T
he following week, just days after what quickly became known as the Fire Alarm Meeting, the next Napa Valley ses- sion began.Kathryn kicked off the event with her usual speech. “We have more money, better technology, more talented and experienced executives, and yet we’re behind our com- petitors. Let’s remember that the reason we’re here is to start working more effectively as a team.”
Kathryn then raised a difficult topic, but in a tone that was as nonthreatening as she could make it. “I have a quick question for everyone. What, if anything, did you tell your people about the first off-site session we had?”
As hard as she tried, Kathryn could not completely avoid creating an interrogation-like atmosphere in the room. “I’m not here to pound on anyone. I just think we need to get clear on our behaviors as a team.”
Jeff went first. “I didn’t tell my people anything. Not a single thing.”
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The room laughed because Jeff no longer had any di- rect reports.
Mikey went next. “I just said we did a bunch of touchy- feely exercises.” She was trying to be funny, but every- one could tell that there was some degree of truth in what she was saying. No one laughed.
Martin suddenly became defensive. “If you have a prob- lem with something we’ve done, then just tell us. Because I’ll admit right now, that I had some pretty frank conver- sations with my engineers. They want to know whether we’re wasting our time or not, and I think they’re entitled to an explanation. And if that means violating some degree of confidentiality, then I’m sorry.”
The room was a little stunned by the uncharacteristic diatribe, which was both longer and more emotional than what they were used to from Martin.
Kathryn almost laughed. “Whoa. Whoa. I’m not mad at anyone here. And I’m not saying that we shouldn’t have talked to our teams about the off-site. In fact, I should have been more explicit last time about our need to do so.”
Martin seemed relieved, and a little embarrassed.
Then Jan spoke. “I probably told my team more than anyone else. And I’m guessing that one of them said some- thing to you.”
Kathryn felt as though she had been caught by Jan.
“Well, in fact, it is one of your people who prompted me to ask this question.”
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Mikey seemed to enjoy that Jan was being singled out.
Kathryn continued, “But this isn’t about you or anyone else in particular. I’m just trying to understand how things work in terms of confidentialities and loyalties.”
“What do you mean by loyalties?” Nick wanted to know.
“I mean, who do you all consider to be your first team?”
Not surprised by the confusion in the room, Kathryn explained. “This is not a lecture about maintaining confi- dential information. Or at least, that’s not the focus of what I’m trying to say. It’s beyond that.”
Kathryn was getting frustrated by her own inability to articulate the issue. She resorted to bluntness. “What I’m try- ing to ask you is whether you think this team is as impor- tant to you as the teams you lead, your departments.”
Suddenly everyone seemed to understand. And they didn’t seem comfortable with the true answers in their heads.
Jan asked, “So, you’re wondering if we confide in our direct reports about things that we should be keeping be- tween us here?”
Kathryn nodded.
Mikey responded first. “I am much closer to my staff than I am to this group here. I’m sorry, but it’s true.”
Nick nodded. “I’d probably say that’s true for me too, with the exception of the sales group I just took over.” He thought about it. “But I’d say that within a few weeks, I’ll be closer to them than to this team.”
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Though Nick’s comment was meant as a joke and pro- voked a shallow laugh among the group, the sad truth of it seemed to deflate the room.
Jan spoke next. “I think all of us would probably say that we consider our teams more important than this one.”
She hesitated before finishing her thought. “But no one more than me.”
That comment grabbed the attention of everyone at the table.
“Do you want to explain that?” Kathryn asked, gently.
“Well, as everyone here knows, I’m pretty tight with my people. Of my eight direct reports, five have worked for me at other companies, and I’m something of a parent to them.”
Carlos joked, “She’s a den mother.”
They laughed.
Jan smiled and nodded her head. “Yeah, I’d have to agree. It’s not that I’m overly emotional or anything like that.
It’s just that they know I’d do almost anything for them.”
Kathryn nodded as though she were figuring it all out.
“Hmm.”
Martin defended Jan. “That’s not a bad thing. My en- gineers know that I protect them from distractions and ob- stacles, and they work their butts off for me as a result.”
Jan added, “And they don’t quit when things get tough.
My people are extremely loyal.”
Kathryn just listened, but Nick sensed that she was about to offer a counterpoint. “Are you saying that this is a
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problem? I would think that you would want us to be good managers.”
“Of course I do.” Kathryn assured them all. “I’m glad to hear how strongly you feel about your staffs. And it’s very consistent with what I learned during my initial interviews.”
The room waited, as if to say, So what’s the problem?
Kathryn continued, “But when a company has a col- lection of good managers who don’t act like a team, it can create a dilemma for them, and for the company. You see, it leads to confusion about who their first team is.”
Jeff asked for clarification. “First team?”
“Yes, your first team. And all of this relates to the last dysfunction—putting team results ahead of individual is- sues. Your first team has to be this one.” She looked around the room to make it clear that she was referring to the ex- ecutive staff.
“As strongly as we feel about our own people and as wonderful as that is for them, it simply cannot come at the expense of the loyalty and commitment we have to the group of people sitting here today.”
The team digested her remarks, and the difficulty that they implied.
Jan spoke first. “This is a tough one, Kathryn. I mean, it would be easy for me to sit here and agree with you and give you a half-hearted assurance that this would be my first team, but I just don’t see how I can abandon what I’ve worked so hard to build in my department.”
Carlos tried to find a happy medium. “I don’t think you
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have to abandon it.” He looked to Kathryn for confirm- ation.
She squinted, as if dreading having to hold the line.
“Well, you don’t have to destroy it. But you do have to be willing to make it secondary. And for many of you, that might very well feel like abandonment.”
Somewhat discouraged, the group considered the dif- ficult proposition.
Jeff tried to lighten the mood. “Think how crappy this has been for me. You guys weremy first team. I didn’t have anyone else to go to and complain.” Everyone, including Mikey, laughed. As much as Jeff was joking, they could see that there was a kernel of truth to what he said, and they felt sorry for him.
Kathryn felt the need to drive a point home. “I don’t know how else to say this, but building a team is hard.”
No one spoke. Kathryn could see doubt on their faces.
But she wasn’t deterred by it, because it didn’t seem to be about whether building the team was important, but rather whether they could actually do it. Kathryn always preferred that kind of doubt.
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