I was already somewhat intimidated by the retired Navy captain, but what happened next was simply embarrassing.
We had invited the captain to facilitate a day of leadership and team development on the recommendation of one of my executive team members. The first hour had been fine. Nothing unexpected. Then he told us to do this, “Write down the top three challenges this organization is facing right now and what your role is in meeting each challenge.” When we were done writing he said, “Now fold your paper in half and give them all to John.”
When I opened the papers and read what each team member had written I was quite surprised. None of the six executives’ list matched mine. Several listed challenges that were far down my priority list. And more than a couple answered, “I don’t know,” in response to what their role was.
Needless to say, my leadership priorities changed from that day forward.
How about you? Give this exercise a shot with your own team. Let me know what you discover.