Vision, Alignment, and Paradigms
Yes. Our team is united and is working towards a common goal. Our vision statement is to continually lead with fairness, decency, modesty, clear and transparent communication. When I asked different members of the team if they knew our vision, I found varying feedbacks. Some members’ indicated that they are not conversant with it. However, a few tried to give their version. One member said that our vision is to “Empower each person in the team and organization to achieve the best.” Another member said that “To bring innovation and inspiration to every member of the team.”
Vision Communication
Leaders always have good vision statements. But if these visions are not communicated transparently, team members may not understand what their ultimate goal looks like. Our team leader communicates our vision in many ways. First, he makes it simple for users to understanding by taking the shortest time possible (less than3 minutes) in order for us to envision it. Second, the leader uses several channels to communicate the vision. The most common channels he uses include posters in the break room, organization’s newsletters, organization-wide meetings, casual conversation, and the old style of one-on-one. The last way the leader communicates the vision is by repeating it regularly to us. I find this latter method annoying, but it remains to be the best method because repetition has transformed the manner in which we view our end goal.
Improvements to Vision Communication
There are several ways the leader can improve how he communicates team vision. These include adapting to team members. This means the leader must be responsive to his team members, be respectful, and use a language that does not discriminate against others.
The leader must vividly portray the future. The reason for sharing the vision is to allow us to direct our energy towards putting initiatives in place to achieve the end goal. If the leader of our team wants us to meet the anticipated goals, he must help us to see the picture he sees.
Lastly, the leader must meet with members regularly. Communicating a vision to team members is a process, and it deserves dedication. Leaders must set time and meet members frequently to articulate the strategic goal tactfully. Off-site locations free from destructions are suitable for such meetings because members can discuss into details the strategic objectives of the team.
Team Alignment
Many instances show that team members are aligned to team vision, mission, goals, and values. First, there is clear communication between our leader and our members. Since we teamed up, our leader has prioritized clear and concise communication. He has ensured that there are no instances of misinterpretation of vital information regarding our vision statement. The team and organizational goals have regularly been conveyed to us reliably and clear using comprehensive methods. Our leader always maintains a direct face-to-face communication about the vision of the team as well as using texts, emails, and blogs. Furthermore, our team leader has initiated a culture within the team that fosters continuous improvement, promotes teamwork, and provides us a chance to raise concerns.
Second, there is transparency in the team. Transparency is one of the things stated in our vision, but acting upon it is not easy. However, our leader has always lived the standards of our vision by working hard and motivating us to work hard towards our ultimate goal. Meeting our own goals is his priority, and we can only do this by ensuring everything we do as a team is transparent. This has only been successful because of the trust that exists between team members.
Members do not possess values or goals that compete or prevent the attainment of the team’s vision. In fact, members always strive to find each individual’s sweet spot. Achieving the vision of the group requires members to uplift each other through encouragement, even when things are not going as planned. This is happening at the team because our leader has emphasized the significance of living in our genius zones through our extraordinary talents, skills, and strengths. When we fail, we fail as a team. We rise and take stock of every team member’s personal strengths, and develop of bouncing back to achieve our common goal.
Another reason is that as members, we share leadership responsibilities. To avoid burnout, every team member has been given an opportunity to lead the group during different sessions. Our team leaders believe the traits of authentic leadership can be found among us. Our leader, therefore, takes the initiative to inspire and encourage us to take leadership roles more often, an act that has impacted our productivity positively.
Improving the team member’s alignment is not easy, but with dedication, it can be achieved. Encouraging members to ask for assistance when they are pinned down will promote alignment. The best method we can use as a team is known as “What I Need From You” (WINFY). The method takes the shortest time to integrate, and it will us ask for things that can make us achieve our vision. WINFY allows us to make a list of what we expect from each other, share it, and get unambiguous answers of I will attempt, no, or whatever. The activity establishes a safe space for us to find clarity regarding our roles, expectations, and needs.
Another step of ensuring team members are aligned is by conducting inclusive meetings. Our leader has put simple rules that apply during meetings to ensure that everyone is included and feels empowered to contribute positively to the group. This has been achieved by defining the goals and agenda of the group to keep us on track. The tone of our leader during meetings is essential. As members, we should use a proper tone to avoid issues like anger and disagreements. Another step is to ensure members understand their duties within the team, and they have specific times to report their progress.
Paradigms
Leadership paradigms deal with having personal power and utilizing that power to govern team members. Our leader imbues purpose to encourage us to step into leadership roles and take long hours. He believes that working for long hours and excessively does not promote personal development. After a successful endeavor, he allows us to rest and recuperate, develop our lives out of the organization, and spend time with our families. He respects and trusts us. Our leader leads the team by example. He shows confidence in the team’s abilities, and he does this without telling anyone. Our leader mentors us towards professional and personal success, which leads to unthinkable enhancements to the team. Lastly, we are compensated fairly.
Today a shift is being experienced where leaders are now empowering their teams rather than exercising personal power to control everything. Since I joined the team, I have never experienced a paradigm shift with our team leader or members. The paradigms between the leader of the team and our members are the same. The team leader and members believe that everyone must be treated equally. The leader need not change how he leads the group. We are motivated by his style of leadership because our core needs are being met.
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