How can you identify misalignment in your team?

2 Low engagement

Another sign of misalignment is low engagement. If your team members are not motivated, committed, or enthusiastic about their work, they will probably perform poorly, miss deadlines, or disengage from the team. This can affect the quality, the morale, and the culture of your team. To improve engagement, you need to understand what drives your team members, and provide them with feedback, recognition, and opportunities for growth. You can also use surveys, polls, or one-on-one meetings to measure and improve your team's engagement level.

3 Poor collaboration

A third sign of misalignment is poor collaboration. If your team members don't trust, respect, or support each other, they will likely have silos, conflicts, or gaps in communication. This can hamper the creativity, the innovation, and the efficiency of your team. To foster collaboration, you need to build a culture of trust, accountability, and feedback. You can also use tools like Slack, Trello, or Google Docs to facilitate communication, coordination, and collaboration among your team members.

4 Inconsistent results

A fourth sign of misalignment is inconsistent results. If your team members don't deliver what they promise, or what you expect, they will probably have misaligned goals, standards, or processes. This can affect the reputation, the credibility, and the success of your team. To ensure consistent results, you need to align your team's goals, standards, and processes with the organization's vision, values, and strategy. You can also use tools like KPIs (key performance indicators) or dashboards to monitor and evaluate your team's performance.

5 High turnover

A fifth sign of misalignment is high turnover. If your team members leave frequently, or express dissatisfaction with their work, they will likely have misaligned values, culture, or fit. This can impact the retention, the diversity, and the stability of your team. To reduce turnover, you need to align your team's values, culture, and fit with the organization's mission, vision, and culture. You can also use tools like exit interviews, employee referrals, or culture audits to understand and improve your team's retention rate.

6 How to align your team

Identifying misalignment is the first step to aligning your team. To address the root causes of misalignment and create a shared vision, a common purpose, and a collaborative culture, you should involve your team in setting and reviewing goals, strategy, and expectations. Moreover, provide regular and constructive feedback, recognition, and coaching to your team members. Additionally, promote open communication, dialogue, and feedback among your team members as well as diversity, inclusion, and belonging in your organization. Finally, celebrate your team's achievements, milestones, and successes. Aligning your team is an ongoing process; by paying attention to the signs of misalignment and taking proactive steps to align your team, you can improve performance, engagement, and satisfaction.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?