TSR #11: How to take control of team alignment, your way

Aligning with your company, your team, and yourself

4 minute read

What's in this newsletter:

• What’s the right level of alignment?

• 4 ways you can help your team align and find the right overlap

• One actionable exercise you can do with your team

What’s the right level of alignment?

Where you’re growing isn’t the same as your company, nor should it be.

❌ Alignment doesn’t mean every step of your path needs to fall in lock step with your company’s.

✅ Alignment means finding the right overlap of personal growth and company impact.

Aiming for anything beyond that will only return marginal benefits, if any at all.

You need to find the sweet spot.

• Too much overlap? No autonomy.

• Too little overlap? No motivation.

4 ways you can help your team align and find the right overlap

1. Own the path (company alignment)

You should have access to the goals and general roadmap of your company.

If you don’t, ask for it and take initiative on:

• Translating strategic goals to tactical action

• Taking ownership of your team’s output and outcome

• Communicating progress to leadership, flagging risks, and escalating key decisions to stay on track 

If you don't report to leadership, work with your manager to make sure your team has company alignment.

2. Support the path (team alignment)

Your success depends on the success of your team. Help support your teammates to build visibility, responsibility, and credibility.

Answer the following questions with your team:

• Do you know what each other values, and what drives those values?

• How will you as a group support each other’s goals?

• How will you communicate, raise issues, and make decisions together?

• How will you amplify each other's wins and help turn failures into learnings?

Pick one area of improvement and define actionable steps you can take this week.

3. Create your path (self alignment)

Your success depends on your team, but the reverse is true as well. You need to know and trust in your own path to show up for your team.  

This includes:

• Defining your goals and growth areas

• Establishing your growth plan

• Sharing that plan with your team (or manager)

• Asking for feedback and support

Your team is there to support you along your journey, let them.

4. Guide the path (mentor alignment)

You don’t need to be in leadership to lead people. 

There are likely people on your team who need your help, but may be too shy to ask. Approach mentoring like a partnership. It will enable you to share collective vulnerability so your partner doesn’t have to do it alone.

Try to:

• Co-create goals and growth areas with each other

• Establish a growth plan that holds you both accountable

• Define a way to support each other and provide feedback

Inviting feedback and accountability from your mentees will not only build trust, it will prepare you for future management roles if that's the path you want to take.

One actionable exercise for you and your team

Create an anonymous survey and share it with your team, 3 simple questions (plus room to add context):

1. Do you feel aligned with our company’s mission and vision? Why or why not?

2. Does your personal growth align with what our team is working on? Why or why not?

3. Do you know where you want to grow in the next 3-6 months and know how to get there? Why or why not?

Use the answers to facilitate a conversation, gain clarity, and seek alignment in one of the areas above.

Try it out and let me know what you think.