I recently worked with a team in Fort Collins, Colorado helping them build alignment and cohesion.

The CEO was a technologist. The Sales VP wanted to see a more sales-driven organization. The Engineering VP needed more engineers to meet the demands of a singificant customer contract. The CFO wanted to instill process and financial discipline. The HR VP was mostly focused on administration.

Each person came to the team with his/her own agenda and vision.

The team was a mess.

They didn't have a clear direction in terms of how they were supposed to work together. As a result, roles were ambiguous, and the loudest customer usually set weekly and daily priorities.

Ultimately this senior leadership team lacked a clear purpose.

Clarity of purpose is critical for all teams. It helps a team focus on the right things and stay aligned throughout the year.

Does your team have a clear purpose? Is it understood? Can people speak about it coherently? Does it drive how you run meetings? how you cultivate others?

If you aren't sure....just ask. You might be surprised by the answers.