A Misaligned Team May Damage Your Budget More Than You Realize

It is budget time for David. He misalignment.

David is a technical leader, like many of the leaders that I coach. It is easier for David to work with hard dollars in the budget, than it is to reduce waste caused by misalignment in his team. However, this misalignment could have a significant negative impact on the budget.

I believe that employees want to do their best every day. But if each employee has a slightly differently interpretation of the direction of the team, they could be doing their best, but not using the skills and creativity in alignment with everyone else. In addition to wasted energy & resources, this misalignment can cause conflict in the team.

David, as a leader, needs to worry about budgets. It is part of his job. But he also needs to ensure that each team member is aligned with the direction of the team & the organization.

However, David doesn't know how to do this – and like many leaders I coach, he doesn't like to ask for help. Since, I’m not coaching David, I’m posting these steps for him, and every other leader who wants to keep their team aligned with the direction of the enterprise:

1. Share the goals of the organization. Don’t say this just once. Repeat it 3-7 times at various forums. Have discussions to ensure your staff understand them and what they mean to their team.

2. Show the link between the team & the organization. Once the team realizes their fit with the goals of the organization, they can make choices daily that keep their work aligned with same.

3. Brainstorm options. Work with your team to determine the most appropriate actions for the team & individuals. Ownership increases for the goals when people’s input is used.

4. Build in accountability. Update each person’s performance goals, so that the projects and actions they are measured against are in line with the goals of the organization.

5. Check back regularly. Ensure they have what they need to do their jobs – skills, tools, information, access, knowledge, etc. Make any updates needed to their actions, based on results and changes in the environment.

6. Celebrate milestones. Keep team members motivated by recognizing their hard work that is aligned with the team’s & organization’s goals.

So, to all the David’s out there: worry about your budgets AND keep your team working in the proper direction. If you’d like to talk to me about alignment contact me at Valerie.MacLeod@HainesCentre.com

With my technical background, I also specialize in coaching technical leaders!