Accelerating Team Performance: Balancing Ownership with Alignment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A two-step approach to determine what slows your team and restore balance between ownership and alignment

Let’s face it: every leader wants their team to move faster—preferably somewhere useful, not just sprinting in circles or straight into a wall. The usual tip? Stop micromanaging (I offer this advice all the time). Give people the autonomy to make decisions. Let them fly! (And maybe double-check you’re not just waving as they leap off a cliff.)

That advice is spot on. Delegating is essential for developing ownership but it's not the whole story.

Teams need to actually care about what happens, not just tick boxes and clock out. They need to see the bigger picture and feel like their work makes a difference—like, “Hey, maybe our project won’t just end up as an obscure story at next year’s company holiday party!”

Now, if your team feels good about their work but nobody’s on the same page, chaos reigns supreme. Sure, they’ll move fast—right into totally different directions. One group builds something epic, the other accidentally invents a coffee machine that only makes decaf. Suddenly, everyone’s plans are scrambled. The result? Confusion, wasted effort, and projects that stall faster than your internet on a Monday morning.

So, What’s the Fix?

You need both: ownership and alignment. But most teams never pause to figure out where they really stand, or how to strike that magical balance. It’s like going on a road trip with no map and everyone blasting their own playlist.

Here’s Your Two-Step Hack to Find Team Zen

Step 1: Figure Out Where You Really Are

If you want a team that’s quick and willing to try new stuff, start by looking at what’s actually happening. Focus on two things: ownership and alignment.

Ownership is more than just freedom. Sure, freedom means people can make decisions. But ownership means they want to. Like, “Hey, I’ll clean up the breakroom—because I care. Not just because Bob left his tuna sandwich in the fridge for six months.

Here’s what ownership looks like:

     People feel their work means something (not just “another day, another spreadsheet”).

     They focus on making great products, not just finishing projects (and not just surviving the week).

•        Decisions happen where the magic happens—at the lowest level possible.
• Team members pitch in, even if it’s “not their job”.
• The team cares about real results, not just winning at company trivia  

Freedom is what leaders hand out, but ownership is the fire inside—like that mysterious energy that powers toddlers and coffee addicts.

 

Alignment is about purpose, not just goals. It’s not shoving goals down the chain, or quoting a fancy vision statement. It’s everyone knowing why the team exists. When that’s clear, people can make their own choices but still march in the same direction.

These two ingredients give you four flavors of team culture:

Micromanagement Culture (low ownership, low alignment): Leaders call every shot. People wait for orders, then play “Whack-a-Mole” with tasks. It’s slower than dial-up, and nobody really owns anything.

Top-Down Culture (high alignment, low ownership): Everyone knows the plan, but no one feels responsible. Teams do what they’re told, but it’s about as exciting as watching paint dry.

Entrepreneurial Culture (low alignment, high ownership): Plenty of energy, but everyone’s running their own lemonade stand. Teams care, move fast—then wonder why the lemonade tastes like chaos.

Innovative Culture (high alignment, high ownership): Team knows the mission, gets to decide how to get there, and actually cares. It’s fast, creative, and everyone’s synced like a well-trained flash mob.

If you want to talk ownership and alignment with your team, here’s a simple workshop (no trust falls required):

1.       Get your team together and look back over the last 3–6 months (bring snacks!).

2.     Pick moments—a product launch, a project that dragged, or a win that felt too easy.

3.     For each, ask: Did we own it? Were we aligned?

4.     Spot patterns. Are you stuck in one culture or flip-flopping like a pancake?

5.     Discuss any disagreements. Different people see team culture differently—talk it out

     Remember the conversation matters more than labeling things perfectly. (No one ever got a trophy for “Best Team Alignment Chart.”)

Step 2: Fix What’s Holding You Back

Once you know where you stand, hunt for the mischief-makers slowing your team down. Four questions to uncover the gremlins:1.     

1.      What’s stopping me from feeling connected to our team’s purpose? Maybe priorities are tangled, the strategy is as clear as mud, or you don’t know why certain decisions happen. Maybe the team’s purpose is hiding under someone’s desk.

2.     What could help me feel more in sync with the team’s goals? Get specific. “Better communication” is vague like saying “I want more dessert.” Try “monthly updates from leadership on what changed and why,” or “quarterly meetings to review priorities.”

3.    What’s making it hard for me to own results? Maybe roles are fuzzy, everyone’s only worried about their own KPIs, or you fear getting blamed for mistakes (the ancient art of finger-pointing).

4.    What would help me really own my work? Be specific. “More autonomy” is wishy-washy. Try, “Let me decide on speed vs. quality without permission slips,” or “team metrics that show how we’re doing as a group.

How to Talk About What’s Next (No Drama Required)

Have each team member answer those four questions solo, then gather everyone to share. Post the answers on a wall, whiteboard, or Teams channel—just not on someone’s forehead.

As the person leading the chat, look for common threads, wild disagreements, and anything that makes you raise an eyebrow. Don’t force agreement—talk through the differences. That’s where the fun (and solutions) hide.

Watch out for blind spots. If nobody mentions problems with other teams, maybe you’re avoiding the topic. Dig deeper—where’s the misalignment? What are you ignoring? What are other teams doing better?

Make a Plan: Start, Stop, Continue

Start: What should we try to boost ownership and alignment? (Bonus points for creativity.)

Stop: What are we doing that’s gumming up the works? (Looking at you, endless reply-all emails.)

Continue: What’s working that we should keep (and maybe brag about)?

For each action, have someone volunteer to lead. Make it crystal clear—who’s doing what by when? This turns ownership into something real, not just wishful thinking (or motivational posters).

Getting Faster—Without the Headaches (Or Missing Socks)

If your team understands the purpose and owns the results, everything speeds up—without the mess. Decisions get easier, working together feels like a group dance instead of a wrestling match, and the energy level spikes (with fewer coffee breaks).

These two conversations—where you are and what’s holding you back—are how you get there. They reveal what’s really happening, what needs fixing, and how to turn “aha!” moments into actions. The real work comes after, when you start making better decisions, ditch old habits (bye, passive-aggressive emails), and set up new ways to work together that actually make sense.

Click here to read a related post: Don't Just Promote Accountability – Build a Culture of Ownership (Where People Pick Up the Trash) 

To your team’s greater alignment and ownership—and a happier workday!

 Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant

SMART DEVELOPMENT

 

Ready to take your organization’s leadership, culture, and employee engagement up a notch (with a side of humor)? We start with a collaborative discovery process—no crystal balls, just smart questions—to identify your unique needs and business issues. 

To request an interview with Peter Mclees:

Email: petercmclees@gmail.com  Mobile: 323-854-1713

Smart Development has a proven track record helping service providers, ports, sales teams, restaurants, stores, distribution centers, food production facilities, wealth management services, third-party maintenance providers, real estate services, nonprofits, government agencies, and other businesses boost culture, leadership, coaching skills, and teamwork.

We’ve worked with companies through every growth stage and have plenty of practical insights—and maybe a few laughs—that can help startups, small, or medium businesses achieve sustained success. Let’s grow together (and maybe share a meme or two).