20 Alignment-Actions
That Inspire
Outstanding Performance
By Barbara Brown, Ph.D.

Staff members are more committed to delivering extraordinary performance when they see a connection between individual activities and organizational activities. That’s what alignment is all about. Alignment opportunities exist at every level of your organization and with everything you do. Use these 15-minute strategies to create this understanding:

1. Collect one of the following for your organization: vision statement, mission statement, or values statement.

2. For the next level below your organization (department or division), identify 5 goals that are linked to your vision, mission, or values statement.

3. For the next level below your department or division (office or group), identify 5 goals that are linked to your department or division.

4. For each individual employee, identify 5 goals that are linked to your office or group.

5. List three ways your department or division assists your organization in achieving its goals. Consider products and services you provide to internal and external customers.

6. List three ways your office or group assists your department or division in achieving its goals. Consider products and services you provide to internal and external customers.

7. List three ways each individual employee assists your office or group in achieving its goals. Consider products and services provided to internal and external customers.

8. For your organization’s vision, mission, or values statement, identify “one compelling message” that describes the services or products you provide to customers. For example: Serving Aging Persons. The word Aging describes who the company serves. The word Serving describes how the company serves its clients: honoring, caring, helping. Other more popular examples include: A Piece of the Rock from Prudential Insurance Company and The Good Hands People from Allstate Insurance Company.

9. List three ways your department or division assists your organization in fulfilling this compelling message.

10. List three ways your office or group assists your department or division in fulfilling this compelling message.

11. List three ways each of your employees assists your office or group in fulfilling this compelling message.

12. Identify three priorities for your department or division that are linked your organization’s goals.

13. Identify three priorities for your office or group that are linked to your department or division goals.

14. Identify three priorities for each employee that is linked to your office or group goals.

15. Identify one critical product or service your organization provides.

16. Identify how your department or division assists your organization in providing that critical product or service.

17. Identify how your office or group assists your department or division in providing that critical product or service.

18. Identify how each individual employee assists your office or group in providing this critical product or service.

19. Each week, have a 15-minute meeting and work with your entire staff to create an “alignment chart” for the following: goals, compelling message, priorities, and critical product or service. Create one “alignment chart” each week.

20. Each week, have a 15-minute discussion with your entire staff and discuss how this week’s activities are linked to one of the following: goals, compelling message, priorities, and critical product or service.

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PERMISSION TO REPRINT: Articles, Tips, and Tools can be reprinted in company newsletters or magazines. If placed electronically, a Live Link to Dr. Brown's website must be included. Please use the following credit for every item: Dr. Barbara Brown shows organizations how to use High-Performance Leadership to create the kind of links among people, goals & performance that produce positive results. For more tips, visit: www.DrBarbaraBrown.com or email: Barbara@DrBarbaraBrown.com.