The presentation to the board went very well. At the end, Andrew left the boardroom with her, this time just to congratulate her. And there was no need: It was clear that everything had gone very well.
It was clear from the questions, all precise and curious.
Sandeep’s advice was invaluable and channeled the discussion exactly on the tracks that Katherine wanted.
James’ help was also fundamental. More tension toward the desired solution and more dramatization of the problem have turned into a greater emotional engagement of the board, which slowly felt part of a journey, a climb toward the goal. So much so that the board began to use mountain terminology and the CEO defined the results achieved so far as “Apold’s new base camp” and this expression immediately began to circulate.
Katherine decides it’s time to take stock. She takes a sheet of paper and writes down the moments in which the project has made a leap forward and those in which it has had a setback. She has always done this little personal exercise: It helps her to consolidate ideas and learn from experience.
As the first point, she writes: collaboration.
Then she thinks about it and adds “trust”: That is the real prerequisite.
Then on the side, she writes “Design Thinking,” which has opened new ways of thinking and seeing the problem, together with “business acumen.”
Then “feedback.” Andrew’s feedback in their first review was harsh, but Katherine had to admit that he was right. And it was a good thing that they had that discussion at the beginning of the project when the work was still very fluid. Thanks to Andrew, the project now stands out for the excellent balance between customer perspective and feasibility.
Then she writes “purpose” and connects it with “team” and “business acumen,” because without meaning there is no achievement or success. Without a passionate and involved team, the results are certainly lower.
The road is still long, but the results are now tangible. Kamila’s organizational skills have been fundamental. Her reliability and clarity made everyone’s job easier and above all made it possible to connect the project to ever wider circles of stakeholders.
It is crystal clear why in their first conversation Kamila had insisted so much on communication: It required effort, but once set it has been a great accelerating factor for the project. It helped show the value, build consensus, and receive contributions that Katherine and the team could never have otherwise.
Katherine is happy and proud of how the attitude of the team members has changed, of how now they are all enthusiastic, optimistic, and engaged.
Once the collaboration had been established in the team, it was easy to exploit each one’s strengths. To achieve this, diversity within the team was very important. At the beginning it seemed like a disadvantage: too many different points of view, too many irreconcilable approaches, different backgrounds... instead, the trust that little by little has been established has allowed them to express themselves and confront productively, to see an opportunity in uncertainty, and experiment with new ways. Diversity went beyond the boundaries of Katherine’s team and embraced other teams, from Production to Purchasing, to Sales, becoming the real strength of the project.
In the next team meeting, she will dedicate the first 20 minutes to celebrate their success with the team. The result is the fruit of everyone’s work and Katherine knows that it is also her legacy: Each member of the team will bring this experience to future projects.
Boston, Friday, November 9, 2020.