Elliott observed the frustration in the Management Team Meeting and watched as it failed to achieve the teamwork intentions of Wilfred Brown.

And Elliott made a suggestion. It was a simple suggestion, but its impact profound.

From that day forward, the Management Team Meeting would carry a new name. In its place, it would be called the President’s Meeting. The members of the meeting would be the same, the frequency would be the same, but the accountability for its decisions would no longer rest with the team, but with the president.

In fact, the accountability of its decisions had never rested with the team. The accountability had always rested with the president. This small change only now, clearly described what had always been.

But now, what was different?

Naming the meeting according to reality brought a new enthusiasm to its purpose. The purpose was, now, to capture the input of the management team, to identify the challenges that exist, both in the external market and the internal organization, to identify the technical details and consider alternative solutions, so the president could make the best decision. There were no more illusions, no more contrived circumstances. The politics disappeared and the team moved forward with great clarity.

This lesson about who is accountable for the goal is a lesson that has value at every layer in the organization. More about that tomorrow. -TF