It seems that Communication, Connection and Relationship as important priorities are more necessary now. Today am discusssing an important part of the Communication process that is one leg of the tripod. I traveled the country this month to introduce and facilitate team alignment in several organizations. I am fortunate to experience firsthand the power of communication and connection. The results that are possible are integrated teams and team members that follow through in the same direction. They make the goals of the team more important than personal goals and develop trust and productive interactions that were not possible in the past. There are four parts of speech that are essential to having a presentation/conversation that gets the point across and more importantly creates the connection that is so necessary for people to really hear each other, gain clarity and agree to move forward. Four Parts of Speech:*

• Framing
• Advocacy
• Illustration
• Inquiry

Framing: This is often a step that is missed especially in spontaneous conversation so that one can develop a habit of beginning with a reference to what the intention of the conversation is, what is to be covered and what you are hoping the results will be. Advocacy: Most often we engage in conversation and joint ventures with an intention to advocate or to go in a specific direction. It is important to have a balance so that this element does not overshadow the others. Illustration: Examples and stories that illustrate the things you are requesting, presenting or discussing. Inquiry: Asking questions about what the other person thinks about what you are saying or if they have another point of view. This is where the actual connection between people is made and what creates a successful interaction. My biggest learning in this process was the recognition that I did not use Inquiry nearly enough when I realized that my intended results and actual results were not the same. If you would like to learn more about the essential tripod of the Team Alignment process, please be sure to visit the rest of my website at: http://www.bridgingassociates.com *Action Inquiry, by Bill Torbert and Associates, 2004, Berrett-Kohler Publishers Read More

  Initial Situation: The Leadership team of a mid-sized global company was meeting irregularly with little communication except during a crisis. The communication that did occur was on the run, without informing all members of the team creating misalignment between the business units. The result was competition and fear of honest opinion sharing as well as bringing forward new ideas when the infrequent meetings did take place. The CEO was frustrated at the lack of strategic implementation and the lack of information sharing that would make things move more quickly. The sales unit and the customer service unit were not in alignment and therefore many customer needs as well as opportunities for up sales were being overlooked. Instead of a focus on solutions there was blaming of the other organizational unit. Resolution Process: Using the Team Alignment process each member of the team had an individual interview to give their honest assessment of the team and the silo effect that was operating. We began with the offsite which focused on creating greater relevant as well as challenging communication, accountability and solutions. The team agreed on and implemented accountability processes that allowed for monitoring each other as a matter of course and finally the solution focus process led into an actual work session to create immediate strategic implementation, assignment of projects/tasks and datelines. Results: Executive Team meetings were scheduled on a weekly basis as well as regular bi-weekly 1-1s with the leader. The monthly follow up meetings allowed for further clear communication and accountability and the solution focus. There were challenges but at the end of the first three months several implementations had been accomplished, and the team was more aware of events in all business units. Even the sales and customer service departments were in better communication and more aligned. Greater trust was created and peer relationship communications improved. If this is a familiar situation and you would like to learn more about the building blocks for creating a culture of collaboration and the team alignment process, I am offering a free teleclass on April 28, “Create Effective Teams and Strategic Results.” For more information and registration visit: http://bit.ly/fv8SwF. Read More

He created a schedule for regular 1-1 short meetings with his direct reports so they knew they would have time with him and saved concerns for those times. The extra positive result was that the staff began to make more decisions on their own and to be more accountable. As he began to be less overwhelmed it became evident that his confidence was returning in his abilities and his innovation. He became more verbal in executive meetings and began to be more noticed and respected by his executive team members. Results: In his own words: “It quickly became clear that to be more effective I needed to reduce distractions and be more focused. I have become more focused on what matters and have let loose of many things and don’t have that level of importance. I’ve improved my productivity, efficiency, effectiveness and visibility with colleagues and superiors.” Read More

Resolution Process: This was part of a teaming approach whereby the entire executive team was involved in individual coaching using individual Leadership models and assessment and a 360. Clearly no one person was at fault. The most important part of the coaching and communication involved the CEO. Both executives worked in coaching on using leadership to enhance communication, acknowledge each other and use time together to problem solve and to communicate honestly. Results: The results of this engagement especially with the CEO and the President were very positive. The CEO who was ready to retire realized that he really wanted to stay involved and move the company forward into greater expansion. The President became re-engaged. He benefited greatly from quality regular meetings with the CEO and gave up his early retirement plans.   Read More