What Makes an Effective Executive - Harvard Business Review

What Makes an Effective Executive · Ask what needs to be done. · Ask what's right for the enterprise. · Develop action plans. · Take responsibility for decisions. Youhave1freearticlesleftthismonth. Youarereadingyourlastfreearticleforthismonth. Subscribeforunlimitedaccess. Createanaccounttoread2more. Leadership WhatMakesanEffectiveExecutive Greatmanagersmaybecharismaticordull,generousortightfisted,visionaryornumbersoriented.Buteveryeffectiveexecutivefollowseightsimplepractices. by PeterF.Drucker by PeterF.Drucker FromtheMagazine(June2004) Tweet Post Share Save GetPDF BuyCopies Print Summary.    Reprint:R0406C Aneffectiveexecutivedoesnotneedtobealeaderinthetypicalsenseoftheword.PeterDrucker,theauthorofmorethantwodozenHBRarticles,sayssomeofthebestbusinessandnonprofitCEOshehasworkedwithoverhis65-yearconsultingcareerwerenotstereotypicalleaders.Theyrangedfromextrovertedtonearlyreclusive,fromeasygoingtocontrolling,fromgeneroustoparsimonious. Whatmadethemalleffectiveisthattheyfollowedthesameeightpractices:Theyasked,“Whatneedstobedone?”Theyalsoasked,“Whatisrightfortheenterprise?”Theydevelopedactionplans.Theytookresponsibilityfordecisions.Theytookresponsibilityforcommunicating.Theywerefocusedonopportunitiesratherthanproblems.Theyranproductivemeetings.Andtheythoughtandsaid“we”ratherthan“I.” Thefirsttwopracticesprovidedthemwiththeknowledgetheyneeded.Thenextfourhelpedthemconvertthisknowledgeintoeffectiveaction,forknowledgeisuselesstoexecutivesuntilithasbeentranslatedintodeeds.Thelasttwoensuredthatthewholeorganizationfeltresponsibleandaccountable. Effectiveexecutivesknowthattheyhaveauthorityonlybecausetheyhavethetrustoftheorganization.Thismeanstheymustthinkoftheneedsandopportunitiesoftheorganizationbeforetheythinkoftheirownneedsandopportunities. Theauthoralsosuggestsaninthpracticethat’ssoimportant,heelevatesittothelevelofarule:Listenfirst,speaklast. Thedemandforeffectiveexecutivesismuchtoogreattobesatisfiedbythosefewpeoplewhoaresimplyborntolead.Effectivenessisadiscipline.And,likeeverydiscipline,itcanbelearnedandmustbeearned. Tweet Post Share Save GetPDF BuyCopies Print TheIdeainBrief Worriedthatyou’renotabornleader?Thatyoulackcharisma,therighttalents,orsomeothersecretingredient?Noneed:leadershipisn’taboutpersonalityortalent.Infact,thebestleadersexhibitwildlydifferentpersonalities,attitudes,values,andstrengths—they’reextrovertedorreclusive,easygoingorcontrolling,generousorparsimonious,numbersorvisionoriented. Sowhatdoeffectiveleadershaveincommon?Theygettherightthingsdone,intherightways—byfollowingeightsimplerules: Askwhatneedstobedone. Askwhat’srightfortheenterprise. Developactionplans. Takeresponsibilityfordecisions. Takeresponsibilityforcommunicating. Focusonopportunities,notproblems. Runproductivemeetings. Thinkandsay“We,”not“I.” Usingdisciplinetoapplytheserules,yougaintheknowledgeyouneedtomakesmartdecisions,convertthatknowledgeintoeffectiveaction,andensureaccountabilitythroughoutyourorganization. TheIdeainPractice GettheKnowledgeYouNeed Askwhatneedstobedone.WhenJackWelchaskedthisquestionwhiletakingoverasCEOatGeneralElectric,herealizedthatdroppingGEbusinessesthatcouldn’tbefirstorsecondintheirindustrieswasessential—nottheoverseasexpansionhehadwantedtolaunch.Onceyouknowwhatmustbedone,identifytasksyou’rebestat,concentratingononeatatime.Aftercompletingatask,resetprioritiesbasedonnewrealities. Askwhat’srightfortheenterprise.Don’tagonizeoverwhat’sbestforowners,investors,employees,orcustomers.Decisionsthatarerightforyourenterpriseareultimatelyrightforallstakeholders. ConvertYourKnowledgeIntoAction Developactionplans.Deviseplansthatspecifydesiredresultsandconstraints(isthecourseofactionlegalandcompatiblewiththecompany’smission,values,andpolicies?).Includecheck-inpointsandimplicationsforhowyou’llspendyourtime.Andreviseplanstoreflectnewopportunities. Takeresponsibilityfordecisions.Ensurethateachdecisionspecifieswho’saccountableforcarryingitout,whenitmustbeimplemented,who’llbeaffectedbyit,andwhomustbeinformed.Regularlyreviewdecisions,especiallyhiresandpromotions.Thisenablesyoutocorrectpoordecisionsbeforedoingrealdamage. Takeresponsibilityforcommunicating.Getinputfromsuperiors,subordinates,andpeersonyouractionplans.Leteachknowwhatinformationyouneedtogetthejobdone.Payequalattentiontopeers’andsuperiors’informationneeds. Focusonopportunities,notproblems.Yougetresultsbyexploitingopportunities,notsolvingproblems.Identifychangesinsideandoutsideyourorganization(newtechnologies,productinnovations,newmarketstructures),asking“Howcanweexploitthischangetobenefitourenterprise?”Thenmatchyourbestpeoplewiththebestopportunities. EnsureCompanywideAccountability Runproductivemeetings.Articulateeachmeeting’spurpose(Makinganannouncement?Deliveringareport?).Terminatethemeetingoncethepurposeisaccomplished.Followupwithshortcommunicationssummarizingthediscussion,spellingoutnewworkassignmentsanddeadlinesforcompletingthem.GeneralMotorsCEOAlfredSloan’slegendarymasteryofmeetingfollow-uphelpedsecureGM’sindustrydominanceinthemid-twentiethcentury. Thinkandsay“We,”not“I.”Yourauthoritycomesfromyourorganization’strustinyou.Togetthebestresults,alwaysconsideryourorganization’sneedsandopportunitiesbeforeyourown. Leerenespañol Leremportuguês Aneffectiveexecutivedoesnotneedtobealeaderinthesensethatthetermisnowmostcommonlyused.HarryTrumandidnothaveoneounceofcharisma,forexample,yethewasamongthemosteffectivechiefexecutivesinU.S.history.Similarly,someofthebestbusinessandnonprofitCEOsI’veworkedwithovera65-yearconsultingcareerwerenotstereotypicalleaders.Theywerealloverthemapintermsoftheirpersonalities,attitudes,values,strengths,andweaknesses.Theyrangedfromextrovertedtonearlyreclusive,fromeasygoingtocontrolling,fromgeneroustoparsimonious. Whatmadethemalleffectiveisthattheyfollowedthesameeightpractices: Theyasked,“Whatneedstobedone?” Theyasked,“Whatisrightfortheenterprise?” Theydevelopedactionplans. Theytookresponsibilityfordecisions. Theytookresponsibilityforcommunicating. Theywerefocusedonopportunitiesratherthanproblems. Theyranproductivemeetings. Theythoughtandsaid“we”ratherthan“I.” Thefirsttwopracticesgavethemtheknowledgetheyneeded.Thenextfourhelpedthemconvertthisknowledgeintoeffectiveaction.Thelasttwoensuredthatthewholeorganizationfeltresponsibleandaccountable. GettheKnowledgeYouNeed Thefirstpracticeistoaskwhatneedstobedone.Notethatthequestionisnot“WhatdoIwanttodo?”Askingwhathastobedone,andtakingthequestionseriously,iscrucialformanagerialsuccess.Failuretoaskthisquestionwillrendereventheablestexecutiveineffectual. Askingwhathastobedone,andtakingthequestionseriously,iscrucialformanagerialsuccess. WhenTrumanbecamepresidentin1945,heknewexactlywhathewantedtodo:completetheeconomicandsocialreformsofRoosevelt’sNewDeal,whichhadbeendeferredbyWorldWarII.Assoonasheaskedwhatneededtobedone,though,Trumanrealizedthatforeignaffairshadabsolutepriority.Heorganizedhisworkingdaysothatitbeganwithtutorialsonforeignpolicybythesecretariesofstateanddefense.Asaresult,hebecamethemosteffectivepresidentinforeignaffairstheUnitedStateshaseverknown.HecontainedCommunisminbothEuropeandAsiaand,withtheMarshallPlan,triggered50yearsofworldwideeconomicgrowth. Similarly,JackWelchrealizedthatwhatneededtobedoneatGeneralElectricwhenhetookoveraschiefexecutivewasnottheoverseasexpansionhewantedtolaunch.ItwasgettingridofGEbusinessesthat,nomatterhowprofitable,couldnotbenumberoneornumbertwointheirindustries. Theanswertothequestion“Whatneedstobedone?”almostalwayscontainsmorethanoneurgenttask.Buteffectiveexecutivesdonotsplinterthemselves.Theyconcentrateononetaskifatallpossible.Iftheyareamongthosepeople—asizableminority—whoworkbestwithachangeofpaceintheirworkingday,theypicktwotasks.Ihaveneverencounteredanexecutivewhoremainseffectivewhiletacklingmorethantwotasksatatime.Hence,afteraskingwhatneedstobedone,theeffectiveexecutivesetsprioritiesandstickstothem.ForaCEO,theprioritytaskmightberedefiningthecompany’smission.Foraunithead,itmightberedefiningtheunit’srelationshipwithheadquarters.Othertasks,nomatterhowimportantorappealing,arepostponed.However,aftercompletingtheoriginaltop-prioritytask,theexecutiveresetsprioritiesratherthanmovingontonumbertwofromtheoriginallist.Heasks,“Whatmustbedonenow?”Thisgenerallyresultsinnewanddifferentpriorities. ToreferagaintoAmerica’sbest-knownCEO:Everyfiveyears,accordingtohisautobiography,JackWelchaskedhimself,“Whatneedstobedonenow?”Andeverytime,hecameupwithanewanddifferentpriority. ButWelchalsothoughtthroughanotherissuebeforedecidingwheretoconcentratehiseffortsforthenextfiveyears.Heaskedhimselfwhichofthetwoorthreetasksatthetopofthelisthehimselfwasbestsuitedtoundertake.Thenheconcentratedonthattask;theothershedelegated.Effectiveexecutivestrytofocusonjobsthey’lldoespeciallywell.Theyknowthatenterprisesperformiftopmanagementperforms—anddon’tifitdoesn’t. Effectiveexecutives’secondpractice—fullyasimportantasthefirst—istoask,“Isthistherightthingfortheenterprise?”Theydonotaskifit’srightfortheowners,thestockprice,theemployees,ortheexecutives.Ofcoursetheyknowthatshareholders,employees,andexecutivesareimportantconstituencieswhohavetosupportadecision,oratleastacquiesceinit,ifthechoiceistobeeffective.Theyknowthatthesharepriceisimportantnotonlyfortheshareholdersbutalsofortheenterprise,sincetheprice/earningsratiosetsthecostofcapital.Buttheyalsoknowthatadecisionthatisn’trightfortheenterprisewillultimatelynotberightforanyofthestakeholders. Thisarticlealsoappearsin: ThePeterF.DruckerReader Leadership&ManagingPeople Book PeterF.Drucker 24.95 AddtoCart Save Share Thissecondpracticeisespeciallyimportantforexecutivesatfamilyownedorfamilyrunbusinesses—themajorityofbusinessesineverycountry—particularlywhenthey’remakingdecisionsaboutpeople.Inthesuccessfulfamilycompany,arelativeispromotedonlyifheorsheismeasurablysuperiortoallnonrelativesonthesamelevel.AtDuPont,forinstance,alltopmanagers(exceptthecontrollerandlawyer)werefamilymembersintheearlyyearswhenthefirmwasrunasafamilybusiness.Allmaledescendantsofthefounderswereentitledtoentry-leveljobsatthecompany.Beyondtheentrancelevel,afamilymembergotapromotiononlyifapanelcomposedprimarilyofnonfamilymanagersjudgedthepersontobesuperiorinabilityandperformancetoallotheremployeesatthesamelevel.ThesamerulewasobservedforacenturyinthehighlysuccessfulBritishfamilybusinessJ.Lyons&Company(nowpartofamajorconglomerate)whenitdominatedtheBritishfood-serviceandhotelindustries. Asking“Whatisrightfortheenterprise?”doesnotguaranteethattherightdecisionwillbemade.Eventhemostbrilliantexecutiveishumanandthuspronetomistakesandprejudices.Butfailuretoaskthequestionvirtuallyguaranteesthewrongdecision. WriteanActionPlan Executivesaredoers;theyexecute.Knowledgeisuselesstoexecutivesuntilithasbeentranslatedintodeeds.Butbeforespringingintoaction,theexecutiveneedstoplanhiscourse.Heneedstothinkaboutdesiredresults,probablerestraints,futurerevisions,check-inpoints,andimplicationsforhowhe’llspendhistime. First,theexecutivedefinesdesiredresultsbyasking:“Whatcontributionsshouldtheenterpriseexpectfrommeoverthenext18monthstotwoyears?WhatresultswillIcommitto?Withwhatdeadlines?”Thenheconsiderstherestraintsonaction:“Isthiscourseofactionethical?Isitacceptablewithintheorganization?Isitlegal?Isitcompatiblewiththemission,values,andpoliciesoftheorganization?”Affirmativeanswersdon’tguaranteethattheactionwillbeeffective.Butviolatingtheserestraintsiscertaintomakeitbothwrongandineffectual. Theactionplanisastatementofintentionsratherthanacommitment.Itmustnotbecomeastraitjacket.Itshouldberevisedoften,becauseeverysuccesscreatesnewopportunities.Sodoeseveryfailure.Thesameistrueforchangesinthebusinessenvironment,inthemarket,andespeciallyinpeoplewithintheenterprise—allthesechangesdemandthattheplanberevised.Awrittenplanshouldanticipatetheneedforflexibility. Inaddition,theactionplanneedstocreateasystemforcheckingtheresultsagainsttheexpectations.Effectiveexecutivesusuallybuildtwosuchchecksintotheiractionplans.Thefirstcheckcomeshalfwaythroughtheplan’stimeperiod;forexample,atninemonths.Thesecondoccursattheend,beforethenextactionplanisdrawnup. Finally,theactionplanhastobecomethebasisfortheexecutive’stimemanagement.Timeisanexecutive’sscarcestandmostpreciousresource.Andorganizations—whethergovernmentagencies,businesses,ornonprofits—areinherentlytimewasters.Theactionplanwillproveuselessunlessit’sallowedtodeterminehowtheexecutivespendshisorhertime. Napoleonallegedlysaidthatnosuccessfulbattleeverfolloweditsplan.YetNapoleonalsoplannedeveryoneofhisbattles,farmoremeticulouslythananyearliergeneralhaddone.Withoutanactionplan,theexecutivebecomesaprisonerofevents.Andwithoutcheck-instoreexaminetheplanaseventsunfold,theexecutivehasnowayofknowingwhicheventsreallymatterandwhichareonlynoise. Act Whentheytranslateplansintoaction,executivesneedtopayparticularattentiontodecisionmaking,communication,opportunities(asopposedtoproblems),andmeetings.I’llconsidertheseoneatatime. Takeresponsibilityfordecisions. Adecisionhasnotbeenmadeuntilpeopleknow: thenameofthepersonaccountableforcarryingitout; thedeadline; thenamesofthepeoplewhowillbeaffectedbythedecisionandthereforehavetoknowabout,understand,andapproveit—oratleastnotbestronglyopposedtoit—and thenamesofthepeoplewhohavetobeinformedofthedecision,eveniftheyarenotdirectlyaffectedbyit. Anextraordinarynumberoforganizationaldecisionsrunintotroublebecausethesebasesaren’tcovered.Oneofmyclients,30yearsago,lostitsleadershippositioninthefast-growingJapanesemarketbecausethecompany,afterdecidingtoenterintoajointventurewithanewJapanesepartner,nevermadeclearwhowastoinformthepurchasingagentsthatthepartnerdefineditsspecificationsinmetersandkilogramsratherthanfeetandpounds—andnobodyeverdidrelaythatinformation. It’sjustasimportanttoreviewdecisionsperiodically—atatimethat’sbeenagreedoninadvance—asitistomakethemcarefullyinthefirstplace.Thatway,apoordecisioncanbecorrectedbeforeitdoesrealdamage.Thesereviewscancoveranythingfromtheresultstotheassumptionsunderlyingthedecision. Suchareviewisespeciallyimportantforthemostcrucialandmostdifficultofalldecisions,theonesabouthiringorpromotingpeople.Studiesofdecisionsaboutpeopleshowthatonlyone-thirdofsuchchoicesturnouttobetrulysuccessful.One-thirdarelikelytobedraws—neithersuccessesnoroutrightfailures.Andone-thirdarefailures,pureandsimple.Effectiveexecutivesknowthisandcheckup(sixtoninemonthslater)ontheresultsoftheirpeopledecisions.Iftheyfindthatadecisionhasnothadthedesiredresults,theydon’tconcludethatthepersonhasnotperformed.Theyconclude,instead,thattheythemselvesmadeamistake.Inawell-managedenterprise,itisunderstoodthatpeoplewhofailinanewjob,especiallyafterapromotion,maynotbetheonestoblame. Executivesalsooweittotheorganizationandtotheirfellowworkersnottotoleratenonperformingindividualsinimportantjobs.Itmaynotbetheemployees’faultthattheyareunderperforming,butevenso,theyhavetoberemoved.Peoplewhohavefailedinanewjobshouldbegiventhechoicetogobacktoajobattheirformerlevelandsalary.Thisoptionisrarelyexercised;suchpeople,asarule,leavevoluntarily,atleastwhentheiremployersareU.S.firms.Buttheveryexistenceoftheoptioncanhaveapowerfuleffect,encouragingpeopletoleavesafe,comfortablejobsandtakeriskynewassignments.Theorganization’sperformancedependsonemployees’willingnesstotakesuchchances. Executivesoweittotheorganizationandtheirfellowworkersnottotoleratenonperformingpeopleinimportantjobs. Asystematicdecisionreviewcanbeapowerfultoolforself-development,too.Checkingtheresultsofadecisionagainstitsexpectationsshowsexecutiveswhattheirstrengthsare,wheretheyneedtoimprove,andwheretheylackknowledgeorinformation.Itshowsthemtheirbiases.Veryoftenitshowsthemthattheirdecisionsdidn’tproduceresultsbecausetheydidn’tputtherightpeopleonthejob.Allocatingthebestpeopletotherightpositionsisacrucial,toughjobthatmanyexecutivesslight,inpartbecausethebestpeoplearealreadytoobusy.Systematicdecisionreviewalsoshowsexecutivestheirownweaknesses,particularlytheareasinwhichtheyaresimplyincompetent.Intheseareas,smartexecutivesdon’tmakedecisionsortakeactions.Theydelegate.Everyonehassuchareas;there’snosuchthingasauniversalexecutivegenius. Inareaswheretheyaresimplyincompetent,smartexecutivesdon’tmakedecisionsortakeactions.Theydelegate.Everyonehassuchareas. Mostdiscussionsofdecisionmakingassumethatonlyseniorexecutivesmakedecisionsorthatonlyseniorexecutives’decisionsmatter.Thisisadangerousmistake.Decisionsaremadeateveryleveloftheorganization,beginningwithindividualprofessionalcontributorsandfrontlinesupervisors.Theseapparentlylow-leveldecisionsareextremelyimportantinaknowledge-basedorganization.Knowledgeworkersaresupposedtoknowmoreabouttheirareasofspecialization—forexample,taxaccounting—thananybodyelse,sotheirdecisionsarelikelytohaveanimpactthroughoutthecompany.Makinggooddecisionsisacrucialskillateverylevel.Itneedstobetaughtexplicitlytoeveryoneinorganizationsthatarebasedonknowledge. Takeresponsibilityforcommunicating. Effectiveexecutivesmakesurethatboththeiractionplansandtheirinformationneedsareunderstood.Specifically,thismeansthattheysharetheirplanswithandaskforcommentsfromalltheircolleagues—superiors,subordinates,andpeers.Atthesametime,theyleteachpersonknowwhatinformationthey’llneedtogetthejobdone.Theinformationflowfromsubordinatetobossisusuallywhatgetsthemostattention.Butexecutivesneedtopayequalattentiontopeers’andsuperiors’informationneeds. Weallknow,thankstoChesterBarnard’s1938classicTheFunctionsoftheExecutive,thatorganizationsareheldtogetherbyinformationratherthanbyownershiporcommand.Still,fartoomanyexecutivesbehaveasifinformationanditsflowwerethejoboftheinformationspecialist—forexample,theaccountant.Asaresult,theygetanenormousamountofdatatheydonotneedandcannotuse,butlittleoftheinformationtheydoneed.Thebestwayaroundthisproblemisforeachexecutivetoidentifytheinformationheneeds,askforit,andkeeppushinguntilhegetsit. Focusonopportunities. Goodexecutivesfocusonopportunitiesratherthanproblems.Problemshavetobetakencareof,ofcourse;theymustnotbesweptundertherug.Butproblemsolving,howevernecessary,doesnotproduceresults.Itpreventsdamage.Exploitingopportunitiesproducesresults. Aboveall,effectiveexecutivestreatchangeasanopportunityratherthanathreat.Theysystematicallylookatchanges,insideandoutsidethecorporation,andask,“Howcanweexploitthischangeasanopportunityforourenterprise?”Specifically,executivesscanthesesevensituationsforopportunities: anunexpectedsuccessorfailureintheirownenterprise,inacompetingenterprise,orintheindustry; agapbetweenwhatisandwhatcouldbeinamarket,process,product,orservice(forexample,inthenineteenthcentury,thepaperindustryconcentratedonthe10%ofeachtreethatbecamewoodpulpandtotallyneglectedthepossibilitiesintheremaining90%,whichbecamewaste); innovationinaprocess,product,orservice,whetherinsideoroutsidetheenterpriseoritsindustry; changesinindustrystructureandmarketstructure; demographics; changesinmind-set,values,perception,mood,ormeaning;and newknowledgeoranewtechnology. Effectiveexecutivesalsomakesurethatproblemsdonotoverwhelmopportunities.Inmostcompanies,thefirstpageofthemonthlymanagementreportlistskeyproblems.It’sfarwisertolistopportunitiesonthefirstpageandleaveproblemsforthesecondpage.Unlessthereisatruecatastrophe,problemsarenotdiscussedinmanagementmeetingsuntilopportunitieshavebeenanalyzedandproperlydealtwith. Staffingisanotherimportantaspectofbeingopportunityfocused.Effectiveexecutivesputtheirbestpeopleonopportunitiesratherthanonproblems.Onewaytostaffforopportunitiesistoaskeachmemberofthemanagementgrouptopreparetwolistseverysixmonths—alistofopportunitiesfortheentireenterpriseandalistofthebest-performingpeoplethroughouttheenterprise.Thesearediscussed,thenmeldedintotwomasterlists,andthebestpeoplearematchedwiththebestopportunities.InJapan,bytheway,thismatchupisconsideredamajorHRtaskinabigcorporationorgovernmentdepartment;thatpracticeisoneofthekeystrengthsofJapanesebusiness. Makemeetingsproductive. Themostvisible,powerful,and,arguably,effectivenongovernmentalexecutiveintheAmericaofWorldWarIIandtheyearsthereafterwasnotabusinessman.ItwasFrancisCardinalSpellman,theheadoftheRomanCatholicArchdioceseofNewYorkandadvisertoseveralU.S.presidents.WhenSpellmantookover,thediocesewasbankruptandtotallydemoralized.HissuccessorinheritedtheleadershippositionintheAmericanCatholicchurch.Spellmanoftensaidthatduringhiswakinghourshewasaloneonlytwiceeachday,for25minuteseachtime:whenhesaidMassinhisprivatechapelaftergettingupinthemorningandwhenhesaidhiseveningprayersbeforegoingtobed.Otherwisehewasalwayswithpeopleinameeting,startingatbreakfastwithoneCatholicorganizationandendingatdinnerwithanother. Topexecutivesaren’tquiteasimprisonedasthearchbishopofamajorCatholicdiocese.Buteverystudyoftheexecutiveworkdayhasfoundthatevenjuniorexecutivesandprofessionalsarewithotherpeople—thatis,inameetingofsomesort—morethanhalfofeverybusinessday.Theonlyexceptionsareafewseniorresearchers.Evenaconversationwithonlyoneotherpersonisameeting.Hence,iftheyaretobeeffective,executivesmustmakemeetingsproductive.Theymustmakesurethatmeetingsareworksessionsratherthanbullsessions. Thekeytorunninganeffectivemeetingistodecideinadvancewhatkindofmeetingitwillbe.Differentkindsofmeetingsrequiredifferentformsofpreparationanddifferentresults: Ameetingtoprepareastatement,anannouncement,orapressrelease. Forthistobeproductive,onememberhastoprepareadraftbeforehand.Atthemeeting’send,apreappointedmemberhastotakeresponsibilityfordisseminatingthefinaltext. Ameetingtomakeanannouncement—forexample,anorganizationalchange. Thismeetingshouldbeconfinedtotheannouncementandadiscussionaboutit. Ameetinginwhichonememberreports. Nothingbutthereportshouldbediscussed. Ameetinginwhichseveralorallmembersreport. Eitherthereshouldbenodiscussionatallorthediscussionshouldbelimitedtoquestionsforclarification.Alternatively,foreachreporttherecouldbeashortdiscussioninwhichallparticipantsmayaskquestions.Ifthisistheformat,thereportsshouldbedistributedtoallparticipantswellbeforethemeeting.Atthiskindofmeeting,eachreportshouldbelimitedtoapresettime—forexample,15minutes. Ameetingtoinformtheconveningexecutive. Theexecutiveshouldlistenandaskquestions.Heorsheshouldsumupbutnotmakeapresentation. Ameetingwhoseonlyfunctionistoallowtheparticipantstobeintheexecutive’spresence. CardinalSpellman’sbreakfastanddinnermeetingswereofthatkind.Thereisnowaytomakethesemeetingsproductive.Theyarethepenaltiesofrank.Seniorexecutivesareeffectivetotheextenttowhichtheycanpreventsuchmeetingsfromencroachingontheirworkdays.Spellman,forinstance,waseffectiveinlargepartbecauseheconfinedsuchmeetingstobreakfastanddinnerandkepttherestofhisworkingdayfreeofthem. Makingameetingproductivetakesagooddealofself-discipline.Itrequiresthatexecutivesdeterminewhatkindofmeetingisappropriateandthensticktothatformat.It’salsonecessarytoterminatethemeetingassoonasitsspecificpurposehasbeenaccomplished.Goodexecutivesdon’traiseanothermatterfordiscussion.Theysumupandadjourn. Thisarticlealsoappearsin: HBR’s10MustReadsonLeadership LeadershipandManagingPeople Book 24.95 AddtoCart Save Share Goodfollow-upisjustasimportantasthemeetingitself.Thegreatmasteroffollow-upwasAlfredSloan,themosteffectivebusinessexecutiveIhaveeverknown.Sloan,whoheadedGeneralMotorsfromthe1920suntilthe1950s,spentmostofhissixworkingdaysaweekinmeetings—threedaysaweekinformalcommitteemeetingswithasetmembership,theotherthreedaysinadhocmeetingswithindividualGMexecutivesorwithasmallgroupofexecutives.Atthebeginningofaformalmeeting,Sloanannouncedthemeeting’spurpose.Hethenlistened.Henevertooknotesandherarelyspokeexcepttoclarifyaconfusingpoint.Attheendhesummedup,thankedtheparticipants,andleft.Thenheimmediatelywroteashortmemoaddressedtooneattendeeofthemeeting.Inthatnote,hesummarizedthediscussionanditsconclusionsandspelledoutanyworkassignmentdecideduponinthemeeting(includingadecisiontoholdanothermeetingonthesubjectortostudyanissue).Hespecifiedthedeadlineandtheexecutivewhowastobeaccountablefortheassignment.Hesentacopyofthememotoeveryonewho’dbeenpresentatthemeeting.Itwasthroughthesememos—eachasmallmasterpiece—thatSloanmadehimselfintoanoutstandinglyeffectiveexecutive. Effectiveexecutivesknowthatanygivenmeetingiseitherproductiveoratotalwasteoftime. ThinkandSay“We” Thefinalpracticeisthis:Don’tthinkorsay“I.”Thinkandsay“we.”Effectiveexecutivesknowthattheyhaveultimateresponsibility,whichcanbeneithersharednordelegated.Buttheyhaveauthorityonlybecausetheyhavethetrustoftheorganization.Thismeansthattheythinkoftheneedsandtheopportunitiesoftheorganizationbeforetheythinkoftheirownneedsandopportunities.Thisonemaysoundsimple;itisn’t,butitneedstobestrictlyobserved. We’vejustreviewedeightpracticesofeffectiveexecutives.I’mgoingtothrowinonefinal,bonuspractice.Thisone’ssoimportantthatI’llelevateittothelevelofarule:Listenfirst,speaklast. Effectiveexecutivesdifferwidelyintheirpersonalities,strengths,weaknesses,values,andbeliefs.Alltheyhaveincommonisthattheygettherightthingsdone.Someareborneffective.Butthedemandismuchtoogreattobesatisfiedbyextraordinarytalent.Effectivenessisadiscipline.And,likeeverydiscipline,effectivenesscanbelearnedandmustbeearned. AversionofthisarticleappearedintheJune2004issueofHarvardBusinessReview. ReadmoreonLeadership orrelatedtopics Decisionmakingandproblemsolving, Trustworthiness andListeningskills ForHBRSubscribers MustReadsonLeadership HBR’sdefinitivearticlesonleadershipwillhelpyougofrommanagertooutstandingleader. ShowReadingList ShowReadingList PD PeterF.Drucker(November19,1909–November11,2005)wasanAustrian-bornAmericanmanagementconsultant,educator,andauthorwhosewritingscontributedtothephilosophicalandpracticalfoundationsofthemodernbusinesscorporation.Hewasalsoaleaderinthedevelopmentofmanagementeducation,heinventedtheconceptknownasmanagementbyobjectives,andhehasbeendescribedas“thefounderofmodernmanagement.” Tweet Post Share Save GetPDF BuyCopies Print ReadmoreonLeadership orrelatedtopics Decisionmakingandproblemsolving, Trustworthiness andListeningskills Wanttoseetheotherarticlesinthislist? SubscribeNow I'malreadyasubscriber. SignIn. SignIn ForgotPassword? 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