Aligning Teams with Organizational Goals
Teams don't have to be aligned with the goals of the organization. Teams can work on what they believe to be the right things. They can work diligently on creating the results they think matter. They can be completely committed to success from their perspective.A non-aligned team could enjoy each other and their work. They could accomplish much, and all of that could be completely counter to what the organization needs.
Can you see this happening?It isn't just a fantasy, I've seen it, and I'll bet you have too. Maybe you've even experienced it.Teams can't succeed in a vacuum, but far too often that is what organizations expect them to do, and it can lead to the scenarios I've just described.Sometimes this vacuum is created by omission ? leaders just aren't thinking about it or are "too busy" to set context for team success. Other times the reason is optimism ? leaders believe in their team members and their skills. After all they hired bright people ? and bright people will figure it all out. And sometimes the vacuum is caused by a far more pervasive problem - no clear organizational goals, objectives or strategies exist to align to.
Leaders must create clear strategies and they must create a clear line of sight throughout the organization, so people and teams can connect their work to the important strategies of the organization. It takes effort to get a team in alignment with the organization's goals and strategies. And it is impossible when those goals and strategies don't exist. Yes, strategies and goals may exist. And yes, they may have been communicated.
This is a good start, but isn't enough. Teams can't gain the clear direction they need without conversation. It is the responsibility of leadership to provide that opportunity for conversation. This conversation provides the understanding which provides the team the context they need to clarify their goals and make the decisions that come along during their work.If you want to build stronger alignment between the team's work and the organization's goals, consider the following:Start at the beginning. Make sure the organization's goals and strategies are set.
If not, there isn't much chance of the team being highly successful. At a minimum the team needs to understand, from the start, why their work product matters in the bigger picture and how they can make a positive impact.Generate conversation. Don't deliver the goals in the email when you ask people to join the team. Don't put it in the packet of materials people get when being hired. Make the time to have conversation.
The alignment we are searching for needs to be deep ? almost visceral. Help individuals and the team develop meaning and purpose. Help them understand how they can create work that matters.Get the team's help. Get their input. Remember that you are trying to create alignment and agreement.
When people have the chance to shape the goals of the team and when they have the opportunity to have input into those decisions they will have greater agreement with the goals.Provide a connection. Teams need someone in leadership "above" them that can provide support and resources, someone who can answer questions and keep them on track. Some people call this a team sponsor. The sponsor shouldn't be on the team; rather they provide leadership, support and connection. The sponsor keeps the team from feeling like they are all alone.Make them accountable.
If the alignment is clear and the goals set, then the team needs to be held accountable for results. In organizations where accountability has been lax in the past, this may seem like a jolt, but it won't be long before this accountability not only drives results but improves team dynamics too.It is easy to see how these steps will help a team succeed ? it is easier to do that when they know what success is. But more than helping them deliver a desired result, the sense of clarity, meaning and direction that these steps create help teams get over many other hurdles that teams face in terms of commitment and "getting along" with each other.Why?Because people want to belong to something that matters, they want to be a part of making a difference. They want things to believe in. When we give them those things, collectively they will work through many personal issues and challenges and they also become more committed to the end product.
As leaders we can help teams find these things, and at the same time improve our likelihood of getting the results we want. All it takes is effort, communication and commitment to help teams get aligned with the most important goals of the organization..
Kevin is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To receive your free special report on ?Unleashing Your Potential? go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.Carpet Steam Cleaning
Just as carpet manufacturing has evolved, so has carpet cleaning. Most manufacturers recommend 'carpet steam cleaning' for cleaning modern-day carpets. We should, however, use the steam cleaning method after verifying that the carpet fibers will not be damaged by steam. Sometimes, if a carpet is made from a very tender thread, steam cleaning could harm it. For most other carpet types, steam cleaning is considered an effective cleaning method.
The process of 'carpet steam cleaning' uses a simple scientific phenomenon for 'deep cleaning' the toughest dirt by drawing dirt to the surface and wiping it off before it has a chance to stain.
To steam clean a carpet, use a liquid-based cleaning agent, which can be vaporized or turned, into steam, a 'steam cleaning machine' that is also referred to as a 'carpet extractor' and a vacuum cleaner. It is always a good idea to choose a mild solution as it is safe for the carpet as well as the individual
using it. As far...
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Two New Cyclone Rake Lawn and Leaf Vacuums Feature Increased Load Capacity and Faster, Easier Unloading of Mulched Leaves, Sticks, Pine Needles and Other Lawn Debris
West Haven, Connecticut (ContentDesk) September 22, 2005 ?- Woodland Power Products of West Haven, Connecticut has announced a significant extension of its Cyclone Rake? lawn vacuum product line with the addition of two new models, the Cyclone Rake PRO(?) and the Cyclone Rake Commercial PRO(?).
Both models feature increased carrying capacity and a new unloading system which the company calls Easy-Flow(?).The new Cyclone Rake PRO model was developed for homeowners with medium to large size properties.
It's powered by a 6 horsepower industrial/commercial overhead valve engine and holds 285 gallons of mulched lawn debris.
This is a capacity increase of more than 40% over the popular Cyclone Rake Platinum Edition.
It also incorporates a new, easier unloading design which the company calls Easy-Flow unloading.
This new design minimizes the work needed to unload the contents by eliminating the wedging of mulched debris inside the collector unit,...
Two New Cyclone Rake Lawn and Leaf Vacuums Feature Increased Load Capacity and Faster, Easier Unloading of Mulched Leaves, Sticks, Pine Needles and Other Lawn Debris
Vacuum > Two New Cyclone Rake Lawn and Leaf Vacuums Feature Increased Load Capacity and Faster, Easier Unloading of Mulched Leaves, Sticks, Pine Needles and Other Lawn Debris
Carpet Tips: Make Your Carpet Last Longer
In this article we outline some tips to help you get more life out of your carpet.1. Rearrange Your Furniture It is good to move your furniture from time to time to change the traffic pattern in your house. Your carpet is worn down faster where people walk.2. Vacuum Regularly Dirt helps wear down the fibers in your carpet. Vacuum regularly and place a welcome mat at your home's entrances.
Also consider a "no shoes" policy. High traffic areas can often use vacuuming once a day while low traffic areas can be vacuumed a couple of times a week.3. Area Rugs Depending on how your house is laid out you may have some areas that will have high traffic regardless of how your furniture is arranged. Consider a area rugs in these locations.4. Don't Let Dirt In Keep the walk ways leading to your house clean.
This will cut down on the amount of dirt that is tracked into your house.5. Shampoo Rugs Shampoo rugs at least once a year. Consult your manufacturers specifications for what type...
Carpet Tips: Make Your Carpet Last Longer
Vacuum > Carpet Tips: Make Your Carpet Last Longer
EMS and Berkeley Achieve Customer Acceptance of First Shipment of Partnership
Electro Mechanical Solutions, Inc. of Tampa, Florida and Berkeley Process Control, Inc. of Richmond, California announced today the successful Customer Shipment Acceptance of the Sidewinder One as a result of their partnership in wafer handling technology. The Sidewinder One is integrated on an advanced Inductively Coupled Plasma Etch system for installation at a leading U.S. MEMS facility.Sidewinder One represents the next generation of fully automated wafer handling through the enhanced performance of EMS' previously acquired product rights for the Model 4.5 Vacuum Robotic Arm and 48V Vacuum Elevator integrated with Berkeley Process Control's latest BXi controller technology.Shipment Acceptance and Marathon Handling Tests were jointly conducted by the "VLSI Top Ten" capital equipment manufacturer and the MEMS facility's engineering personnel."The Sidewinder One meets the needs of semiconductor OEMs to enhance wafer handling performance without long development cycles.
EMS' rapid...
EMS and Berkeley Achieve Customer Acceptance of First Shipment of Partnership
Vacuum > EMS and Berkeley Achieve Customer Acceptance of First Shipment of Partnership
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Cheap WalMart, AOL Computers Spark Online Services - Web-Based Applications Will Reach Larger Small Business Market, Home-Offices to Benefit Also
The availability of cheap computers is music to the ears of companies that sell web-based services. While WalMart has sold inexpensive computers for many months, AOL announced on August 11, 2004 that they would sell low-cost PCs at Office Depot. This is good news to the hard-hit online service sector because it opens up new markets. Both AOL and WalMart appeal to small and home-based businesses, two groups that find online services appealing. These businesses have a financial incentive to add...
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Vacuum > Cheap WalMart, AOL Computers Spark Online Services - Web-Based Applications Will Reach Larger Small Business Market, Home-Offices to Benefit Also
Healthy Beverages for Kids Equal Healthy Kids
It's a cultural phenomenon ? in school and homes around the country in the past few years, kids have started drinking soda instead of milk and natural juices on a routine basis. Sodas ? basically colored, sugared water ? have replaced far more nutritional alternatives almost exclusively with some children and teens, contributing not only to an increase in childhood obesity but to a much greater incidence of childhood caries (cavities in teeth). Perhaps even more alarming, teenage girls who opt...
Healthy Beverages for Kids Equal Healthy Kids Vacuum
Vacuum > Healthy Beverages for Kids Equal Healthy Kids
With Most Anti-Spyware and Anti-Viruses Your Data Can Be Stolen Anyway, the Test Showed
(ContentDesk) January 18, 2006 -- World-known anti-virus and anti-spy software products DO NOT protect information from most dangerous, "custom-made" keyloggers that's the result of the testing which experts from Information Security Center, Ltd recently carried out. The testing simulated a situation when a thief applies a custom-made keylogger compiled from source code freely available from the Internet. It is efficiency of data protection that was made the only criterion in the comparative...
With Most Anti-Spyware and Anti-Viruses Your Data Can Be Stolen Anyway, the Test Showed Vacuum
Vacuum > With Most Anti-Spyware and Anti-Viruses Your Data Can Be Stolen Anyway, the Test Showed