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Alignment Is Ace

9 April 2017

Our body is a masterpiece of bio-engineering. Imagine a motor that runs for 100 years without needing a service and you have a heart. Imagine a structure that is strong, flexible, dependable and can be repaired and you have a skeleton. Imagine a computer so subtle that it can store sight and sound and smell and you have a brain.

We function smoothly and without us really thinking about how it all happens when we are in alignment, physically and psychologically.

From time to time we might struggle and find the days long and life uncomfortable when we are out of alignment. For reasons to do with a lack of core strength maybe and previous poor posture my back sometimes decides to award itself a duvet day and makes life tricky.

Standing is fine once stood and sitting is fine once sat. Transitioning between these two poles though can be a nuisance and I start to realise what a marvellous thing a back is and how we need to look after it. A few months ago I was dusting and crunch it went into spasm and then I was shuffling about like a broken tree for a couple of weeks. One Monday morning I felt like the oldest person in the shop, when choosing a new smartphone, as I struggled to sit-stand-walk-sit between various desks whilst surrounded by spy pensioners, all ballet dancing around as they chose their new phones.

Backs are a good metaphor for people in general and when they go out of alignment something needs to be done. When people are out of alignment with the values of their organisation then trouble brews. When people are out of alignment with the skills required for their role they can expend huge amounts of time and energy struggling to keep pace.

When organisations make changes to roles, or promote people, there is often a fallout in terms of alignment. People need time to adjust to the changes, or can struggle to perform at a level, or in a niche that they are not really cut out for.

Tell-tale signs of misalignment would be fatigue, both at work and when we get home, irritability, sudden desire to quit and do something else, or the failure of a previously effective team member to shine in a new role.

If we are suffering we can take time to think. If we have a colleague who seems to be out of step we can take an objective look at their performance and create options to support them find their feet. Maybe we have to change their role, or find them some coaching.

A few years ago a client of mine was out of alignment, doing two jobs and struggling to keep all the plates spinning. After one coaching session, it was obvious that a sharp change of course was needed and her organisation removed one of the roles and reassigned it. This was not a failure …it was a successful change and within a week she was back to her old self, her productivity had increased and once more she became a valued and respected part of the team.

Who do you know who is struggling? What is the truth that lurks and needs to be aired and discussed?

Alignment is ace and if you don’t have it, then a change is needed.

Next week: Coin Toss Clarity