herself was new to the role and had been with the company for over 10 years. Since some of the leadership team were new or new to a position (many had been at the company for many years), did the CEO truly understand what issues her team was facing? Did she truly understand what challenges each of them were wrestling with every day?
And, if she was tuned-in to those issues with her leadership team, who else from the company should she be hearing from? What might this CEO learn from a diversity of voices from down-stream participants? What about the direct reports to those leaders? What issues were they dealing with?
I suggested he simply explain the value in uncovering these day-to-day challenges her employees are dealing with.
Explain that it may be helpful to get these issues uncovered and discussed before trying to talk about strategic issues for the following year. After all, can people really focus on tomorrow’s growth challenges if they are drowning in a sea of operational problems today?
An example I shared during our conversation was my own experience with a CEO who conducted a strategic planning session.
One of her leaders, who I was coaching, said to me: Laurie, my head was about to explode! We were talking about all the things we needed to focus on for the next year and all I could think about was “how on earth can I think about a year from now when I can’t even get the work done I need to do today?”
The reality for all companies is this: Our employees live in a different world than our CEOs.
Every day they simply try to stay ahead of the work. Every day they deal with co-worker drama. Every day they have to adjust their priorities because they aren’t in charge of making decisions – they just have to address those changes and do the best they can.
By using the Stages of Growth X-Ray process, a CEO can give her leaders and their direct reports a chance to be heard. A chance to share their perspectives. A chance to talk about the everyday things that create chaos in their world.
That simple conversation resonated with the GCS. He immediately contacted the CEO and in the next hour, let me know he had finalized the X-Ray. It would be a two-day, in-person event, and would take place in the next 60 days.
I felt good. He felt good. And now the CEO has a perspective that will serve her well as she positions this approach to her leadership team and their direct reports.
It’s so important for us to help our CEOs recognize the difference between their world and their employees’ world.
Without the CEO’s vision, passion and strategic thinking the company will not grow. Without the buy-in and the engagement of the team, the company will not grow.
We need to help CEOs recognize both perspectives and provide them a tool that is guaranteed to help everyone get the help they need.
That tool is the Stages of Growth X-Ray.
If you are looking for further help in positioning an X-Ray to a CEO, check out my video under the X-Ray Video Tab called “How to Position an X-Ray to a Prospect”.
https://www.gcspecialists.com/member-dashboard
Your success. My passion.
Laurie Taylor, FlashPoint!
