Once a business coach has helped a leadership team define goals and priorities and create a clear vision for the future, they next look at all of the possible obstacles that could prevent the business from being successful in their efforts to achieve those goals. Even the most successful organizations have “issues” from time to time: those problems or obstacles that could prevent future growth and development and limit your overall success. The key is to identify your potential problems and by bringing them out into the open by placing them on an Issues List.
Again, the first step in creating an Issues List is simply to get the issues out into the open – solving them comes later. Business coaches simply urge teams to think of any obstacles or concerns they are facing that could prevent them from achieving their vision. Sugarcoating real issues isn’t an option for teams that want to achieve their goals.
Maintaining an Issues List should be an ongoing discipline. Anytime an obstacle or problem pops up, add it to the list. Keep having meetings on a regular basis and after a while, you’ll find that they become a habit that allows individual leadership team members to really voice their concerns and be heard.
When leadership teams have the opportunity to brainstorm in a safe and welcoming environment, the truth can really come out – and when you’re running a healthy organization, this type of honesty and open discussion is an important asset that can really strengthen the business.
