MikeThis is the final part in a series of blogs on alignment. As I said in the first entry in this series, organizational alignment is both powerful and elusive. To capture the power, leaders must overcome the three most frequent causes of misalignment. We’ve already looked at the first two – lack of understanding of the vision and lack of skills. The third culprit that can stand in the way of alignment is when paid or volunteer leaders, even just a handful, simply don’t agree with the direction and priorities. Peter Senge, in his classic leadership book The Fifth Discipline, offers some great insights into the different attitudes that people in an organization may have toward a vision. Senge begins with apathy and non-compliance, then moves to genuine compliance and ultimately true commitment. When people are on the bottom rungs, a leader should start by asking whether these dissenters were sufficiently included in the process and whether adequate time has been allowed for them to understand and buy-in. But at times a leader has done the right things and is confronted with the reality that some people aren’t going to get on board with the new vision. When this happens, what is a leader to do? Resistance will trigger a variety of reactions that are rooted in a leader’s personality and past experiences. One leader may want to fight every challenge. Another may seek to avoid any kind of confrontation. The best approach lies in the middle and is guided by these four simple ideas:
- Pick your battles. Not all points of resistance or reluctance need to be challenged. Remember that your goal is to move the organization forward toward the vision. If the lack of buy-in occurs in an area that isn’t “mission critical,” it may be best to ignore it and focus on the things that are most strategic. After all, you have a limited amount of time and energy.
- Don’t mistake sluggishness for resistance. Change takes time, and not all change happens at the same pace. Sometimes things that appear to be resistance are just people who are struggling to make the necessary changes. Treating them as an enemy can become self-fulfilling.
- Remember that others are watching. Some people sit in the middle – they don’t actively resist a new vision, but they don’t rush to embrace and implement it either. Whether this is due to lack of understanding or hesitance doesn’t matter. If they see consistency, clarity, resolve, and progress, there’s a good chance that they’ll get on board.
- Have courage. Some battles are worth fighting. If you encounter obstacles in a vital area or active resistance that is undermining your leadership, you need to have the courage to deal with it. If left unattended, this kind of problem can derail the entire vision.
