The Hidden Constraint: Part Two

Yesterday, in part one of “The Hidden Constraint” I told you all about my covert band T-shirt. The one that was underneath my 2020s leadership consultant uniform of shacket, indigo jeans, and white sneakers.

And I promised you that I would tell you what band it was in part two.

Guessing the band

I know what you are thinking. Mark’s a fashionable indie kid (tongue firmly in cheek) – he’s bound to be wearing something cool, retro, and secretly subversive.

Suede, Blur, Manics? Or reaching back to The Smiths, Joy Division, early Pulp maybe?

Well, the band I chose to wear are rooted in the 1980s. They are successful, with multiple hits, and still selling huge venues out across the world.

Aha…James!?

Nah…Deacon Blue, baby!

And it’s not even a retro T. It was one from their most recent album tour – The Great Western Road. A top that I could have bought at any of the THREE different venues I have seen them at in the last 18 months!

Yup I am a card carrying, uncool fan of the pop-rock Scottish soulsters. And I want you to know that. To understand who I am and what I like. We’ll get on better that way.

Why the T-shirt matters

It’s that level of trust and candour that’s missing from a lot of teams. And it holds back performance.

Of course, I’m not saying that teams just need to ditch the two-piece suit or start every meeting with a round robin of the latest photos of their labradoodles. It’s not about “being nice”. It’s about recognising the value of difference.

I work a lot with team effectiveness experts, Meta Team. And their insight, from hundreds of thousands of data points, proves exactly that.

Their data shows that 41% of all leadership teams struggle with low candour. Meaning important issues stay unresolved, meetings become politically safe, and execution weakens downstream.

I’ve been there. In those rooms. Swinging between polite conversation and territorial protection. Competing assumptions, avoided conversations, weak decisions.

The hidden constraint

Why? Well without candour and trust, teams are being held back. That’s the hidden constraint I am referring to in the title of this newsletter. Stuff isn’t being said – they have a foot on the metaphorical brake.

Working with the Meta Team diagnostic tool, we can get to the heart of this in days…not months. We’ll identify the team’s shackle and quickly get into the work that unlocks it.

Meaning their hidden constraint will be Real Gone, Kid. Giving them back a sense of Dignity – in the time that it takes the next Wages Day to come around (sorry – I am a dad, we love a pun).

Great people, slow teams

The point here is – you can have great people in a team but still be slow to execute. It’s about what’s getting in the way in the system, not what they can and can’t do. Teams that can open up, talk about what’s important – speaking truth with care – will always outperform those that can’t.

The data stacks it up.

If you have a team that’s not quite delivering at full potential, or you just want to chat about the unique musical chemistry between Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh (or even how good-looking

Dougie Vipond STILL is at nearly 60) – get in touch.

I'm Mark - a leadership coach, consultant and cyclist based in Bedford. I work with senior leaders, teams, and HR professionals to deliver better performance - and live happier, healthier lives. 🚴🏾