Find the Aligned

How important is alignment? Ask your mechanic. Having a car with poorly aligned wheels can lead to sub-optimal brake performance, poor fuel efficiency, steering complications and suspension malfunctions. Yikes, that's scary! Having poor alignment within your business can be even scarier. But, what does it mean to "be aligned" and how do we know if we've achieved it. Getting back to WHY... Remember that post on defining your "why"? Yes, it's back and if you didn't read it, I'll bury the lead for you. It all starts with your "why". Let's start a gym. Our "why" is clearly defined. We want to provide a safe, affordable, supportive and inviting place that improves the lives of our customers and staff by increasing their health and wellness through purposeful movement and mindful nutrition.

Staffing an Aligned Team Now, equipped with a defined why, it's time to find staff. More than anything else, including skill set, we need to find employees that are aligned with our "why". No matter who they are, where they come from, how polished their resumes may be, if they aren't passionate about creating a safe, affordable, supportive and inviting place that improves the lives of our customers by increasing their health and wellness through purposeful movement and mindful nutrition (our 'why") - they can't work here. Why is that so important? Employee's with alignment will approach their job with passion, excitement and energy that comes organically, because they actually BELIEVE in what they are doing. Employee's that are unaligned will punch the clock, go through the motions and collect their salary. Thus, creating potential damage to your "why". Customers and Alignment

The concept of alignment is extremely important when considering customers as well. Just like employees, we want to find customers that align with our "why". This means that everything from our packaging and branding, marketing strategies and sales approach needs to reflect our "why". Customers that are aligned will pay more, stay longer, forgive quicker and refer often. I call these customers "LTV Champions" - we'll get to that in a later blog. How can we check alignment? The simplest way to check alignment both with in your business and among your customers... is to.... well, ask. Sounds simple but, surveys are probably the most effective way to measure how aligned your employees and customers are with your "why" and product. This, of course, makes us wonder - "what the hell do I ask them?" Good question. Anyone have thoughts?