The first week of January is over. Are your people aligned?

Is every team member, from your front line employee to supervisor to mid-level manager and above, clear about the strategic direction of the organization? In most companies, it’s well into the calendar year before team members understand the vision and strategy. If this is the case on your team, you'll probably notice a lack of clarity, confusion and unspoken expectations. The business results you'll experience are lost productivity, low employee engagement, and missed opportunities.

On May 23, 2009, Melissa Arnot became the first American Woman to summit Mount Everest for the second time. I met her father in a workshop last week, and he was beaming with pride. Melissa's team reached the summit in adverse conditions - conditions that seem to be threatening to end the climbing season on Everest earlier than usual this year.