Power in Alignment, by Greg Darlington
Within any organization, there’s nothing more powerful than a team of people working collectively toward a common goal—and it begins with creating a clear vision and an environment where every member is valued.
Achieving balanced alignment is more easily said than done. The silo effect—where employees work with their heads down on their own projects, goals, and priorities—is a reality for many companies. This limited interaction between members of different branches of the business provokes inefficiencies and confusion between employees and departments, which leads to reduced productivity. Rallying together to stay centered decreases the chances of anyone misinterpreting the end goal. Regardless of their current role, it’s essential to allow every team member to provide feedback. When you give each person a voice, it’s the icing on the cake. Getting more people involved gives you a much better outcome, and it energizes the group. It doesn’t mean there won’t be differing opinions, but it’s critical to come to a consensus. Ultimately, the exact direction you choose is less important than having a specific direction that everyone is working toward.
I remember trying to decide Nu Skin’s product strategy with other Nu Skin marketing teams from around the world about 15 years ago. Full of different ideas, we sat around a table together and stayed there until everyone agreed on how to move forward and committed to the foundation of the direction. From those conversations, the award-winning Nu Skin ageLOC brand was born. It was an incredibly empowering time to know that our input into those discussions were going to help us generate billions of dollars. What started with a vision, developed with shared opinions, and progressed toward alignment. Today, after reaching 10 billion dollars in sales, Nu Skin’s ageLOC brand continues to soar.
When any group of people has a clear objective, a vision of the future, and a place to head together, it’s astounding what that group is willing to do to get there. Conversely, much like a cruise ship, a few degrees off the coordinates can put the vessel hundreds of miles off the target. After 30+ years at Nu Skin Enterprises, I’ve learned that partnering with sales leaders, staff, and employees is vital to move in the same direction at the same time. It requires putting egos aside and rising above the organization and the organizational structure to work across groups. Tapping into the strengths of team members at every level offers a competitive advantage. This embracement of power in alignment allows organizations to perform at extraordinary levels because a collective synergy is exponential.
-Greg Darlington, VP of Global Integrated Marketing
