For an organization to thrive, senior leadership must represent a cohesive unit working toward a common goal. When team leaders are not on the same page, the organization cannot succeed, according to Forbes.
Here are six steps to make sure a leadership team is on board with a common goal.
- Establish the "why." Organizations and leaders focus on what they do and how they do it, but they don't always take the time to think why they do it. Defining an organization's core values and understanding why its employees come to work everyday will establish a strong work culture. Every member of senior leadership must be dedicated to promoting these values, ultimately influencing employees to help drive action and achieve results.
- Define a culture to support the "why." The leadership team must use the agreed upon "why" as a foundation for all future decisions surrounding the organization's culture development. Leaders need to create experiences that enforce the established cultural beliefs and every decision or communication should align with the group's culture and values.
- Agree on a shared vision. When the entire leadership team is behind a shared goal, staff members feel connected to something bigger than themselves. By establishing a shared vision, the whole team can work together toward achieving desired results.
- Define what winning looks like. Envisioning the end goal is a crucial part of achieving success. When people picture themselves accomplishing a goal, their brains start to develop ways to reach the endpoint. Staff members should first individually imagine what the organization looks like after reaching the desired goal and then share those ideas with the team.
- Promote accountability and follow-through. To ensure discussion morphs into action, one individual should "own" a desired outcome and be held accountable to drive the organization toward the goal. Supporting team members should be regularly informed on the organization's progress and share that information with peers.
- Set regular check-ins. Scheduled meetings and communications play a key role in maintaining momentum for change. Check-ins allow those held accountable for the desired goal to provide progress updates so the whole team is on the same page.
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