Enhancing Team Effectiveness for an Executive Team in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The client is a market-leading pharmacy retailer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As in most large enterprises in Saudi Arabia, the board of executive directors is culturally diverse: five nationalities are represented in the team of nine. The team had trouble working together and therefore turned to an external consultancy agency with the aim to enhance the effectiveness of the leadership team. Data were gathered by four different activities: a digital survey, a Belbin team role assessment, individual semi-structured interviews with all board members and observation of one of their meetings. The results showed that the team viewed themselves as extremely results-driven and less relationship-driven. In addition, several issues were seen as problematic: the use of English, the communication style of the CEO, differences in communication styles, and different views on openness towards each other. These differences were thought to result from the cultural diversity in the team. The consultant organized a two-day offside meeting (team retreat) to discuss the results of the research process and facilitate communication between the board members. In this, the focus was not on differences, but on interpersonal relationships and the way in which teamwork could be improved.