Achieving “Complete Alignment”

We often assume that people in organizations and members of teams become aligned through the process of constant communication—until expected results fail to materialize. Then we wonder what happened.

The senior leadership team of a large consumer products manufacturing company recently spent a lot of time, effort, and money redirecting the organization’s strategy and culture. New goals were set, bold strategies were launched, and an aggressive culture change agenda was embraced. Six months into the envisioned transformation, after endless hours of communicating new expectations, the senior team acknowledged that the incessant communication, surface agreement, and heightened activity had not translated into real alignment throughout the organization. Unfortunately, this is an all too common occurrence in today’s organizations.

When it comes to achieving key expectations and results, remember that you’re always going to face different levels of alignment. The highest level, the level that engenders complete ownership and real personal investment, is what we refer to as “Complete Alignment.” Complete Alignment brings people to a level of agreement, commitment, and involvement that motivates them to do everything necessary and possible to fulfill expectations and achieve the desired results. When people arrive at Complete Alignment, they not only invest their “hands and feet” in the endeavor, they also pledge their “hearts and minds” to get it done. And they don’t stop until they achieve it.

To learn more about creating “Complete Alignment” on your teams and in your organizations, we invite you to join the Accountability Community by visiting www.partnersinleadership.com

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