Alignment is very important when it comes to business growth.
When your business has hit a plateau, and you are looking to get “unstuck”, having a set of core values and a clear vision and mission gets everyone moving in the same direction. These are vital tools in decision making and empowering team members to quickly make the best decisions possible.
A great first step in strategic planning that can be activated immediately, is to host an alignment session. Here’s the process that I take my clients through, that you can do with your team:
1. Assessment – Take Stock
First… sit down with the key decision makers in your organization and take a look at where you are now. What direction does the team seem to be heading? Where do you want the business to go? How are decisions being made now? Who makes them? What criteria is used?
2. Survey – Ask Questions
Then, create a survey for distribution to your entire team and allow them to submit anonymously. In the survey ask what their top personal and business core values are. Ask in their own words what they think the company vision and mission should be.
3. Preparation – Amalgamate, Synthesize
Once you receive the anonymous surveys back, import the answers question by question into one document. Then merge, amalgamate, synthesize, and consolidate. Look for patterns and themes and group like answers together.
Create summary slides for each: Values, Vision, and Mission and invite all key team members to attend an alignment session.
4. Session – Build Alignment
In the session, ask team members to put aside their “doing” hats and think big picture as a strategic advisor. Guide everyone through discussions on Values, Vision, and Mission to draw out their thoughts and ideas.
Listen closely. There are no right or wrong answers, only things that uniquely become in alignment for your organization.
5. Follow Up – Leverage the Outcome
Now that everyone has helped to create and bought into the values, vision, and mission that will guide the direction of the company, ensure that they are circulated, communicated, and referenced regularly.
This is how I help clients with Alignment, which is the third of my Six Ingredients for Profitability & Growth. To learn about our complete system for profitability and growth, I invite you to download my FREE eGuide and subscribe to my YouTube Channel to help you get beyond your plateau.
To your profitability and growth!
