Tom Curren - Top Team Alignment

The ultimate limitation on organization performance is the alignment and effectiveness of the top team.

"The Executive Off-Site with Tom Curren was the most powerful training experience any of us have ever been through."

CEO, Medical Center

Frequently Asked Questions

What is top team alignment?
How do you know if you need it?
What are some examples of alignment?
How is it done?
What does it cost?

Details of the Alignment Process

What Is Top Team Alignment?

"Top Team" is defined as the senior management group of an organization or a major division, typically between 5 and 20 people. "Alignment" results in consistent views and behaviors that speed decision-making, accelerate change, and build confidence. Unaligned behavior at the top saps energy, decreases productivity, confuses the organization, and breeds cynicism.

Alignment is focused around a specific goal or an overall management agenda. Alignment takes place within the team as well as between the team and the next level of management.

Alignment is on-going process; however, breakthroughs occur most readily in extended off-site environments. TTA meetings are highly participatory, structured events for the top team, custom designed around specific business needs and relationship issues. Generally, they last 1.5 to 3 days.

How Do You Know If The Top Team Needs More Alignment?

A team is aligned when all members can:

	Articulate a common direction and sense of purpose or urgency.
	Share a collective road-map and/or an agreed set of initiatives.
	Model desired values and behaviors.
	Operate, when required, as an interdependent team as opposed to a collection of department or division heads focused on their own territories.
	Step up to whatever challenges are required to bring about sustainable change in the organization.

The most typical situations calling for TTA are:

	Client desire for broad ownership of a new direction (mission, purpose or strategy.)
	Differing views (or none) on how to plan or implement the change process.
	Transition for a new CEO or new members to the top team.
	Ineffective working relationships among the team or within the broader organization.

What Are Some Examples of Alignment Work?
Click on the case number for more information.

.	Organization	Initial Meeting	Overall Objective
Case 1	U.S./Swiss Financial Institution	2.5 days	Create a global marketing and service capability
Case 2	U.S. Medical Services	1.5 days	Actively involve the MDs in the future strategy of the company
Case 3	U.S. Media Company	1.5 days	Form a larger, more representative team to run the company in the wake of a senior executive departure
Case 4	U.S. Financial Institution	2 days	To achieve a breakthrough in the way critical strategy issues are identified and resolved
Case 5	U.S. Subsidiary Of French Financial Institution	2.5 days	Focus on a market-oriented, service-culture by developing a growth strategy and team-based results
Case 6	U.S. Industrial Products	3 days	Transition from surviving a near-bankruptcy to creating a winning growth strategy

How is Top Team Alignment Done?

The most effective alignment processes are built around a team performance challenge and consist of several steps.

The Overall Alignment Process

Step	Description	Time
1	Diagnostic process Primarily individual interviews to understand team dynamics and performance challenges.	1 to 2 days
2	Initial Top Team Alignment An off-site meeting consisting of a mixture of discussion, decision-making and skill-building in large and small groups.	1.5 to 3 days
3	Action learning With individual support, if needed.	2 to 3 months
4	Follow-up Top Team Alignment Off-Site.	1 to 2 days

What Does The Alignment Process Cost?

An alignment process typically involves two off-site meetings over a 90 day period. Tom Curren acts as primary facilitator during these meetings. Some situations call for a co-facilitator, depending on the size and dynamics of the group. Normally, Tom is accompanied by a production and logistics associate, enabling immediate turnaround of discussion notes for further reflection and input.

The exact cost depends upon the amount of design time needed, the length of the meeting, and whether a second facilitator is needed. Typical ranges are as follows (excluding travel). All prices include an in-room production person.

Professional Fees ($ 000's)	Tom Alone	With 2nd Consultant
Diagnostic interviews	$8 - $12	$12 - $15
Initial alignment session	$10 - $15	$17 - $25
Action learning, coaching support	$2 per month per executive
Follow-up alignment session	$10	$15 - $20
Total process	$30 - $40	$45 - $60

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