It did happen long ago in the big corp, because we had to write MBOs. The organization had goals. We had goals. If we could find a way to frame our goals in terms of the organization's goals, we won. Aligning centers around this framing.
One of the prerequisites is knowing your people. I can remember how one manager hired a friend, and then gave them the coolest project to work on. But, the friend didn't think it was cool. He hated it, because it detracted from the skills he felt made him valuable. He was never going to use the skills he had to learn while working on that project. I would have seen it as a growth opportunity. I knew more about it than my coworker. I provided the contact info for the external contractor we used for things beyond the co-worker's scope. The coworker was ready to quit over the assignment. Alignment was messed up across our team, because someone was taking care instead of giving care, but more importantly, because the manager didn't know his people, even his friend.
Alignment doesn't mean that everyone will pull in the same direction, or for the same reasons. But, everyone can make a contribution through their own alignment.
Alignment doesn't mean that everyone will pull in the same direction, or for the same reasons. But, everyone can make a contribution through their own alignment.The figure shows how a team aligns around the goal of getting the product shipped. You can substitute department names if you like.
The point is what the people get out of the work, out of their contribution. They should be serving themselves, as well as their line manager and functional unit.
This gets particularly messy if a team member is assigned to several projects and contribute only a small proportion of their effort to your project. Regardless, you might find that your team members give you more than they give those other projects if you and them have gotten alignment on their goals where other managers have not.
The better you know your team members the better able you will be when you help them to achieve alignment with team goals.
The better you know your peers and members of all of your contributing functional units, the better able you will be to get alignment with them. It's not so much knowing the function, and knowing the role of that function in your firm as much as it is knowing them as people. They can buffer the typical organizational conflicts if they see that as being in their best interest.
To find the time to know your people, never eat alone, and manage by talking around. And, don't talk project. Talk to the person. Management talk in the office, leadership talk everywhere.
And, please, don't ask me how "I" am if you want a project status. "I" am not your project. Unless, you're a bud, I'll say I'm fine, even if ....
If you don't think you have time, you really don't have time not to.
Leave some comments people!
The point is what the people get out of the work, out of their contribution. They should be serving themselves, as well as their line manager and functional unit.
This gets particularly messy if a team member is assigned to several projects and contribute only a small proportion of their effort to your project. Regardless, you might find that your team members give you more than they give those other projects if you and them have gotten alignment on their goals where other managers have not.The better you know your team members the better able you will be when you help them to achieve alignment with team goals.
The better you know your peers and members of all of your contributing functional units, the better able you will be to get alignment with them. It's not so much knowing the function, and knowing the role of that function in your firm as much as it is knowing them as people. They can buffer the typical organizational conflicts if they see that as being in their best interest.
To find the time to know your people, never eat alone, and manage by talking around. And, don't talk project. Talk to the person. Management talk in the office, leadership talk everywhere.
And, please, don't ask me how "I" am if you want a project status. "I" am not your project. Unless, you're a bud, I'll say I'm fine, even if ....
If you don't think you have time, you really don't have time not to.
Leave some comments people!
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