When you go to work every day, what are you focused on?

First, naturally, your people. How are they doing personally? Do they have what they need? Are they on track with their projects? How can you help them succeed?

Second must be your organizational strategy. What larger goal are you trying to accomplish? Do you get really good and clear about that every single day?  It is easy to lose focus given all the meetings, lunches, appointments, etc. that keep you busy every day. Take a few minutes every single day to focus on what goals you are chasing.

Then, yes—every single day—take a few minutes to consider whether the resources you have at your disposal to accomplish those goals are aligned as they should be to achieve those goals.

Let’s say that one of your strategic goals this year is to increase revenue by 50%. Are your resources still aligned as they were last year, when you only achieved the lower amount? If nothing has changed, how do you imagine you will accomplish the higher goal?

I know one company where the leader has set goals for the business for the coming year, but has done nothing—Not One Single Thing—to make new assignments, apply resources to the goal, or allow any additional budget to be dedicated to the goal.

That goal will never be achieved, I can promise you! Talking about a good idea will never make it happen.

What I am talking about here, is organizational alignment. As the leader, it is your responsibility to make sure that all the parts of your organization are aligned to be successful.

Do you have the right people with the right skills? Do they have the right job descriptions, and do they spend their time working on projects that align with the goals?

Is your technology set up to accomplish your goal? Do you have the software necessary to move your projects forward?  How about your phone systems? Your CRM? How about how you order office supplies and how your office space is arranged?

Is your Internet presence aligned to help you meet your goals?  Your web site, and all social media should be tweaked to do what you need it to do.

Do your meetings (both internal and external) lead you closer to your goals? Are your meetings with staff focused on moving closer to those goals?  Do you check on your metrics? Do you spend time reviewing the goals with staff and do you ask them regularly for ideas that would help you accomplish your goals sooner or better or easier?

Not to be tiresome here, but Every. Single. Thing. In your business must be aligned for success. And this is hard work!

But. If you and your team are all on the same page about the goal, if you are all working together and passionate about meeting that goal and really making it happen—nothing can stop you.