“There are hidden agendas in my team. Everyone seems friendly on the outside but there are unspoken issues under the surface,” a CEO recently shared with me.
“Can you help us deal with our hidden agendas so we can put our energy and ideas back into our real business?” he asked.
We’ve all been in situations where the business agenda was being discussed, yet you could feel there were other forces at play, a hidden agenda present.
Hidden agendas in your executive team can cripple to your organization’s performance.
They discourage people from being open and honest and no matter how clever you think you are, hidden agenda games are felt and recognized by others outside the leadership team.
Leaders act surprised when confronted with hidden agendas, often with comments like, “Really, you think people notice it?” People outside the team can’t always describe exactly what it is, but they feel the non-productive energy and see the confusion and frustrations that hidden agendas create.
Leadership teams are known for their work above the iceberg, the material reality including target setting, strategy creation and process optimization and they must be ready to work on the bottom of the iceberg, the non-material reality where lack of trust, respect, power, legacies, and misalignment of key players can foster hidden agendas
When you are sitting in a meeting and feel the pull of a hidden agenda, you could ask, “What’s happening in our team right now, I feel we are taking about one thing but there seems to be something else in the room now, does anyone else feel this?”
It could very well be that others are tuned in to what you are feeling, and this could help you and the team get the unspoken, spoken and address the real issues.
Don’t waste energy and time carry hidden agendas in your executive team or anywhere in your organization.
How do you address and manage hidden agendas in your leadership team?
Image by Shutterstock #77994133