You're collaborating with team leaders on operational plans. How do you navigate power dynamics effectively?

You need to go make friends, meet 1:1 and build a relationship. The titles, the levels, the differences are unimportant to reaching a goal. What do you know about the person as a team member? Who is in their inner circle of family or connections? Where are they from? Once you start a relationship, based on person to person connections, then you can navigate how to get things done. Start with the person. Build a relationship. Then talk about "how can we solve this thing together?" -CLIK

In general I would say that answer is weak. If there are fences around areas or scope you are not getting the best of your whole team. Some ideas seem so outside the normal they are written off before they can be explored on any level.

In operational planning, I focus on building a space where all team leaders feel appreciated and heard. Open communication is crucial, so I make it a point to encourage everyone to share their ideas. By keeping our attention on shared goals, we can reduce potential power struggles. When tensions do surface, I find that splitting into smaller groups or holding a quick brainstorming session often brings things back on track. These smaller discussions allow different perspectives to come forward, which may not have been highlighted in larger meetings. This process helps the team realign on our common goals, moving forward with greater clarity and unity. The aim is to make sure everyone feels involved, not just following orders.

One thing I’ve found helpful in building trust is to establish a culture of accountability and mutual respect early on when gathering your cross collaboration team. By consistently following through on commitment and providing regular updates, you reinforce the reliability that underpins trust. Cross collaboration not only strengthens trust but also enhances the overall quality of the operational plan by integrating diverse perspectives. As cross teams feel more invested in the process, they are more likely to champion the plan's implementation, ensuring smoother transitions and more robust outcomes.

Trust is shown by response It can be negotiated it can be demanded by position But at the the end of the day it comes down to how that person and ideas are treated You never know where the next best answer will come from and you won’t get it by demanding it

That should be the scope of every conversation. I was once accused of being less than smart because I refuse to accept this or that band as real change in the music world. If you aren’t respected for your insight it will be more difficult to keep that Chanel open

Some times the corporations goals have to be second. Without your customers and your employee team you won’t have anything to lean on tomorrow Be careful that the decision to disagree doesn’t ensure future continued dissatisfaction It’s ok to disagree. It’s not ok to make it personal

Some times the corporations goals have to be second. Without your customers and your employee team you won’t have anything to lean on tomorrow Be careful that the decision to disagree doesn’t ensure future continued dissatisfaction It’s ok to disagree. It’s not ok to make it personal