Quick Question: How will we know we’re aligned?
Quick Question
Here is today's quick question for you...How will we know we’re aligned?
Ask it when you're...
Agreeing on your plans - Groupthink and HIPPO (highest paid person’s opinion) can make it look like your team is aligned. Inviting a question about alignment can help mitigate these risks.
Transitioning from planning to action - You’ve created the plan, and now it’s time to make it happen. As that transition occurs, it can help to share insights on how you tend to react when you feel things are going off course.
Working with new people - If you’ve never worked with someone before, it can be hard to read their signals. Curiosity is the answer to that problem. Try asking them how they typically express their commitment to a plan.
Listen for...
Try to listen and watch for:
Positive body language - what is your team telling you by the way they physically show up? What impact is meeting via video having on your ability to read this?
Unexpected questions - what questions are showing up that suggest that the team isn’t 100% on board?
Small deviations in the description of the work - can you detect the first signs of deviation in the way the team is talking about their work?
This question will save you the wasted time and angst that results from misalignment.
Follow up with...
Sometimes, the greatest value comes from the one extra question you take the time to ask.
In this situation, you could try…
How can I make space for you when you have a different view?
What if we assume we’re not aligned…how would we approach this?
How do you usually react when you’re the lone dissenting view in the room?
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