Alignment - Improve Collaboration and Expectation Management

Have you ever had conversations where people have said, "Yes, but that's not important", "I thought you meant" or "You should do it like this?" Gaining alignment on a topic with different people can be a fraught exercise, quite often down to people talking at cross purposes or not being transparent about their priorities. This course provides you with the tools necessary to get to the point and understand what are the real issues so you can negotiate far more effectively and come to an agreement far quicker.

The course includes:

• What is alignment

• Alignment process and measurement

• Aligning your value proposition and closing the “expectations gap”

• Case studies and examples

This course is the fourth in a series that covers our “VITAR” framework for Relationship Management. Relationship Management is a core skill for anyone who needs to interact with people to get the job done. Different approaches, values, ways of communicating, empathy, ego and authenticity are all important considerations, yet in the bustle of our daily lives, we either forget, rely on our innate stock of skills because they have worked in the past or just muddle through. We could get the job done far quicker, but we need to unlock the code of Effective Relationships to do so. Having a solid foundation in Alignment is one of the keys that unlock that code.

To understand where this course fits into the “VITAR” framework for Relationship Management Series, Search for the FREE course in Relationship Management / Overview by Jon Baxter.

Benefits of applying the VITAR Framework for Relationship Management:

Become a Trusted Advisor

• Move away from taking orders to being called for advice

• Recognise the fundamental principles behind trust

• Check in with your influencing behaviours

• Understand AND practice "soft skills” of persuasion and influence

Enable Clearer Communications.

• Manage expectations consistently

• Adjust your style of engagement

• Start with your audience's challenges in mind

Early and Senior Engagement

• Access Decision Makers earlier in developing ideas based on trust and credibility.

• Inspire confidence to deal with Senior Stakeholders

Gain Role Clarity

• Best practices for enabling relationship management

• Clarify a colleague's contribution

• Hold people to account