In July, we focused on the questions that need to be asked to assess the effectiveness of governance and executive bodies during the first phase of the health crisis. Today, as the crisis continues, we're looking to the future to show how evaluating your ComEx/CoDir can make your business more dynamic.
1| Why launch the evaluation of the Comex/Codir at a time of little visibility? Is there not a risk of disrupting teams already under pressure due to the exceptional situation?
- It's even more important to have a close-knit team at the helm in strong winds. Testing the quality of relationships is one way of ensuring that the company stays on course despite headwinds.
- The team's performance also depends on the expertise and skills on board: asking yourself whether you have all the necessary skills around the table to make quick decisions while measuring the risks is essential, precisely because we are in a crisis.
- The quality of relations between the Codir/Comex and the other managers is fundamental to effective execution: assessing the quality of operations and interactions within senior management is necessary to strengthen the company's performance.
- Defining the tactics to implement the strategy is akin to the art of warfare, and reinforces agility and adaptability in execution.
Taking the decision to evaluate your Comex/Codir now is therefore the best way to support management and protect the company while helping it to grow.
Devoting time to this assessment allows each member of the Committee to take a step back. Taking this time when there is a total lack of visibility can be seen as heresy. Our conviction is that, on the contrary, it will breathe new life into the company and strengthen the dynamic and the vision carried by the management team.
2| How do you evaluate a Comex/Codir in the complex environment of 2020?
We recommend to our clients that each member of the Comex/Codir carries out a self-assessment along three lines:
- Behaviour and achievements since the start of the health crisis
- Managing any conflicts that may have arisen. In these turbulent times, we believe that constructive debate is a strength for the company.
- Assessment of the quality of the relationships and skills of their circle of trust - which may include people other than the Committee.
Then use an external body to assess the whole. Whether, like us, they follow a methodology combining recognised diagnostic tools and interviews or not, calling in consultants helps to achieve a more in-depth and transparent assessment for two reasons. On the one hand, employees are more forthcoming, and on the other, being external allows us to stand back and take a more objective view.
Evaluating for greater efficiency
In conclusion, just because the management team is made up of brilliant individuals does not mean that the group dynamic results in strong, united leadership, especially in the current context. Carrying out an assessment will help to identify the behaviours or attitudes that need to be changed and the measures that need to be taken to improve group effectiveness - in other words, to energise the company by capitalising on its essential intangible asset: its human resources.
