We ended episode #36 on optimism with a key point: you must learn to work with, not against, those with whom you disagree. So doesn’t disagreement mean you aren’t unified? Unity is not a lack of disagreement – today, we look at how your team can achieve its maximum potential. Unity is a primary ingredient for teams producing exceptional results.
If you assemble the greatest group of high-potential individuals, there is no guarantee that they will produce anything exceptional. When individuals don’t function well together, all progress can not only stop but revert. Unity is the state of many acting as one.
Unity will emerge when trust and vulnerability are present. If you think your team is unified because no one disagrees with you, then you have a misunderstanding of unity. If you are the leader, don’t mistake silence as unity.
Michael Hyatt’s Three Levels Of Unity:
- Acceptance
- Agreement
- Alignment
Acceptance is the lowest level and is much like acquiescence. It’s silence or a lack of disagreement/protest. The cost of objecting is too great.
Agreement is where your team approves of the direction and generally supports it, but they don’t have skin in the game. It’s more like they are bystanders or observers. Not actively opposed, but not getting their hands dirty either.
In Alignment, people voice their support in public and their concerns in private. There is no lack of support and a genuine effort to make sure the goal is achieved. Full support for the leader and the team members is apparent.
Michael Hyatt’s Five Steps To Getting Your Team Aligned:
- Discuss the three levels of unity
- Clearly articulate your vision, strategy or program
- Create an environment that is safe for dissent
- Take time to consider your decision
- Announce your decision and ask for alignment
Once you get Alignment, declare it and go forward with confidence. Be prepared to bring everyone back together when you feel like alignment is slipping. Remember, you can’t communicate too often. Alignment has to be maintained (not set it and forget it).
Great quotes from this episode:
“Alignment is the leader’s work of art.” – Gap International
“People are voting for the artist, not the art.” – Warren Buffet
Resources mentioned in this episode:
LTL 036: Optimism: Greatness Awaits You
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – (from 10m30s – 14m00s)
The Alignment Intensive – Gap International
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Great topic for the leaders and work environment. I think the leaders need to practice this over and over to achieve extraordinary and sustainable outcomes. You can never be the expert of Alignment. It is ongoing journey.
Thanks Seta, I agree. It’s easy to see why many leaders stop at agreement. There is much effort involved in getting to alignment and much effort to maintain it. I do think it gets easier with time though. It feels like the more a team sees the leader express a sincere desire to listen and understand their concerns, the more rapidly the group moves to alignment. Definitely worth the effort. Thanks again for taking time to comment!