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Remember the fable of Rich O’Connor in The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive by Patrick Lencioni? I liked the author’s approach – though I think fable books are overrated. Anyway, every so often, I refer to the list I made after I read the book. Since spring is always a good time to reflect, I thought I’d share my list:

Build and maintain a cohesive leadership team: Build trust, eliminate politics and
increase efficiency by
- Knowing one another’s unique strengths and weaknesses
- Openly engaging in constructive ideological conflict
- Holding one another accountable for behaviors and actions
- Committing to group decisions

Create organizational clarity: Minimize the potential for confusion by clarifying
- Why the organization exists
- What behavioral values are fundamental
- What specific business it is in
- Who its competitors are
- How it is unique
- What it plans to achieve
- Who is responsible for what

Overcommunicate organizational clarity: Align employees by communicating key messages through
- Repetition
- Simplicity
- Multiple media
- Cascading messages

Reinforce organizational clarity through human systems: Ensure consistency in - Hiring
- Managing performance
- Rewards and recognition
- Employee dismissal

It’s a common sense approach, one that pays dividends. And, it always makes sense to take time to assess how we’re doing as managers. Lencioni’s obsessions give us a way to do that.

Be obsessed this year!