If you are striving towards excellence in the work place, there will be times when you get to experience individuals who focus on, “What’s in it for me”, or “How does this help my team”. Task and duties are often segregated into areas or expertise, which makes sense and creates efficiencies. However, there are times that leaders need to pause the focus on their own area of responsibility and rally around a bigger thematic goal. This thematic goal may or may not be focused on your area of operation, but it is crucial that you help the organization to pursue the tasks outlined to meet the thematic goal.
You may be asking, “What is a thematic goal, and how do I define one?” Patrick Lencioni brings clarity on three main leadership concepts (thematic goals, defining objectives, and standard operating objectives), how they work together, and using them to rally leadership around key growth initiatives. Whether that growth be gaining market share, rebuilding name recognition, introducing new products, or any other over-arching goal, the concepts in Silos, Politics and Turf Wars can be implemented to help overcome internal corporate issues that often pull companies apart.
The concepts taught in Silos, Politics and Turf Wars have a lot in common with Measure What Matters, which I reviewed on September 2nd, 2019. Both books help leaders to avoid pitfalls that pull us away from our primary purpose and goals. I am sure all who read these books, with the goal of learning about themselves, will benefit greatly.