Great leaders can be positively paranoid about holding productive meetings – and that’s a good thing. One way to maximize the value of meetings is to make sure discussions are at the right altitude.
I’ve seen many executive teams struggle with talking at the right level – they can battle with either diving into too much detail or flying too high to yield practical outcomes. They might spend hours debating the exact shade of blue on the company web site, largely ignoring the research the design and UI teams had done. Or they could set aggressive sales targets based purely on market analysis and investor expectations, without consulting the sales team about pipeline realities, customer feedback, or competitive pressures. By focusing at the wrong level, a team risks making decisions that are demotivating or not well informed.
So, what's the right altitude? Unfortunately, there’s not an easy answer to that question. What’s right for a scrappy Series A company would be disastrous for a well-funded, mature business. But aligning across the team – at the same level – can have a powerful impact on the business and morale. Executive team alignment provides the base for the execution teams to work from. Rarely, if ever, have I seen teams work really well together when their executive leaders are not aligned – at the appropriate level.
Here are some signs that an executive team works at the right altitude:
- 1. Clear ownership boundaries exist between strategic and operational decisions. The executive team focuses on setting direction, allocating resources, and defining success metrics, while operational leaders handle implementation.
- 2. Information flows both ways. Executives receive synthesized, relevant data about business performance and market conditions without drowning in excessive details, while operational teams understand the strategic context for their work.
- 3. Decisions are made at the appropriate level. The executive team isn't bottlenecking day-to-day operations, but they're involved in strategic pivots or significant resource allocation choices.
- 4. Leadership development is thriving. When executives operate at the right level, they create space for directors and managers to grow their decision-making capabilities and leadership skills.
- 5. The organization achieves its goals without excessive stress or burnout. When executives operate at the right level, they create realistic expectations and properly resource initiatives.
I can’t leave this topic without a note on goal frameworks. Some frameworks, while helpful in running the business, can drive leadership teams down deep into tactical execution. Make sure your goal framework rolls up to the right altitude for the exec team.
Finally, one gut-check way to tell if your team works at the right level is to look (really look) at them during meetings. Are they engaged? Asking questions? Nodding? Frowning? Or giving a blank stare? Great meetings have energy. Can you feel it?