Align The Enterprise & Make Beautiful Music Together

Q: Why is a great business like a great marching band?

A: The players in both organizations are in alignment.

Alignment? Yes, Alignment.

When a marching band passes by in a parade, the columns and rows are in straight alignment, the band members are all in-step, they play in-tune, and they are all playing the same music. Alignment separates the great from the good from the mediocre from the awful. It's the same in business.

A great business is also in alignment; all the players are aligned on their core foundational elements - mission, vision, and values. Great businesses know where they want to go and have strategies in place to get there. They inspire their people to greatness and unanimity of purpose. They get where they are going with enthusiasm, vitality, and determination. If your business is in alignment ? congratulations! If your business is not in alignment then today is the day to get started.

First look at your core foundational elements. Are your mission (the reason the business exists), vision (what you want it to become), and values (the service level and ethical manner in which you treat staff, vendors, and customers) relevant, clear, communicated often, and consistent? If these elements do not exist or have not been utilized since the original business plan was written it is like a marching band with the trumpets playing "Stars and Stripes Forever" and the clarinets playing Beethoven's 7th. Symphony ? in other words cacophony and chaos ? you're out of alignment.

Once everyone is playing the same music (mission, vision, values), it's time to tune the instruments (align strategies and tactics), rehearse the music (align staff training, accountabilities), practice the marching steps (align policies), keeping the whole enterprise marching to the beat of the same drummer. Soon you will be making beautiful music together. Those watching you march past will applaud with joy at your alignment, spirit, purpose, and joy in accomplishment.

Larry Galler coaches and consults with high-performance executives, professionals, and small businesses since 1993. He is the writer of the long-running (every Sunday since November 2001) business column, "Front Lines with Larry Galler" Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.larrygaller.com

---

Smart Hiring: What Makes the Right Employee?

Good hires do not happen by accident or luck. In... Read More

Innovation Management: Radical Innovation

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Encouraging Behavior That Gets Results

You're the boss, and you have every reason to feel... Read More

Hiring Your First Business Personal Assistant: Some Guidelines for Successful Hiring

Hiring the first personal business assistant is an exciting time... Read More

Interviewing: How to Stay Out of legal Hot Water

Some interviewers ask great questions; others ask dumb questions; and,... Read More

Directed Introspection

One of the greatest obstacles to progress can often be... Read More

Stop Waste, Fraud and Abuse

Each year, businesses write-off six percent of revenue to waste,... Read More

Competencies for HR Professionals in Knowledge-based Industry with Reference to IT, ITES-BPOs

Introduction"High performing HR function affects bottom line nearly 10%"- A... Read More

Knowledge Management - Capturing And Structuring Knowledge Into Reusable Assets

Many organizations have an approach for identifying and recording lessons... Read More

Indiscretion Can Kill Your Business

The quickest way to cancel out all the thought, work,... Read More

Diversity Training: The Worst Possible Reasons to Request Executive Funding

You're on your organization's diversity committee. You have the best... Read More

Critical Success Factors - Next

The Critical Success Factors Focusing on the... Read More

Nonprofit Performance: Outcome Measurement Can Be A Good Thing

Does the idea of program evaluation make your stomach churn?... Read More

Ten Business Reasons Why Asking for Help Works

In fact, bringing your people - any of them -... Read More

Get Over Yourself

Let me tell you a secret.Things don't always go the... Read More

Quick Tip - Effective Meetings Begin With Goals

Goals are critically important for the success of a meeting.... Read More

Results of Poor Cross Cultural Awareness

Results of Poor Cross Cultural Awareness. Having a poor understanding... Read More

Leading Bad Actors To Be Good Performers

A successful leader told me, "The biggest challenge I've had... Read More

Key Control ? Who Has the Keys to Your Kingdom?

Key control, or more accurately the lack of key control... Read More

25 Super-Practical Steps to Build Your Business!

For the past several weeks, we have focused on some... Read More

Get Meeting off To a Great Start

When asked what part of their job they find a... Read More

Problem-Solving Success Tip: Measure

Measure.The first key question to answer in starting a problem-solving... Read More

Thoughts on Empowerment

People are empowered when they are given the authority and... Read More

Solve Problems Permanently - Ask WHY

As Albert Einstein said:-"The significant problems we face today, cannot... Read More

Creative and Innovative Culture, Change Management ? Three Easy Tests

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Five Steps to Successful Business Succession

The great majority of family businesses in North America are... Read More

Stop Going to Meetings - 10 Questions to Ask Before Attending a Meeting - Get More Productive

We get invited to attend so many "meetings" but do... Read More

Employee Turnover: Is It Eating Up Your Profits?

Keeping the cost of doing business down, yet providing a... Read More

How to Fire an Employee

One of the most difficult tasks you will face as... Read More

Einstein, The Universe, And Leadership

Every since serving a hitch in the military, I have... Read More

Why and How to Work with a Consultant

A good consultant provides specialist abilities and experience, innovative ideas,... Read More

Dont Let Your Measurements Mislead You

Don't Let Your Measurements Mislead You ... Read More

Argue Your Way To Business Success

"Jack" (not his real name) is a vice president of... Read More