We always start with top-team alignment
What is top-team alignment?
When we say “top team,” we mean the senior management of an organization—typically a group of 5 to 20 people.
“Alignment” refers to a sense of coherence or unity that speeds decision making, accelerates change, and builds trust and confidence in a team. Unaligned behavior saps energy, kills productivity, creates confusion, and breeds cynicism.
Alignment is an ongoing process, but breakthroughs occur most readily when the team spends a couple of days together, away from the office.
We customize top-team-alignment sessions to address specific business needs and team issues. These highly participatory events take place off-site for 1.5 to 2 days.
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Who needs it?
You may need top-team alignment if:
- You want to generate broad ownership of a new direction for your organization
- Top-team members have different views about how to plan or implement a big change
- You are a new CEO or have new senior team members and you want to get everyone moving in the same direction
- The top team is stuck, ineffective, or dysfunctional.
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Are you aligned?
A team is aligned when all members can articulate a shared direction (where we’re going); a common purpose (why we’re going there); and a sense of urgency (why now is the time to act). The team agrees on a path forward and is ready to step up to whatever changes are necessary to implement needed changes.
A well-aligned team operates as a cohesive unit and models desired values and behaviors for the rest of the organization.
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Top-team alignment process
The most effective top-team-alignment sessions address an important performance challenge. Tom Curren—supported by a team of consultants most able to add value to the client’s specific performance challenge(s)—personally leads the entire process.
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THE TOP-TEAM ALIGNMENT PROCESS CONTAINS SIX STEPS |
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Contracting |
Talk with the client to scope the nature of the performance challenge, decide who should be on the team to address it, and set a date for an offsite event. |
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Assessment |
Conduct a highly refined diagnostic process to gather a range of perspectives on the topic and understand the fundamental dynamics of the system. |
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Design |
Review objectives, approach, and session design with the client (and sometimes a few close advisors). |
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Pre-work |
Assign and/or conduct any necessary pre-work for the event. |
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Event |
Facilitate the offsite session. |
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Follow-up |
Meet with client to debrief the session and provide a written report. |
What does top-team alignment cost?
Professional fees for top-team alignment are typically $30,000–$60,000. The actual amount depends on the size of the group, the length of the meeting, and the depth of the diagnostic assessment.
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What is top team alignment?
The hidden wisdom in “resistance”
Change anchored by commitment
