Manufacturing
Executives
DEC
Manufacturing Company Establishes Executive Team Alignment Cadence
Representative example of unifying leadership messaging after acquisition
In collaboration with
The situation
- A manufacturing company completed an acquisition but struggled to integrate the executive teams
- Conflicting priorities and communication styles created organizational confusion
- Key talent departed citing uncertainty and mixed messages from leadership
What broke
Why training alone wasn't enough:
- Executive team operated as two separate groups with different norms and expectations
- Strategic decisions revisited repeatedly without clear resolution or commitment
- Conflicting messages cascaded to frontline teams, creating execution paralysis
- Integration stalled as leaders waited for clarity that never came
- Middle managers spent excessive time interpreting contradictory direction
What we installed
The infrastructure that created lasting change:
- Unified executive operating rhythm with structured meeting cadence and decision protocols
- Strategic decision framework with clear escalation and commitment mechanisms
- Shared leadership language adopted by both legacy teams
- Communication cascade templates ensuring consistent messaging across all levels
- Executive accountability partnerships bridging legacy organizational boundaries
Reinforcement cadence
How we made behaviors stick:
- Weekly executive alignment check-ins during integration phase
- Monthly focus on one integration priority with clear ownership and deadlines
- Bi-weekly cascade verification with direct reports to ensure message consistency
- Quarterly strategic recalibration sessions with full executive team
Early wins
Typical progress indicators at each milestone
30 Days
- Early indicators: single executive meeting cadence established and functioning
- Decision framework adopted for integration-related issues
60 Days
- Typical outcomes: cross-legacy accountability partnerships showing engagement
- Unified messaging reaching all teams with reduced interpretation variance
90 Days
- Representative results: integration velocity increased as decision bottlenecks cleared
- Talent retention indicators improving as organizational clarity emerged
What we learned
- Alignment requires infrastructure, not just good intentions or occasional off-sites.
- Off-sites create temporary alignment; systems hold it in place between gatherings.
- The decision framework was the key unlock-clarity on how to decide eliminated endless revisiting.
The guiding shift
- Less fixing, more guiding
- Less control, more clarity
- More ownership from teams
This example represents typical outcomes from similar engagements. Your results will depend on your organization's context, commitment, and willingness to install and maintain leadership infrastructure.
Could this work for you?
Let's discuss what realistic outcomes might look like for your specific situation.