When you can paint a picture of where the team is going and why, then they are on board with the mission.
Plus, they can then connect their own personal mission with the team mission.
And when this happens, you have high-performance gold.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
What you can do
Use simple language. Forget corporate-speak and fancy language. Bullet points are great. Short stories work too. Don’t try to cover everything. Talk as if you are talking to real people (you know what I mean).
Here’s one from a company I do leadership training for (in my words):
“We want there to be more inclusion in tech. There’s a skills shortage in data science. Let’s teach a diverse group of people data science so they can fill the vacancies”.
Notice the short sentences? Short sentences are fantastic for creating clarity.
Practical exercise:
Write down what the purpose of your team is in one sentence. Or
Explain what you need to do to a 6-year-old.
Next level stuff: create this with your team!
I’ve facilitated this with some teams and every time it has WORKED.
Plus, the mission has improved, they’ve had great ideas for strategy and tactics, and best of all: everyone is on board. They take ownership.
This post is part of my special Coaching Tips Series. This series was inspired by my clients and the core themes in their challenges. When we can apply these tips, we bring a lot of ease into our lives and step into our leadership. Want to talk it through with me? Use a free Experience Coaching session and I’ll help you.