Week 34 - Staying on the same ship 🚢
more commonly know as "staying on the same page" / "singing from the same hymn/song sheet"
Recently I’ve been having an internal debate on “why is it sometimes tricky for a team to be aligned on a common objective of a project?
Got the T-shirt 👕
Yes, I’ve been there, done that, and have learnt to adapt as soon as I realise my radar has slightly drifted off point. The need to promptly reset focus towards the general direction of a project can be made efficient and easier when the responsibility is shared by the team. By this I mean, once an inkling of misalignment with the project’s goal has been detected, each team member should not hesitate to guide anyone back on course with the plan of action.
We can all be a Captain 👨✈️👩✈️
I appreciate that some members of the team may feel unsure about advising on the direction of a project to achieve an outcome that they feel has more value, and by doing so refrain from voicing their opinion to avoid being the “dictator”. If we instead view our roles with user-centered mindfulness, this would be more a facilitator rather than a dictator role that could help provide the necessary steer towards a worthwhile goal.
Doing the checks before setting off ✅
But what if each team member has a different view on the journey to obtaining the project’s objective? And to put it metaphorically - each member is taking a turn to steer the ship using contrasting navigations. Inevitably this would lead to the project being less streamlined and with some wasted energy.
I feel an initial approach that can be taken before a project’s objective is decided, is for the team to consider exploring design thinking sessions that can encourage collaboration and allow each member to visually define their thoughts and trigger early discussions on what is a useful outcome? And how can this be achieved?
The GV (Google ventures) Design sprint methodology may be a good place for inspiration.
Smoother sailing towards the objective 🌅
Alongside adopting some similar processes from the GV design sprint, the team’s alignment on a project’s goal can be further improved by:
Documenting the agreed project’s objective in one place and ensuring that it’s easily seen, understood, and accessible by all members of the team.
Openly sharing any adjustments or uncertainties on the project as soon as they happen.
Being transparent with day-to-day agendas and clear on each team member’s responsibilities.
Maintain a united and healthy communication channel to support each other’s tasks and concerns.
Dawn is a Designer at Made Tech, based out of our London office.