• joe@jhanderson.biz   
    (206) 351-5607   

  • Building Aligned Teams

  • In two weeks a team can learn to:

    • Build stable attention so they can observe the present moment with curiosity and openness
    • See their teammates, their judgments, their reactions and their challenges with clarity
    • Take action together every day to stay aligned

    In two months alignment will be a habit.

  • My approach helps teams that are:

    • Tech-oriented
    • Under pressure to deliver
    • Working together closely
    • Net yet fully effective
    • Not yet hitting targets
    • Needing to get healthy...fast

  • Phase One: Getting Aligned

  • Learning the habits of attention that lead to alignment.

    Duration: 1-3 weeks to learn the habits and use them to tackle real challenges.

    1. ESTABLISHING A BASELINE - The team takes an online assessment to evaluate its current level of effectiveness and habits of attention.
    2. DEFINING SUCCESS - I meet with the team and its leaders to define the expected impact of better attention on team performance, and identify business metrics (preferably existing metrics) to measure that impact over time.
    3. TRAINING - A facilitated half-day Cultivating Attention for Teams workshop introduces the team to the what, why, and how of improved attention and its impact on team alignment.
    4. PRACTICE - In a facilitated half-day session the team uses its attention skills to address one or two key challenges, using the Taming the Elephant in the Room process.
    5. MAKING IT RELEVANT - In a facilitated half-day session, the team as a whole agrees on a plan for building the habit of attention in the context of its ongoing work. This might include Agile and business processes, critical deliverables, key relationships, and strategic planning.

  • Phase Two: Staying Aligned

  • Sustaining the habits over time and seeing results.

    Duration: two months to reinforce and lock in the habits, and build healthy cultural norms.

    1. ACCOUNTABILITY - I join two team working meetings per month to observe team health.
    2. COACHING - Up to three team leaders receive 1:1 coaching to support them in building a culture of attention and alignment.
    3. STAYING ALIGNED - The team reviews progress against metrics and adjusts the plan design.
    4. NEXT STEPS - At a final wrapup checkin, the team charts its course for staying aligned in the long term.

  • Outcomes

  • An understanding of the habits of attention:

    • Stable attention in the present moment
    • Connectedness: paying attention to each other
    • Open-mindedness: paying attention to cognitive bias and assumptions
    • Self-awareness: paying attention to reactivity in the face of threat

    Consistent practice of the habits of attention as individuals in ways that are motivating, rewarding, and self-sustaining

    Consistent practice of the habits of attention as a team in the context of the work you do (Agile, DevOps, strategic initiatives, leadership, processes, planning)

    ...all of which results in:

    • faster, better, cheaper delivery
    • better collaboration
    • better, more sticky decisions
    • team and individual resilience