How to Align Teams with Business Value

I walked into a leadership meeting last week and spotted their Core Values beautifully framed on the wall. "How do these values influence your hiring decisions?" I asked. The room went silent. Then the CEO admitted, "They don't." This company was bleeding talent (42% turnover) while watching their market share shrink. Here's the brutal truth: Core Values aren't decoration. They're your organization's operating system. According to Gallup, companies with strong, lived values have 65% lower turnover rates. Harvard University research shows teams aligned on values deliver 17% higher performance. Organizations with successful cultures see 47% more revenue growth. But most companies make a fatal mistake: confusing having values with living values. Here are 4 ways to transform your Core Values from wall art to competitive advantage: 1. Discover, don't invent Your true Core Values already exist in your organization. They're demonstrated by your best people. In EOS, we uncover them by examining who succeeds, not by crafting aspirational statements. 2. Make them memorable If your team can't recite your values without looking, they aren't guiding decisions. One client replaced "Demonstrate Integrity" with "Do What You Say." Which will people remember and apply? 3. Hire, fire, review, reward Every people decision must filter through your Core Values. Using the EOS People Analyzer, rate each person against each value. Below the bar? Coach up or out. This isn't optional. It's survival. 4. Decide by values When facing tough choices, ask: "Which option best reflects our Core Values?" Make this question standard in every meeting. The companies that outperform their competition don't just have better strategies. They have better alignment. ♻️ Reshare to help another entrepreneur see the power in mastering your Core Values

Building a compelling People strategy isn't just about understanding HR best practices—it's about aligning every aspect of your business toward success through people. Here's how I approach building a new People strategy, program, or process: First and foremost, 𝗜 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. Understanding your product or service, customers, revenue streams, and new initiatives is critical. What problem do we solve for customers? How do we go to market? How does the company make money? What new products or services are we launching? Just as you wouldn't develop a Marketing strategy without a deep understanding of the business, the same principle applies to People strategies. If you're not in sync with the business, you'll face an uphill battle to garner support [and secure budget!] from those crucial to your success. Next, you guessed it—we've got to 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲. Who are the key players? What are their priorities and pain points? Who are the champions of your company culture? By delving deep into your team dynamics, we uncover opportunities for growth and support. Finally, we 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 needed to achieve those goals. If, for example, senior leadership has committed to achieving aggressive YoY sales goals that will require more from the current team without additional headcount, I might carve out a strategy or OKR devoted to driving a more performance-based culture. From there, we 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲. This involves pinpointing specific actions that directly support your overarching objectives. In the example above, this might include things like revamping sales incentive plans to make them more lucrative or introducing new recognition & reward platforms. These key results then become the specific projects a People team will work on to support achieving the above objective over the course of the year. The key? It's about partnership. The most effective People teams are not just idea generators; they are strategic partners committed to helping you reach your business objectives by harnessing the potential of our most valuable resource—our people! #fractionalhr #humanresources #management #startups #careers

As a leader, one of the most crucial elements to monitor for the success of your endeavors is team alignment. As cheesy as it sounds, it truly is the glue that holds everything together, ensuring that every member is moving in sync towards shared goals. After realizing that there was opportunity for alignment, in August, I began regular check-ins with my leadership team. The group meetings, like the one in this photo, are still important. However, individual structured meetings have proven to be the cornerstone of maintaining this alignment. It provides an opportunity to assess progress, clarify objectives, and address any discrepancies before they snowball into larger issues. However, it's essential to approach these meetings with intentionality to reap their full benefits. Far too often, well-intentioned check-ins devolve into daily stand-ups that function as mere status updates, where team members recite their tasks without meaningful engagement. This not only wastes everyone's time but also fails to foster the alignment necessary for collective success. Instead, here are some tips to ensure your check-ins are effective in promoting team alignment: 1. Set a clear objective: Before each meeting, define specific objectives or topics to be discussed. This provides focus and ensures that conversations are purposeful and productive. 2. Focus on goals, not tasks: Rather than dwelling on individual tasks, steer the conversation towards broader goals and objectives. This helps contextualize individual contributions within the larger picture, promoting alignment towards overarching targets. 3. Address roadblocks proactively: Use check-ins as an opportunity to identify and address any obstacles or challenges hindering progress. By proactively tackling issues, you can prevent them from derailing the team's alignment and momentum. These strategies have helped transform "quick conversation in passing" into powerful tools for fostering team alignment and driving collective success. Effective alignment doesn't happen by chance – it requires intentional effort and consistent communication. So what does your team do to stay aligned?