Step 1: Get setup
- Join an Ask Align – 30 minutes of free training, three times per week to ask the Align Advisors your questions!
- Sign up for Basics courses – Take it as many times as you want – they are short courses, so it’s really not a huge commitment.
- Fill out your personal profile in the software Don’t forget to upload a picture!
- Download the mobile app
Are you the first user in your account?
- Fill out the company profile – Admin Only – Upload your logo to make the softare your own.
- Invite team members – Admin Only
- Configure your integrations – Slack – Tasks – Salesforce Admin only
- Add a Company Priority – this is your first step in company-wide Alignment. Your Company Priority will set the stage for new users to align their priorities to the bigger company needs.
Step 2: Track your Goals
Align your goals to your company’s goals from top to bottom
First Start with your Numbers
- Add Metrics & make connections.
- Choose your Critical Numbers & Leading Indicators with Targets and add them to your Dashboards.
Second Define your Action Strategy
- Create a priority (video) – What are you going to do to hit those targets you just defined?
- Bonus: Align it to the company priorities if there are any!
- We recommend each person should own no more than 2-3 priorities.
- Hint: Use tasks as milestones if you have the priority broken down into smaller time periods
- Attach the Priority to an Annual Initiative (video)
- How does the Priority you created impact an Annual Initiative?
Step 3: Get the strategy out of your head!
Are you part of leadership? The first step to getting strategy out of your head and accessible to the rest of the team is to write it down!
- Fill out what you already have for the One Page Plan
- Add in information in the additional Strategy Tools (FACE & PACE) – Admin Only
Where do I start Quick Setup Guide (pdf)Step 4: Start talking!
…or Keep talking.
Huddles are the cornerstone of what makes this process work, they keep you and your team motivated to act and own results.
What is the FIRST thing to do?
Move what you already do into the software – do you already do a weekly huddle, do it in Align!
Weekly Huddle
- Get your team’s weekly meetings in the software to bring in Priorities, KPIs & Critical Numbers, and consistent agendas.
- Participate in a 1:1’s – once a month or every 2 weeks
Daily Huddle
Join a Daily Huddle – Not sure where to start? Start small – do just Top Priority to start the habit!
Are you already doing a daily standup? Do it with the software. (read the blog or watch a webinar)
Admin users have the ability to create and change huddles.
- create consistency
- shorten huddles by writing down the information – no more “umm” and “ya know”
- be more data driven with KPIs and Critical Numbers on a daily basis
Step 5: Create a culture feedback loop.
Understand how better alignment improves your culture with these Admin only features
- Start with eNPS cadence – It’s already turned on, encourage your team to participate. NOTE: eNPS will only go out to those that have accepted invitations for the software
- About to go into planning? Do the Alignment Company Survey.
Step 6: STOP
We love that you are pushing to get all of this rolled out, but give your team a bit to catch up.
Take a quarter (or more) and practice. New software, new habits, and new concepts take a little time to sink in.
Ask your team for feedback after a month, then bring that to your onboarding calls to ensure you can make the push through the first 3 months. The first 3 months learning something new are often the hardest when making these changes. Use your Advisor to help you through it!