Hey Reader,

I hope you are rested and well. February is an interesting month. We’ve gotten past the newness of January and reality is starting to settle in. Although this is technically Q1 for many, most of the leaders I work with in schools and nonprofits we are in Q3.

The end of the year is quickly approaching. As a leader, you are probably spending a lot of time talking about the work - the meetings, the emails, the plans, the updates.

In my role as Chief of Staff I’m preparing strategic updates for the organization and board of directors, and something that I have learned working with leaders and leadership teams across schools and organizations:

Most teams struggle with execution not because they lack effort, but because they lack shared clarity.

Clarity is definitely a buzzword these delays, but there are three questions every team should be able to answer clearly and consistently. When they can’t, misalignment, overload, and stalled progress follow. Hello bottlenecks!

The Three Questions

1. What are we working on right now?

Not everything. Not all initiatives. We know that work is happening across our schools and organization, but what are the small set of priorities that deserve focus this season?

2. Why does this matter?​
How does this work connect to the bigger vision, outcomes, or problems we’re trying to solve?
If the “why” isn’t clear, urgency, and in some instances, commitment fades

3. How will we know if it’s working?​
​What evidence will tell us we’re making progress, and when will we look at it together?

​
If you asked five people on the same leadership team these questions and got five different answers, execution will always feel harder than it needs to be.

Reader, this isn’t a motivation problem. This isn’t a capacity problem. This is an alignment problem.

The good news? Alignment is achievable. I firmly believe that alignment doesn’t just happen. It must be intentionally built into your leadership routines and structure.

A simple next step

If this resonates, I created a short, practical tool to help leadership teams surface and clarify answers to these three questions, without overcomplicating the work.

Free Resource: The Team Alignment Check
​​

It’s designed to be used:

• Individually (for reflection)
• With leadership teams
• As a reset when things feel all over the place

Remember, alignment doesn’t happen by accident, and this is your first step towards a more coordinated team.

Reader, when you use it, reply to this message and let me know how it went!

Until then, have an amazing week!

Janique

Love the free content? Buy me a cup of coffee:)​