Ask each person - separately - to finish this sentence in one line:
"The most important thing our team needs to accomplish right now is ___."
Or
“The goal of this project / event / initiative is _____.”
Then compare answers.
If you get five people and five different answers, that's helpful data.
Nobody is wrong.
But it also sounds like nobody is clear and aligned.
From there:
Get everyone together and remind them in one single sentence what your target goal is.
(Pro tip: This means you need to be crystal clear on your goal and why it is important, too. Take a minute to think that through so you can say it in one line, too.)
Once you have one clear goal:
- Post it somewhere visible
- Say it out loud in meetings
- Use it as the tiebreaker when priorities compete
Don't assume it is obvious or too basic to remind your team of the goal over and over again.
I have heard Patrick Lencioni say a million times that the job of the CEO is not only to be the Chief Executive Officer, but to be the Chief Reminding Officer.
Keep the team focused on one key goal.
Try it. Let me know how it goes.
