What it Takes for a Leader to Maintain Alignment

I recently raised a question with a colleague about how they were using the resources of a shared assistant differently from how I would feel comfortable doing so.

Raising this risked looking like I was prying, even suspicious. But it was authentic and vulnerable—I needed to hear their perspective because I knew I was missing something in order to understand where my colleague was coming from. 

Alignment on a team is essential for moving forward together. Being aligned means we have enough shared understanding that the aim of our intentions and actions is more or less pointed in the same direction. It means we've built enough shared understanding that we are not at risk of working at cross purposes, or duplicating or creating redundant workflows.

To maintain alignment, there are many, many great processes, principles, and practices (check out past posts on communication and meetings). Today I want to focus on something quite nuanced, and difficult.

To maintain alignment, you have to be willing to shine a light on the times when you are NOT aligned.

Not being aligned with someone is a subtle feeling. You might just wonder where the other person is coming from. You might just not be clear on how they're seeing the situation. You might be feeling like they made an assumption that is blind to you and you need to be ‘brought along.’

At the early, nuanced, subtle stage I'm talking about, not being aligned is not yet ‘conflict.’ 

BUT, It could very well become a conflict if the assumptions and misunderstandings are allowed to fester.

At this subtle stage, it's minor. It's so minor that you might want to justify not bringing it up. Leaders often fear that raising a small issue will be perceived as a bigger deal than it actually feels, or that they’ll be perceived as overly sensitive. The problem is, when you wait to regain alignment you take the risk that the minor assumptions fester into deeper trust issues. 

There does need to be a base level of trust with someone in order to trust them to hear you and understand your intention to build alignment at the risk of appearing to make mountains out of mole hills. (A few things can help with that - see this post about including a preamble).

I asked a colleague about an assumption they were making on which tasks I would be handling in a joint effort. I made sure to clarify that it wasn't a big deal: "I am not thinking anything even remotely close to 'we have a problem here'. It is just that the assumption doesn't feel quite right, and I'm sure I'm just missing context of what your perspective is on this." 

Effective leaders highly value the need to maintain alignment. That means asking early for clarification and greater understanding, before the little unclear things are allowed to fester.

So I hope you'll ask early if you're ever thinking, “Hmmm, how are they seeing this?”