Every leader has faced the challenge of spearheading a strategic initiative that went off track. When this happened to you, were you able to identify the cause of the setback and quickly guide your team back on course?
Perhaps there was misalignment about expectations. Or maybe team members weren’t fully supporting each other. Perhaps conflict arose around the next step, or natural tensions emerged between personalities or functional areas. These issues are common but can be mitigated and resolved quickly with a designed alliance.
Teams without a co-designed alliance often lack clarity on how to engage, struggle with unwritten rules of engagement, and mishandle inevitable conflicts. These challenges hinder performance but are preventable.
A designed alliance is a thoughtfully crafted framework for team operations. It builds trust, sets expectations, and establishes agreed-upon ground rules. Every team member contributes to its creation.
The purpose of a designed alliance is to help teammates consciously choose how to “be” together as a team while getting the job done. It emphasizes the importance of both relationships and results and fosters a stronger organizational culture.
Benefits of a Designed Alliance
Designing an alliance helps teams collaborate productively. An effective alliance cultivates cohesive teamwork and begins with a balanced and inclusive discussion around four foundational questions:
- What culture or atmosphere do we want to create to achieve our goals?
- How will we interact with each other when challenges arise?
- What will help us excel together and positively impact our organization?
- What are we most committed to?
This framework is valuable in many situations, including when:
- Taking on a new team leadership role.
- Leading a cross-functional team on an organization-wide initiative.
- Managing significant changes within a team or project.
If your organization has core values, incorporate them into the alliance. If not, designing an alliance can serve as a springboard for establishing core values and associated behaviors.
Questions to Further Develop the Alliance
As the alliance matures, you may need to establish agreements around these questions:
– What do we need to build more trust?
– What’s hindering trust?
– How can we express opinions and concerns safely?
– How will we address withholding or stonewalling?
– What can we count on from each other?
– How will we make decisions?
– How will we hold each other accountable?
Maintaining the Alliance
After creating the alliance, revisit it periodically to ensure it remains effective. Here are five ways to keep it relevant:
- Keep it visible.
- Begin meetings by discussing a relevant question to support your objectives.
- Assign team members to champion specific aspects of the alliance.
- Conclude meetings by reflecting on which alliance elements were most evident and what could be improved.
- Share stories of when the alliance felt most beneficial.
Periodic Reflection
Designed alliances are dynamic and should evolve over time. Revisit your alliance regularly by asking:
- What are we doing well?
- Where should we focus more attention?
- How will we know we’re living this alliance? What will we see and feel?
- What should we add, remove, or revise to better serve our team?
Final Thoughts
One of the most important roles of a leader is to create the conditions for success and provide a motivational environment that fosters team play. In the coming weeks, design an alliance with your team and observe its impact on collaboration and outcomes.