Pas de deux: Creating An Environment Where There is Alignment, Commitment, And Trust

If you have ever watched Swan Lake or The Nutcracker, you know that the people on the dance floor are aligned and deeply committed to each other. In other words, they trust each other.  

About a year ago, I was working with a board and a new head of school. The school he inherited had gone through several years of slow decline, a sudden departure of his predecessor, and some of ‘hush hush’ conversations. 

This new head of school reached out for help. What became clear through our conversations was that the future of the school wasn’t clear. It’s not that they didn’t have a future, they did, it just wasn’t visible. 

We began by developing a clear sense of organizational vision and purpose. To connect those, we sought to better understand the core values of the school—those deeply held values that have been evident since the school’s founding.

These values would guide the head of school and the board towards the future and the (yet to be developed) strategic plan to achieve it.

So, what does this have to do with board governance? Knowing where you are going and the values that will get you there builds alignment. Alignment is an essential environmental quality within any board room. When the board and chief executive are not aligned to the organization’s vision, mission, and core values, doubt can creep in, uncertainty can take hold, and people’s picture of the future can diverge. 

Being committed to each other means that you are seeing the best in the other person rather than the worst, even when their worst shows up. In executive coaching, we call it ‘holding out their best.’ We hold out the best of the coachee in front of them and coach towards that rather than coaching what is present that particular day.

When there is alignment and commitment to each other, trust builds. When there is trust within the board room, an organization’s mission is propelled forward. 

Giddy up!

Have a question, thought, or example you’d like to share? I’d love to hear it! Please comment below. You may also reach me directly at lons@designgroupintl.com.