Are you also one who thinks that the terms “agreement” and “alignment” are identical? Actually… both these words are not synonyms. Normally people think that agreement between different group members is made by alignment. But stay tuned because I am here to further give some words for these two terms.
As agreement leaders, we persuade other people to work on the same goals. In both cases, every team member is making an effort to reach a specified goal; the goal can be serving clients, launching products, etc.
Agreement:
The agreement is all right as far as possible. All of us desire things that we require and are worthy of, such as, all of us deserve to have good jobs and be known for it, we feel happy and revived if someone appreciates and respects our feelings. But if we mutually agree, we can neglect what we didn’t think and what we didn’t know.
In an agreement, the members of the team are coming from a place where they want to be right or wish to look well. It is not a mission-driven place; rather, it’s a self-centered place. It shows that agreement can have negative effects on the workplace environment.
All the team members will feel compelled in a corner because of agreement. They will accept the agreement not because they are happy but because they are disappointed. They feel discouraged, as if they have no more energy.
Alignment:
Let’s check what alignment is? It’s a goal. If an organization, culture, relationship, team, etc., wish to work effectively, it requires alignment. In my coaching session, I used this term to indicate that when people use the word “agreement”, different people can mean different things.
The agreement is nothing if it is not accompanied by alignment. Project alignment means that everyone has the same path and is following the same direction.
The alignment of team members shows that all of them not only have the same destination, but they are also heading towards that from the same values, place and mission.
So, here’s the point arises that how one can get to the alignment?
Every team member needs to be heeded if an agreement leader wants to reach alignment. This is not to say that the ideas and strategies of every team member must be executed, but rather that they should be evenly weighted so that the members feel the same investment in the final result and be happy that their opinions were respected.
When the employees think that they are appreciated and valued, they will find the company more satisfying to work with. They will give importance to their work and feel confident in your working environment. The skills to create such feelings are worth learning; an agreement leader must learn these skills.
Agreement and alignment:
- The highest form of leadership is alignment, while the least form is agreement.
- With Alignment, the path you have chosen may or may not end the way you want, but you fully support the direction in which you are moving forward. With the agreement, don’t care about passive aggression, destructive behavior and negotiating about someone confidentially.
Final thoughts:
After knowing the points mentioned above, I am sure that most people will come to know that they have been in agreement rather than alignment. The agreement leaders gradually move their attention from alignment to harmony. Thereby, our attention is being diverted from the actual culprit when things go wrong, that is, when there is the absence of an agreement in the first place.
Think! Is your team finishing their projects from an alignment place or an agreement place?
It was all about agreement and alignment. If you want to know more, send us your words, we will assist you in every possible way.