We often tend to think that improving the operational performance of a company or organization involves identifying the root causes of performance issues and launching action plans. This approach, although widespread, requires a lot of time and energy. However, the results on performance metrics are often disappointing. Improvements are observed, certainly, but rarely significant changes.
So, why doesn’t it work as planned?
The answer lies partly in an idea that is too often overlooked: when talking about operational performance, two essential elements are often set aside: the performance of the organization and that of its Executive Committee. In this article, I want to focus on a fundamental but often ignored topic: the performance of the Executive Committee, which is crucial for the entire company.
Executive Committee Performance: Why Is It So Important?
A company’s performance is closely linked to that of its Executive Committee. However, many leaders overlook this reality.
But what does Executive Committee performance concretely mean? We can look at the financial and operational KPIs of the organization or company on which the Executive Committee’s performance has indirect effects, but we can also look at much simpler elements such as:
- The speed of decision-making within the organization.
- The speed at which critical information is communicated to teams to allow them to move forward.
- The limited number of meetings necessary to align stakeholders.
- The quality of meetings, rated 4 or 5/5 using tools like ROTI(*) (Return On Time Invested).
- And finally, if you ask an employee around the coffee machine, you should feel sincere engagement and motivation. Most importantly, they should be able to connect their daily work and objectives to the overall challenges of the organization.
These elements, although simple, have a considerable impact on the operational performance of the company.
But why don’t Executive Committees systematically work on their own performance?
Despite the obvious importance of Executive Committee performance, why don’t leaders always take the time to work on their own functioning?
One possible answer lies in leaders’ reluctance to accept looking at their own team performance. It requires stepping back, evaluating their impact on the organization, learning new postures, and working on topics that may seem non-priority to them. This process requires time, personal investment, and above all, a willingness to change, not only for themselves but for the entire team.
Change, yes, but it must be quick and for others!
How to Make an Executive Committee More Effective?
The first step for an Executive Committee wishing to improve its performance is to become aware of carrying out this work and accepting to devote time to it. A question I like to ask the executive teams I work with is: “What type of team do you want to be? A steering committee or an executive team?”
This distinction is fundamental. In the first case, members sit as representatives of their respective teams, each reporting information from their silo. In the second case, they consider themselves as a full-fledged executive team, aware of the organization’s overall challenges. Moving from “I report from my silo” to “I manage from the Executive Committee” is a radical change in posture.
Another key indicator is how Executive Committee members talk about their team. When a leader starts saying “my team” when referring to the Executive Committee rather than their own department, it’s a sign that the dynamic has changed. It means they have moved beyond the stage of silos, a classic source of non-performance, and have transitioned to a truly unified team aligned around common challenges. Stage 3 of the high-performing team described by V. Lenhardt (**).
The Executive Committee’s Posture: A Key Lever for Performance
The Executive Committee’s posture is complex and requires tailored support, adapted to the culture, challenges, and people who make up the team.
But it works! I had the chance to experience this transformation both as a member of an executive committee for several years and as a coach supporting the performance of numerous executive committees.
One of the keys to success is a motivated leader and team mobilized around an attentive coach, capable of challenging the status quo and involving the team in building its own action plan.
It often begins by clarifying the team’s identity: what are its values, its purpose? What is its ambition? Its missions? How does this team fit within the organization?
Moreover, it requires working on the quality of relationships within the group, cohesion, and each person’s place in the team. Each member must have a known and recognized place, which strengthens the group’s solidity and its ability to act together.
Solid Foundations for a High-Performing Organization
By enhancing the performance of an executive committee, we lay the groundwork for a more effective organization. Executive committee members are more aligned, more efficient in their decision-making, and their impact is quickly felt across all operations. It is indeed foundational work, but its results are lasting and profoundly beneficial.
Investing in the performance of an executive committee is investing in the organization’s future.
And you, have you ever thought about the performance of your executive committee? How could you begin to transform your team to boost your company’s overall performance?
(*) ROTI: Return on Time Invested – derived from Agile software methods. ROTI is used to quickly measure the effectiveness of a meeting or workshop by asking participants to evaluate, on a scale of 1 to 5, whether they believe the time they invested was profitable in terms of results obtained.
(**) V. Lenhardt: is a French coach, consultant, trainer, and author recognized as one of the pioneering figures in the field of coaching in France and Europe. He notably established the concept of team development in three stages: collection of individuals, supportive team, high-performing team.
