Checking the Alignment
“The purpose of a team is not goal attainment but goal alignment.”
~ Tom DeMarco, Author, Teacher & Speaker
Recently, I read about an outdoor supervisor who started the morning by setting the expectations for the day in front of his entire crew. The supervisor’s expectations were in line with previous workdays – in fact, they were fully staffed for the first time in a while which was a big advantage for production expectations. But immediately he got pushback from one of his subordinate crew leaders in front of the entire team. The crew leader’s response was, “I will try, but I can’t make any promises we will get it all done.” The supervisor asked to meet with the crew leader away from the others. After a lengthy discussion, the two were no closer to being in alignment on the day’s expectations. The situation did not look good for getting the expectations met.
So, what would you do if you faced this kind of pushback from one of your leaders? Situations like these create a barrier to accomplishment and excellence. Leaders need results. When overseeing large responsibilities, you depend on subordinate leaders to respond and get those results. Subordinate leaders are like tires on an automobile – they all need to be going in the same direction. When tires are out of alignment you may get to your destination, but it will be more difficult driving and real damage can be done to the tires and the vehicle.
Great leaders seek alignment and unity from key leaders before presenting the expected results in front of the entire team. This requires doing some up-front maintenance before the crew meeting. One strategy I use is called the “meeting before the meeting.” The idea is to communicate and get on the same page with your subordinate leaders because it is critical to have alignment with your goals for the day. Once those are agreed upon, getting the goals accomplished is much easier. If there is friction, tension or disrespect between you and your subordinates, you can address that sooner, rather than later. If not addressed and handled, in time the misalignment will undermine your authority and permanent damage to your organization can be the result.
Let me know if this has happened to you and how you addressed it.
Keep cultivating greatness!
Jeff
