At the Orange Conference, Todd Clark, pastor of Discovery Church in Simi Valley, CA shared the following ideas on getting and keeping alignment:
Alignment – a state of agreement or cooperation among persons, groups, or nations with a common cause or viewpoint.
Alignment is not an optional thing, it’s an essential thing.
Alignment is a biblical principle.
We do not drift towards alignment.
“Your story, my story, and our story” helps us become aligned with others on our team.
Seven insights into gaining and maintaining alignment:
- Develop a proper reference point.
- Constant corrections.
- Clearly and constantly articulate your mission, vision, and strategy.
- Foster an atmosphere of input. True alignment is fostered and not coerced. Acceptance and agreement are not the same as alignment. Alignment means having someone’s head and heart committed.
- Trust your instincts and confront mis-aligned team members. Mis-aligned team members are not going to align themselves and they will draw other team members off track.
- Little deviations in direction are devastating over time.
- We vs. Me. Alignment happens when a team member, regardless of their position, gives precedence to the team they belong to over the team they lead.
