Today, I am going to share with you the five steps the individuals from last week’s blog implemented on their way to achieving results. They did not have the promise of funding or support beyond their group, and they had only a limited amount of administration and coordination support. Even without “official authority”, or a guarantee of success, they moved forward undeterred.
How did they manage such a great feat, with only each other as support? They fully trusted each member of their group, so completely that their work together was evidence of a highly functioning team. What does that trust include? Being fully open, laying all expectations on the table, embracing each other’s strengths and weaknesses, all while being fully committed to the common goal. The path they took to get to that point began with these five key steps:
- Results: Establish mutually understood and shared results
- Alignment: Know and affirm aligned starting points
- Commitments: Make and keep powerful action commitments
- Communications: Build strong communication and relationship loops
- Process: Use effective tools and processes to stay on target
These all sound like great steps to take, but what do they actually mean?
Below is a little bit about each step, breaking each into manageable parts. After reading this, click HERE to download a worksheet to help you and your team work through these steps together.
- Results: Establish mutually understood and shared results
What change do you seek? Consider your formal and informal data and your knowledge of the situation right now. Write down what changes you want to see, and then set a specific target (how much, how many, where – quantify it), and determine the deadline.
- Alignment: Know and affirm aligned starting points
Where are you beginning your journey? Does everyone agree? If not, discuss where you differ and continue discussing until you can come to a consensus on where you are starting from at this moment. Taking the time to assess the current alignment for you, your team, and what you know of your partners is an important step. If you don’t know where you are starting from, you are at a disadvantage when it comes to achieving measurable results. In fact, you may be working in similar areas, but heading in different directions, unknowingly being counterproductive to the team’s end goal.
- Commitments: Make and keep powerful action commitments
Making and keeping powerful action commitments is essential to maintaining relationships and achieving results through working in high alignment. “Powerful” commitments are those made with conscious intent to get things done. It clearly describes what will be done and when. It also confirms that the person making the commitment can actually carry it out (has access, authority, skills and abilities). Click here to learn more about setting powerful commitments and using the Accountability Pathway developed by Jolie Bain at Sherbrooke Consulting.
- Communications: Build strong communication and relationship loops
People working independently toward a shared result or goal must rely on effective communication. This requires continually working on building relationships-within the team, as well as externally with our partners, colleagues, and other community members. Feedback loops need to test whether our intentions are proving successful at closing communication gaps. This is especially true when communicating through email or other written forms where tone, facial expressions, and body language are not included to provide meaning or context.
- Process: Use effective tools and processes
Any time we have a job to do, having the right tools or processes for the work is essential. It can shave hours (or even days) off our learning curve. Like a repairman (or woman) with the RIGHT tool, the solution can be a quick fix. Whereas, if I do it myself, it may take three trips to Home Depot and calling friends to help solve the same problem. Additionally, when you are meeting with your team, be sure to discuss whether there are other tools needed to help the group produce results efficiently.
As we ended our post last week, we asked ourselves how this group of six people were able to engage others and achieve results (well beyond expectations). Tools, leadership skills, and knowledge, as well as a heavy dose of trust and confident reliance in one another is what set this team apart and paved the way for incredible results. For a glimpse into other tools that can help you lead for results, check out The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Results Count work and Jolie Bain and Sherbrooke Consulting’s work on the Accountability Pathway.
Now that you have the 5-Step Tool to help create a cohesive team strategy, you are on your way to achieving great results on your own. We strive to provide our readers with valuable information to advance leadership skills and knowledge, so be sure to visit our weekly BLOG or join our Facebook page to keep tips and tools like this at the top of your media stream.
