Team Alignment

Leaders of executive teams hire coaches because their team is underperforming compared to its competition or potential. If results don’t improve after we work with them, we’re not invited back. Yet to improve results, we at Quadrant don’t focus on the results, we focus on getting the team aligned-if the right talent and experience is present we know the results will follow. Team alignment exists when all team members are focused on a common set of values, behavioral norms, goals and priorities.

Testimonials by Team Alignment clients

In spite of having smart and experienced “players” in the right positions, corporate teams that are not aligned will under perform.

Symptoms of a team that’s not aligned include:

  • Lack of trust among team members
  • Passive-aggressive behavior (e.g., agreeing to one thing in a meeting and doing another the next day)
  • Inefficient or unclear communication
  • Lack of healthy conflict
  • Meetings and off-sites that are dreaded by most attendees
  • Low risk-taking or creative thinking
  • Low commitment, engagement and passion of team members
  • Absence of a shared vision or ideology
  • No personal responsibility or accountability for actions
  • Unclear agreements and commitments between team members
  • The formation of sub-groups
  • A small majority of dissenters slow down progress on initiatives
  • Turnover, especially of new additions to the team
  • Ineffectiveness in the marketplace and/or poor operating results

Corporate team misalignment reduces business productivity, saps creative energy, muddles communication, and breeds cynicism.

At Quadrant we developed what the Top Team Alignment Process (TTAP) to enhance team performance by improving connection and increasing trust among team members. The Alignment Curve serves as a road map to guide teams through the alignment process. Graph 1 depicts the curve which illustrates how performance improves over time as a team evolves through six stages of alignment:

Alignment Chart

In the course of a one to two day Team Alignment session we facilitate a series of exercises and teaching designed to move a team up the Alignment Curve. During the off-site teams are able to slow down, put away the technology and get to know their teammates.

After building trust, the team cleans up unresolved conflict and learns how to use tools that will maintain trust and allow for healthy debate, conflict and feedback. From this candid and direct communication trust grows even greater and alignment or a deep level of commitment emerges. Superior results or effectiveness are a natural byproduct of the process of alignment.

Team Alignment results in consistent behaviors that:

  • speed decision-making
  • accelerate change
  • stimulate innovation and risk-taking
  • build confidence and support among team members

To keep the TTAP from being an academic or theoretical exercise we use a live business dilemma or challenge at our Team Alignment Sessions. This application of the model deepens the learning process and concretely demonstrates the benefits of the process. This type of learning ensures teams will continue to use the tools they learned at the session.

Because of the feedback-rich nature of aligned teams, members grow, develop skills and awareness while solving business problems.

Whether your team consists of two or two hundred members, to engage Quadrant for at Top Team Alignment Process Session contact us and we will begin by looking at symptoms and desired outcomes and collect additional information from surveys and interviews. From there we will design a TTAP that is tailored to the unique dynamics and goals of your team.