Beverly Flaxington is a practice management consultant. She answers questions from advisors facing human resource issues. To submit yours, email us here.
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Dear Bev,
I work in a large financial organization and my team is trying to make a significant business decision. It’s a collaborative culture, which we tout as being very positive. However, when decisions need to be made, we often get stuck because everyone has to have a voice and be heard.
I don’t disagree on the importance of collaboration when others have a relevant viewpoint, but many times people weigh in who really don’t know much about the subject. I don’t want my colleagues to know I am writing so will use a general example. We have a number of investment products and we are trying to revamp one which has been underperforming. Instead of having the investment team weigh in first, the sales team is asked to weigh in. They don’t have the expertise to design a product much less revamp an existing one.
I don’t mind inclusivity, but not at the cost of getting things done.
Can someone like me, who is not in a senior role, raise a flag to show people how off track we get on some decisions? I don’t want to jeopardize my own career here, but I think it would be best for the company if we could make decisions and move on.
R.S.
Dear R.S.,
If I revise your question just a teeny bit, you are asking whether you, in your less senior role, have the singular ability to shift the entire culture of the “large” organization by doing something I might recommend?
Forgive me for being flippant, because in many cases people in more junior, or less senior, roles can have a significant impact on culture and change management. It’s just that, in your description it sounds to me like this is a well-entrenched part of the culture and the collaborative aspect drives most decisions. It would be hard for me to envision a scenario where you could “call the audible” and have them all acknowledge they need to change!
Also, don’t underestimate the power of sales’ opinion in most organizations. They typically do get a (sometimes louder) voice because they are perceived as having the direct connection to the money flowing into the company. I’ve been in sales for many years, managed sales teams and I train salespeople. I speak with authority when I say they don’t always have the best answers, or know all of the answers, but they are often perceived as having them. Most firms are wary of pushing something into the market the salespeople say won’t be sellable. In fairness, there are also financial firms where product drives the train, but when you say your firm consults with the salespeople first, I’m going to guess your culture is more the former.
But, your note to me contains frustration, and I never like to say a situation is entirely hopeless, so a few things I’d ask you to consider:
- Is your viewpoint shared by others or is it relative to your role and your situation within the firm? For example, are you one of the investment people charged with making changes to the product so your experience is being left out of something you perceive as key to your own success? How objective are you, or can you be, about how things get decided?
- Are there upsides to the collaborative culture of the company that keep you there? Every single thing in life can be positive in one forum and then turn negative in another. So, think carefully about whether sometimes you benefit from and enjoy the consensus building so you don’t throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater because this situation is bogged down.
- Consider putting together a step-by-step decision-making plan you could present to your boss or to the team. Sometimes these things unravel because there is no roadmap for making the decision. “Hey, we need to ask sales what they think” can often be the genesis for how they get involved! Instead, be more proactive and create a plan that shows what step, when and with whom should be taken to reach the best decision.
- Above all, don’t show your personal frustration. You won’t get heard at all if you just get frustrated and let everyone know so before you walk into any of these discussions. Make sure you breathe deeply and stay calm.
