When we come together for important meetings, it’s essential that we have a shared purpose. The Alliance Tool helps us to do this by focusing on the desired outcome and asking each person what they want that outcome to look like. This allows everyone present to see that they are working towards the same thing and instantly removes some of the negative sentiment or apprehension.
Why Do We Need the Alliance Tool?
When there is conflict, disagreement or a loss of trust, it can be really hard to have constructive conversations. The Alliance Tool helps us to get past these barriers and find common ground. By focusing on the desired outcome, and asking each person what they want that outcome to look like, it allows everyone present to see that they are working towards the same thing. It instantly removes some of the negative sentiment or apprehension.
We’re Busy, We Don’t Have Time For This!
When we arrive at important meetings, we come in with our own agenda, worries, priorities and stress. When everyone is working to their own priorities and in their own way, meetings are often fractured, meandering and disrupted. Without a unified purpose in a meeting, they often end up being a waste of time. Or worse, they cause further conflict and stress.
Why Is This A Useful Tool?
There are few things more stressful than a business relationship that has soured or a project that has gone off the rails. The Alliance Tool helps us to avoid these situations by creating a space for open and honest communication. It also helps us to see the other person’s perspective and to find common ground.
When To Use It
It’s great as an organisational tool at the start of longer meetings, or if you are about to have an awkward conversation. Any kind of conflict resolution or negotiation can benefit from using the Alliance Tool before anything else happens.
The Mechanism: How Does the Alliance Tool Work?
Each person in the room is asked to provide an answer to these questions. Don’t rush it, and make sure they answer all four:
- What would you like this meeting to be like?
- What would be the best outcome from this meeting?
- What do we need to be like to get there?
- What do I need to be like?
“What Do I Need To Be Like?”
This is perhaps the most important question in there. Once someone has committed themselves to a healthy outcome, this question forces them to reflect on how they will change their behaviour and mindset to get there. It’s a powerful way to get people to take responsibility for their own actions and to think about how they can contribute to the group’s success.
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