How to Create Executive Team Norms — and Make Them Stick

Having a set of norms that an executive team consistently follows helps team members be clearer about each other’s intentions, increases trust, saves time, decreases backbiting and politics, and sets a clear operational compass for the rest of the organization. To create your own executive team norms and put them into practice, follow these five steps: (1) Identify successful norms based on your past experience; (2) break down the norms into behaviors; (3) commit to five norms or fewer; (4) create a recurring plan; (5) create a system of mutual accountability. Consciously agreeing on how you will work together and sticking to that agreement is essential to having a high-performing team — especially at the executive level. Not only will you create a high-functioning team capable of achieving extraordinary results, but you will also model creating such teams for the rest of your organization.