Cultivating Effective Dialogue

HBR, May 2011

It’s not easy orchestrating a frank and constructive dialogue between a CEO and frontline managers. Some individuals may feel intimidated when they find themselves face-to-face with the CEO. Others may be so determined to stand out that they dominate the conversation. Still others may seize the opportunity to air a litany of long-held grievances. Or the CEO may appear distant or distracted or, alternatively, too fixated on delivering a specific message.

A CEO dialogue should include no fewer than eight and no more than 10 frontline managers. Too few participants tends to inhibit the conversation with the CEO; too many can turn what should be a genuine dialogue into a minilecture. We work with HR and department heads to identify managers who are high performers and recognized thought leaders in their units. Participants receive a personal invitation from the CEO. A facilitator (usually a member of the CEO’s immediate staff) attends each meeting to manage the flow of the conversation and document the discussion.

Make sure that the meeting room is intimate. Ideally, the table should be round or oval, and participants should be seated close to one another. The meeting should be held on the frontline managers’ turf to make the point that the CEO is coming to them. Find out which participants are likely to be less vocal and place them directly opposite the CEO to encourage their engagement.

The dialogue should feel structured but informal. The CEO starts by laying out the goals of the meeting: (1) for managers to hear updates about the company’s progress and priorities and (2) for the CEO to listen and learn. Next, the group proposes topics for discussion. The facilitator clusters them into topic areas and kicks off dialogue.

The CEO should strive to make the participants feel like trusted confidants and ambassadors. The facilitator ensures that everyone has a chance to speak, keeps the conversation focused, and takes detailed notes.

A detailed summary of the meeting and agreed-upon action items should go to each member of the executive team, keeping participants’ comments anonymous. Local management can be briefed when appropriate. The facilitator is responsible for making sure that action items are taken.

The final step is to communicate. Telegraph the importance of frontline managers by showcasing highlights from the meeting in CEO communications and on the intranet. Announce action items that are under way to illustrate that the CEO is listening to, learning from, and acting on frontline insights.

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