Principles of Alignment
“Alignment: An arrangement of groups or forces in relation to one another.”
-Merriam Webster Dictionary
Alignment is the ability to work together to define a shared vision, shared values and shared outcomes. The biggest challenge in aligning the work we do with co-creators is understanding everyone’s honest point of view and getting agreement on what decisions to make. Lack of alignment is a frequently voiced challenge in projects corporate or otherwise.
How do you reach alignment with client’s and co-creators?
I personally do it by creating a safe container where people can express their POV. Secondly by including everyone in the generation of the ideas for the project. And finally working together to prioritize which ideas resonate most with the group.
- Create a Safe Container
To help facilitate alignment you need to create a safe space for ideas. A CORE session is this safe container. To set it you must set the rules. The 3 rules are 1. Participate 2. Say Anything 3. Have Fun. The second rule is most important. Allow people to say anything. But redirect the negative to it’s positive incarnation. - Create Inclusion
What powers Alignment is Inclusion. If people feel like their ideas and intentions were heard and included they support the energy forward towards their creation. When people don’t feel included or heard they sabotage the project and bring their own hidden agendas into the flow of energy. This creates fragmentation and unnecessary friction and conflict. - Prioritize Together
The ability to prioritize everything together provides a “wedge”. A clear focused effort where what is most important get’s done first and serves as a foundation for momentum. This is a step that if missed produces a lot of waisted energy on your projects. Unprioritized actions produce burn-out and team unhappiness.
Much Love,
-jc
PS. Join me this Friday, June 14th at 11 am PST for a CORE Design Kit FREE Sneak Peek!
Register for FREE here: http://bit.ly/COREdesignKitPreview
During this 1.5 hour webinar we are going to walk you through a Sneak Peek at the CORE Design Kit. We will cover what challenges it aims to solve, what tools it brings and how to use these tools in your freelance, agency and corporate practices.
