Four ways to align internal teams on critical projects
In business, many hands touch every project, from outside partners to a multitude of internal stakeholders. The biggest issue leaders and managers face is getting so many people and personalities, opinions and expectations aligned. Everyone wants to have a voice, and rarely do those voices agree. This causes inefficiency and frustration from the start that slows down projects and often leads to outcomes that not everyone feels good about.
This is not an impossible challenge. But it is a challenge that requires an important step that most companies don’t invest the time to take: getting teams aligned up front, before a project gets off the ground.
All of those unique opinions, biases and points of view matter, and if they are not heard, people tend to be less supportive, and can often become downright negative about the process and results. What we’ve found after a decade of research and team building with countless companies and wildly diverse teams is that many people who disagree actually have more in common than they know. While they may approach things in different ways, they are often working toward the same ends. But it takes a bit of effort and intentional listening to understand their real motivations, to find the commonalities in what they are saying and what they are hoping to accomplish.
This is the work we do at Intrinzic, working with companies across the country on business-critical projects from websites and strategic messaging to brand and culture building, and we’re happy to share insights that might help you get more alignment up front.
Listen for what is unsaid.
Don’t just ask team members what they want from a project, understand their unique perspective and opinions first. What value do they think the project can bring to their role or team or department? What are the opportunities it presents, and what are the challenges it may bring? Probe on what is shaping their views. Are expectations being placed on them by leadership or their team? Are their personal views based on their history with the company or from previous roles? If you dig beneath the surface, you’ll be amazed by the unique insights that are actually driving so many diverse opinions.
Understand their motivation.
People with strong opinions usually have strong motivations. These motivations are often hidden, but directly drive their actions and approach. Start by asking about their personal ambitions, the expectations they have for themselves and their team. What are they trying to accomplish, how do they feel it will impact their own success or the success of the department or the company? What are their frustrations, and what are some of the roadblocks they face or are actively trying to overcome? You’ll find that understanding everyone’s motivations will make it easier to overcome conflicts, because it makes it easier for the whole team to understand why each person thinks and acts the way they do.
Recognize common themes that start to emerge.
Document everything you hear: thoughts, statements, perspectives, motivations, objections. Look across everything that you’ve captured and start searching for common themes. Many of them may be hidden in plain sight. Ideas may be articulated in very different ways but are actually touching on the same subjects. Write down the most common themes and share them with the team. When they see ideas rising to the top that reflect what they think and want to see, they become advocates instead of detractors.
Turn inspiration into possibility.
It is incredibly difficult for people to articulate what’s in their minds. In fact, what most people are picturing is actually just a feeling, a sense of what they think they will like. It’s rarely a tangible, fully formed idea. To bring people together you need a catalyst, something tangible for them to see and react to. This may be the toughest part of the alignment process. Go out and search for inspiration, look at growing organizations, brands, articles about success stories to find an example of how everything could come together. A single, inspiring and motivating example can suddenly make a nebulous idea feel real and attainable. This is especially true when the inspiration is built from the common themes that came from the teams themselves.
These are just a few of the steps we take in getting teams aligned up front.
If you’d like to learn more about Intrinzic’s process or see specific examples of our collaborations with clients, click the link below. Or reach out to kpeters@intrinzicbrands.com to schedule a quick conversation with our team.