How do we achieve Internal alignment?
Internal alignment is the challenge I get thrown at me most often.
It seems simple, one organisation with a shared mission, clear vision, and shared values should be able to agree on activities easily, shouldn’t it?
During my workshops, I often include an exercise on internal discussions and it creates the most debate afterwards because it always surprises people what behaviours are adopted by colleagues who are serving their own interests.
The comments afterwards, such as “I cannot believe that you said that” or “No way – we were supposed to be working together” are common and while at the time they create a sense of fun, they hide the darker secrets.
Your business is full of people who are self interested, serving their departmental goals ahead of the larger business ones and are not interested in the impact on the whole business unless it helps them.
Internal alignment is a journey and requires the same level of planning and organisation as customer events.
Stakeholder mapping – understanding their key interests and goals – considering emotions – meeting preparation – making compromises – planning escalations – building your own level of influence – adapting – listening and communicating are all critical steps.
It takes grit and determination to succeed in complex businesses and I specialised in my career working in joint venture partnerships where I excelled in managing many of these challenges.
I recently spoke with the brilliant Alex Barkley who shared his experiences from working in huge banks within investments and mergers and acquisitions.
He talked about his ability to navigate the high levels of bureaucracy, high levels of regulation, risk aversion, ego, status and challenge to deliver enormous value to the organisations – sometimes despite their efforts to delay and stall him.
Today Alex is on a different journey, seeking investors for his exciting new venture to bring a fresh new way of banking and his lessons from the past on keeping going despite the problems are serving him well.
Shaking up an industry that is centuries old is not easy, but Alex has the experience and the grit to succeed.
It is these everyday moments of determination, grit and tenacity that we are celebrating in the current series of Thinking Outside the Fox .
Find the conversation on your podcast provider or listen here