How to Herd Cats

One of the director’s I worked for told me that she had gotten the job because “she knew how to herd cats”. Over time I’ve realized the value of this skillset.  “Herding cats” is being able to focus a group of very talented and diverse people toward a common goal.  Normally these “cats” thrive in business models that are process loose, allow for creativity, and may not have the best cross functional communication paths.  The first step in the herding process is communicating the goal.  It may already be known to the team members, but how their individual roles relate to other roles in attaining that goal may not be.  The person doing the herding of these very talented cats conveys this role correlation by first getting to know and understand the individuals, their talents, and their individual role contributions.  Taking this time at the individual level reinforces the importance each individual has in attaining the team goal.  It also conveys the team leader’s value in each team member’s contributions and that what they do matters.  The next phase in this herding process is to enlighten each team member that they can’t accomplish this goal on their own.  Again, these cats are usually very talented individuals who are easily absorbed and passionate in their individual roles.  They may not be the best at inviting others into their world.  The herder in this case reinforces the value and responsibility of each individual in team gatherings and how these individual roles complement each other.  This is where a good herder has a good plan with measurable milestones and defined paths to reach them.  Without this plan and measurement, the cats will wander.  The next phase is constant follow-up.  Being a herder isn’t easy.  It takes effort each and every day.  Cats will stray and have to be brought back into the fray.  If the planning, engaging, and follow-up stages are executed well, the herd will form and begin to develop processes on its own.  This organic process development comes from internalizing team goals, understanding role impacts and value, and the mutual loyalty that has developed between the cats and the herder.   This loyalty is based on a mutual understanding that the real goal is for all the cats to succeed.  It is an amazing thing watch unfold.