Are Your Leaders Aligned, Really? Ensuring Consensus with the Leadership Agreement Framework
Decisions are not binary. This concept, and the Leadership Agreement framework that supports it, is a critical tool in our work with leadership teams. In our article, “The Right Questions to Lead to Successful Change,” we offered guidance on how to ask the right questions, but what if you are asking the right questions yet not getting to the decision consensus needed to move your project forward?
Have you experienced leaders saying they agree in a meeting and then found out they disagreed in the “meeting after the meeting”? Or maybe a leader said they agreed to a decision, but they were not certain what they agreed to? We see this occasionally in our consulting as we partner with senior level leadership teams to help them manage through change. An element of that work consistently involves helping teams make good decisions and articulate why those decisions are being made. We have found that getting to the heart of leadership agreement – or disagreement – is the key to moving a project forward and a non-binary discussion enables that discovery.
The Leadership Agreement framework, outlined below, makes the decision discussion non-binary. Five response options instead of two (agree or disagree) provides the space for stakeholders to voice their opinions. As you unearth what is at the heart of each leader’s thought process, you and the team will not only move closer to consensus but also to a more refined (better) decision.
Each level of the Leadership Agreement framework outlines what that choice (5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) means and defines how the leader will show up as a result of that decision.
As we’ve employed this tool with senior leaders as well as project teams, we’ve found it is helpful for a few reasons:
It allows the team to understand where each stakeholder falls on the decision spectrum, from complete agreement to complete disagreement. Sometimes leaders don’t feel comfortable saying they disagree with a team who has done a lot of work to get them to where they are. By using a 1-5 scale, leaders can provide a number for where they fall on the continuum without needing to vocalize complete disagreement. Providing a range also allows for nuance in their level of agreement. This discussion can unearth the one thing that is holding up consensus and once that is addressed, the team is able to move forward.
It allows the team to begin a conversation around what is meant by level of agreement and where the points of friction may be. Getting the conversation started with all voices involved provides all participants with an understanding of what each stakeholder is curious about, what needs to be changed or what non-negotiables exist, and, ultimately, increases clarity for the team.
Finally, this tool begins a conversation on how the leader will show up based on where they fall. There are many times where complete agreement is not needed, but visible sponsorship and vocal support of an idea or initiative is needed to move forward.
The Leadership Agreement framework can be the right tool when you find your team struggling to get to and maintain agreement. A better decision-making process leads to increased clarity, more consensus, and more effective decisions. Don't hesitate to reach out to discuss implementing this framework with your team. We would love to chat about the decisions and programs you are working towards.
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