3 BASIC STEPS OF MANAGING A TEAM: PART 3 OF 3.
GOALS AND ALIGNMENT: 3 BASIC STEPS OF MANAGING A TEAM (PART 3 OF 3).
The last and final piece of the puzzle is ‘Goals and Alignment’.
Did you ever hear that story about the group of people who bought train tickets to a mystery station, boarded the train, and let the engineer take them to their surprise destination? Yeah…. me neither. Why do you think that is? They probably wouldn’t know what to pack, how long they would be gone, or how to prepare for the trip. Even for the most adventurous amongst us, not having those basic questions answered would be a struggle. And those are just the basics… so much more communication is needed for the every day intricacies of a business!
Moral of the story: professionally and personally, even the most adventurous of us need a plan.
Whether it is the train engineer or the manager of a department, the people on board want to know where they are headed– even if only in the most general of terms. Being prepared and have an expectation of a situation. Are they boarding a train to Alaska or Arizona? It makes a big difference. Even providing info such as “we are heading towards the desert” is enough to allow people to prepare.
Think about this with your own team, and apply it to different situations your organization may be facing. Do they know where they’re headed, or are they lost wondering if they are heading to Alaska or Arizona? Could you have provided them with clear and transparent communication, strategic roles and responsibilities, and alignment of goals and a vision?
