- July 26, 2011
- Culture of Collaboration, Team Building
Organizations today are engaged more and more in managing change at a rapid rate. Those changes include the need to redefine the organization, change staffing structures, introduce new processes both internally and externally and refine products.
Results show that a focus on team interaction or Team Alignment is a key factor in managing organization teams. As team members communicate more effectively they are able to redefine and produce results at a much faster pace.
In my recent contacts with clients, it has become evident and perhaps to you too, that the team and its value has been neglected. As companies are producing more with less; executives and staff are concentrating on productivity within their own silos and not reaching across functions to create a larger view and therefore a more far reaching change that will allow them to succeed.
Perhaps you have noticed in the team you lead, as well as the one you are a member of, that meetings do not achieve their intended result and that the implementation of strategy is lacking. It seems clear and yet people seem unable to achieve the level of collaboration and alignment that is necessary to bring the results to fruition.
The Team Alignment essential tripod includes three elements: Communication, Accountability, Solution Focus.
Communication is our focus here.
Executive team meetings are an important aspect of change management. Have you noticed that ideas are often presented by the leader, there seems to be agreement, a few questions, and then the agenda moves on to the next item? After the meeting two or three team members gather to talk in someone’s office saying things they did not say in the meeting.
Team alignment means that communication is open. Processes are given for open communication, for practice in listening and for being aware and present during presentation of ideas and conversation.
Listening is one of the essential elements of communication and often missing in meetings and conversations. Have you noticed that when someone is speaking that we often are:
- Preparing our response
- Interrupting to give our own experience in the situation or to ask a clarifying question
- Or attaching what someone is saying to something we have experienced and going off on thinking or talking about that, losing the original communication.
If you’d like to learn more about aligning your team(s) to maximize success and productivity in your organization, please visit my website: http://bridgingassociates.com
