The team meeting ended. As a leader, you feel confident you've set the team up for success. You believe the team understands the goal to achieve.
After you leave, they begin discussing the goal and how they each interpreted it. Now, this team is a group of intelligent, talented individuals. They all have strong opinions.
Everyone must be aligned.
Surprisingly, many teams are not. They can't answer these simple questions:
➡ What exactly is the goal?
➡ What’s the desired outcome?
➡ How will we know when we've achieved it?
➡ What are the success metrics that will help us track progress?
The team members end up having different perspectives. Typical behaviors you will observe when a team is not aligned and struggles:
- Constant disagreement on the goal or outcome, with no resolution in sight.
- Conflicts arise when some members want to move forward.
- Skepticism starts to appear about others' intentions and contributions.
- Members lose focus, get distracted by other things, and can't find a clear direction.
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So, what do you do?
🗣 Tell them what you observe.
❓Ask questions.
👂Listen and learn where there is misalignment.
Guide the discussion back to the goal, the customer problem. Emphasize the impact on the customer's life and how it will drive value for the business once solved.
Connect the dots. Teams want meaningful work that ties into the broader strategy and vision. Paint a clear picture for them.
Coach the team to a shared vision—a North Star—to ensure they never lose sight of their purpose and what they are trying to create for their customer once they solve this problem.
This vision will help align them. It motivates them to persevere through tough times. When the team veers off course, this vision will bring them back to what they all agreed upon. It will keep the goal and outcomes front and center and top of mind.
Next, coach them on defining success measures that indicate when the goal is achieved. With these metrics in place, they can track their progress effectively.
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Preventing chaos and endless debate for clarity in team goal alignment is essential for driving high performance and achieving objectives.
By clearly defining goals, desired outcomes, and success metrics, you can guide your team through the noise and ensure everyone is working towards the same North Star.
Remember, alignment is not a one-time event; it requires continuous effort, communication, and recalibration.
As a leader, your role is to keep the team focused, motivated, and united.
Mastering these strategies will transform your team dynamics, empower them to take ownership of the work, foster a collaborative spirit, and pave the way for success.
Written By: Pam Krengel