START YOUR WEEK WITH THE COACH

“Questions your organization should be asking when preparing the next generation.”

Why is our mission critical and to whom? What kind of leaders will it take to pursue our vision and fulfill our mission? What is our process for identifying, developing and resourcing the next generation?

Why is it more important than ever to prepare this coming generation? One overriding concern is that seventy-six million Baby Boomers are fading and the next generation only numbers forty-six million. Major implications:

One, you must reach deeper into the pool of potential leaders to replace current leaders. Two, new leaders are promoted at a younger age, with less experience and are facing greater challenges. Three, technology is constantly shrinking global networks and diversity is increasing worldwide.

Your team has a collective responsibility to answer these fundamental questions, even if the answers aren’t easy or immediately practical. You must create the room for this debate. And, you owe your partners, customers and team members clear answers about why your organization exists and what you do every day to fulfill that purpose.

Providing the culture to encourage dialogue and debate is the best way to bring these fundamental questions out of the shadows and put them at center stage where they belong. Open and honest discussion, based on adequate and accurate information, is the only way to make informed decisions.

How is your organization doing? Who’s asking those critical questions? What’s your strategy for each goal you set? If your leadership is not asking these questions up front, you can be assured your team members are asking them when you’re not around.