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Boardroom debate improves executive teams Sustainability engagement and performance

Good leaders know that conflict over issues and resources in organisations is a natural part of the daily round and can often be vital in airing issues or letting off frustration amongst individuals.

Organisations that challenge one another’s thinking, assumptions and market realities develop a more comprehensive understanding of each other’s world view, business perspectives, systems thinking and crucially vision for the organisation. So, it is with sustainability management, it is a complex area of business, closely tied in with intangible risk management, market trends and business morals. Sustainability debates can be at the forefront of corporate ethics as they arise within the consciousness of a business, and at a stage that has no established societal, business or even regulatory guideline to direct the debate. They may just have to be thrashed out internally around a boardroom.

Leadership groups and teams that can enter the healthy debate with each other over a sustainability issue can gain a more complete understanding of their future options, as different perspectives are thrown into the ring for comparison. They can create a richer range of options, as teams explore avenues of choice with their various risks and opportunities. Finally, they can make better decisions as they undertake a risk assessment of the issue and determine future priority actions. This level of creative tension can be a valuable business tool in driving performance, a route towards business innovation, but does require a degree of leadership caution.

The leadership challenge is simple but requires leadership skills in communication, authority, and tact – to keep the argument at a ‘constructive conflict’ level around the sustainability issue at hand but to prevent the discussion from becoming personal and degenerating into interpersonal conflict.

Research around the question of constructive conflict, its interplay, inter-organisational politics, and speed at which decisions are made within management teams has revealed a number of factors. These have been distilled into six tactics that high performing teams comfortable with constructive conflict understand and demonstrate during any discussion.

  1. They work with more, rather than less, information. A crucial aspect in some sustainability debates where the data is still emerging.
  2. They develop multiple alternatives to enrich debate. A common approach in sustainability and impact assessment where the range of strategic options available needs to be explored and sieved for risks and opportunities.
  3. They establish common goals. We have repeatedly emphasised in these blogs that sustainability in business requires focus around previously established priorities.
  4. They try to inject humour into the workplace. Sound advice for any form of debate as it can allow inter-relational pressure between individuals to be let off and allow people to back away from a previously entrenched position.
  5. They maintain a balanced corporate power structure. This is a critical element as sustainability debate can often require the transfer of knowledge from younger staff to the leadership group when the topic is unfamiliar. This requires a more open, transformative leadership approach amongst the leaders present to keep all engaged, focussed, and willing to contribute. Beware the risks of group think when dominant views stifle the contribution and engagement of lesser managers.
  6.  They resolve issues without forcing a consensus. Debate can be healthy but there comes a time when a decision must be made. Group consensus can be a positive motivator when taking the issue forward, but where this is not possible a leader has to summarise the information, he has taken in from all parties, weigh up the pros and cons of the major elements in the debate and come down with their preferred decision. Those who still want to continue the argument should be discouraged from continued resistance as it delays the debate moving onto the next stage – action and delivery.

These tactics work for all, as they keep the discussion focused on the sustainability issue; fosters a collaborative approach to problem-solving, rather than a competitive win at all cost mentality, strengthen relationships between the team members; and critically create a sense of fairness in the decision-making process where all believe that they have contributed something to the debate.

Without creative tension and constructive conflict, groups (especially cross-silo teams) lose their effectiveness in helping drive a deeper evaluation of the issues at hand. As the leader in the sustainability debate, view yourself as the circus ringmaster bringing the various acts onto the stage to contribute to the overall experience. The desired outcome is an overall ‘wow’ for all, rather than a competition into whose act was best.

The alternative to conflict is not usually agreement but apathy and disengagement. No sustainability leader wishes to have an apathetic organisational culture towards their sustainability initiatives.

If you have found this of interest and are interested in receiving support in managing internal sustainability debates, consultations, and strategies. Contact us at  Leading Green

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